Setting up New 20 Gal tank

[NorthLondonKeeper]

Hello guys, i have been lurking around these forums for a while now so decided to create an account, and thanks for providing an endless source of knowledge that i have been using .

 

But for this i needed more personal help that i could manage to scramble from other peoples posts,

 

So i am just re setting up a 20 gallon long tank that previously housed a pair of platinum clowns. It had no sump, no skimmer just a bare bones tank with live rock and power head, but thats all i ever needed for that particular setup.

 

Now i want to take it a step further and turn it into a reef tank with working sump/refugium.

 

So would someone be able to give some advice on what to do next, i know i want to set up a sump but never fully understood it no matter how much research i have done:

 

Hole size: what size should i drill?

 

Bulkheads: Can i order them online? if so again what size (suppose dependent on the hole size )

 

Hard plumbing or soft plumbing?

 

What return pump should i go for?

 

Sump design for maybe a 2ft tank?

 

I think that just about covers all the sump queries i have, now onto the setup side of things

 

Lights: 14w 3ft long Betta Blue/White LED x1

 

How many more will i need for corals? 1 more for buttons etc? Blue or white?

 

For this set up i wanted some original fish, so some ideas of stocking the tank?

 

Thanks in advance, i appreciate this is a lot of questions

 

 

 

[Pancetta]

So many questions! I am too much of a newbie to answer them all. But, check out this recent build by another forum member. It might help you with the sump design.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/352297-mr-aqua-17g-rimless-project/

 

In regard to original fish, I would search LiveAquaria and read the descriptions for fish that interest you.

There are always fish that are easy to care for fish on their site that are unique. You just need to search some.

 

Not sure what your sources are for buying fish in the UK?

 

 

 

[MrMoFo]

Hello and Welcome!

 

My suggestion is to look around online at pics and layouts of other peoples sump designs.

 

Here is a good overview of sumps and how to make a 20 long into a sump

http://www.melevsreef.com/articles/make-sump-using-20g-long

 

You can check out my 29 gal tank I was gonna build. It had a 10gal sump but same basic concept applies to all sump/refugs

 

Also my 75 gal in wall sump design uses a 20 gal tall if you want to see how I setup that sump. to date this is my favorite sump I have built.

 

I would go for a return pump that is 10x your tank volume ...so I would use a 200 gph return for a 20 gal tank (You will have head loss from pushing the water back into the main tank)

 

I would use a 3/4" or 1" bulk head ...buy them at http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/ Great place for online purchases

 

Hard plumb or soft whichever fits your needs. I like hard plumbing with pvc unions to allow for easy maintenance.

 

 

lot of info....so basically go get some glass or acrylic and start building your sump!

 

Remember it is okay to mess up or do something wrong this is how we learn and gain experience.

 

-Rich

[bob115]

Alright lets see...

 

 

Hole size: what size should i drill?

 

This depends on your bulkheads. The bulkheads have a larger diameter than the plumbing they accept, this should be listed with the bulkhead specifications. Most will tell you what size hole they need, and you'll need to pick up a diamond hole saw in that size. I'd recommend one of the cheap <$10 ones on amazon, you'll only be drilling 2-4 holes tops.

 

 

Bulkheads: Can i order them online? if so again what size (suppose dependent on the hole size )

 

Yep, these can be had at most online aquarium vendors, as well as amazon and the like. These are sized by what size piping they accept. I would suggest threaded for the side that faces out since then you can remove the plumbing from the bulk head if needed (I wish I went with threaded rather than slip for this purpose).

 

 

Hard plumbing or soft plumbing?

 

I'm partial to hard plumbing since its more reliable. Its a bit more work, and probably a little more expensive, but I'd consider it worth it. Also, unions... everywhere. That way you can repair or replace parts. Slip is fine everywhere here, by the way.

 

 

What return pump should i go for?

 

I've had good experience with my jebao wp10, and have recently picked up the dc300 and am quite impressed with it so far. I can't speak to its long term durability, but my other jebao pump is still going strong. I'd say go with the dc3000 or 6000. They're fully controllable with the push of a button, and you can tee off the return and create a manifold to run reactors and the like without a bunch of extra pumps. Also if they run dry and overheat, they turn themselves off so you don't burn it out.

 

 

Sump design for maybe a 2ft tank?

 

This is really very specific to your own situation. Generally, you're going to have a few chambers separated by walls, called baffles. The first chamber is always higher than the following chambers, and this is generally where you would put a filter sock and/or an internal skimmer. You can have any number of chambers in between for refugiums, reactors if you wish, etc. And finally you have the return pump chamber, usually separated by 3 baffles arranged to create a bubble weir. This chamber serves a few purposes: first it makes sure nothing gets into your pump; it makes sure you don't get a storm of micro-bubbles from your skimmer in your display; and it provides a safety net in that if the overflow gets clogged or stops working then the return pump can only access the water in this one chamber, therefore it won't overflow your display with all the water in the sump.

 

 

Lights: 14w 3ft long Betta Blue/White LED x1

 

How many more will i need for corals? 1 more for buttons etc? Blue or white?

 

Yeah those really aren't reef lights. They don't have the punch or the spectrum. Since you're posting in DIY, I'd suggest a full spectrum kit from somewhere like rapidled. This should be cheaper than buying a premade fixture, and you have some control over the design. You could always go hardcore like myself and manufacture circuit boards and program everything to your exact specifications, but its definitely not for everyone.

 

 

 

For this set up i wanted some original fish, so some ideas of stocking the tank?

 

This isn't really my forte, but bluespot jawfish are pretty wicked. Tanaka possum wrasses are cool too. I'll let someone more knowledgeable answer this one

Also, if you can, herbie or beananimal overflows are king. As for your return, loc line is pretty nice and is the standard (for the inside the tank portion, not the plumbing up to the tank)