Plumbing and tank setup questions

[Zac]

I am currently in the process of setting up a 20H for a Nano Reef.

I do however have a few questions regarding the tank setup and how it should be plumbed.

Tank Setup:

20gal High. Below the tank in the stand a 10 gal. sump that will house the skimer and heaters. Just above the sump will be the custom built refugium. Which will measure 20"x6"x7" and be lighted by a 55w CF. The tank will be lighted by 2 or 3 55w CF.

Plumbing:

From the tank to a T fitting which will direct flow to the sump and the refugium. There will be a ball valve installed just before the fuge to regulate flow. The refugium will then gravity drian down into the sump. The sump will house skimmer, heaters, and the return pump. Then from the pump through a ball valve to regulate flow and back to the aquarium.

Questions:

-Will this plumbing setup work?

-What pump would be best for this application?

-What type of lights should be used over the tank and over the refugium?

-Should the lights on the fuge stay on 24/7?

-What would be best to put in the refugium?

-How deep should the sand bed in the tank be?

-How many Power Heads will I need in the tank?

-Will the return pump or the skimmer destroy any micro-life from the refugium?

-Should I use 2 or 3 55w CF over the main tank? (I already have four lights total.)

 

Sorry for such a long post and thanks in advance for any help.

:)

[gobies]

...just commenting on the parts I know a bit about...

 

> -What type of lights should be used over the tank and over the refugium?

Um, power compact fluorescents... be more specific: what do you mean by "what type"?

 

> -Should the lights on the fuge stay on 24/7?

Some people do 24/7, some people do reverse photoperiod from the main tank.

 

> -What would be best to put in the refugium?

With a 'fuge that narrow and shallow... maybe spaghetti caulerpa? ? ?

 

> -How deep should the sand bed in the tank be?

Check out my thread on the 30g tank and possible DSB for some insight...

 

> -How many Power Heads will I need in the tank?

Maybe 3 or 4, depending on size, placement, and landscaping....

 

> -Will the return pump or the skimmer destroy any micro-life from the refugium?

Return pump: *probably* not....

Skimmer: possibly; less if you put the 'fuge return on the outflow side of the skimmer.

 

> -Should I use 2 or 3 55w CF over the main tank?

Two should be fine unless you want to do SPS or clams.

 

> Just above the sump will be the custom built refugium.

> Which will measure 20"x6"x7" and be lighted by a 55w CF.

That's WAY more light than you need over a 3.5g fuge. 13w should be plenty. Look for the "Bookworm" light at Menards. $15 for a basically waterproof 13w CF lamp. Glazer has a post w/ photos of it.

[Zac]

Thanks Gobies for the information.

-As far as what type of light I ment what light temp.(color) would be recommended and how may actinics should be used. You say that with 3 55w CF I would be able to SPS and clams, but would this limit greatly the types of low inverts I could keep?

-I realise that those dimensions for the refugium are on the small side and if possible and if I can fit it in the stand I will increase the size greatly. You said that 55w would be too much light and that 13w would be enough, so what is a good light ratio to size to shoot for? What would be a good size to shoot for if I wanted to stick with the 55w light?

-With 4 PH in the tank and a return pump in the sump and all the lighting will heat become a huge problem. (The lights on the tank will be elevated about 4-5" from the surface for cooling.

-Will the T fitting installed in the drain line of the tank cause too much restriction?

-I am thinking of a Mag2 or Mag3 for use as the return pump.

is this a good choice?

-I assume that 1" tubing and fitting will be large enough to handle the 250-350gph flow rate?

 

Thanks again,

Zac:)

[gobies]

This is where I step aside and let someone with lots more experience answer questions...

[Zac]

Anyone??

[tinyreef]

re: tee drain, i always make sure the drain line out sizes the return line by at least 1/4" diameter or more.

 

if you're concerned about the restriction from the tee, you may want to opt for a wye vs. the tee, especially since you're going to have a valve anyway.

 

the mag 3 may be a little two strong. estimate the flow rates for the proposed system with one of your PH's after the head pressure calculations.

[printerdown01]

With a 55 watter you could easily do a 10 gallon sump... I would stick with the original fuge size and just downgrade the lighting... as gobies mentioned you could use the book worm light... OR you could also go with a 13W PC 50/50 bulb (10000K/6400K) from hellolights.com for $25 INCLUDING SHIPING....

 

The 1" tubing should be just fine!! I used to use it on my 55 with a similar flowrate...

[Zac]

Thanks again to everyone for all the help.

Now I have a few more for ya:

- What color temp. lights should be run on the main tank and on the fuge and what ratio of actinics should be used?

- Would it be okay to use 1" for the drain and 1/2" for the return?

- Will heat from the pump, lights and power heads become a problem and if so what do I need to do to keep heat to a minium?

 

Thanks again,

Zac:)

[Brianc_4]

I have a twenty high with 2x55w pc. I use and recommend coral life 10000k daylight, and a blue 03.

I think the dimensions on the drain and return sound fine, but I would recommend adding a ball valve(home depot $2) to your return pump so you can tweak the flow.

Heat may present a problem in any small tank. My thinking on this is to take the minimal steps to prevent it first before going nuts. Don't buy four powerheads at once. Get them one at a time and see if you really need another one, and also note any temp change caused by it. Definitely add fans to your hood for the lighting, rasie the lighting off the tank. If there are still problems mount a fan accross the surface of your sump for evaporative cooling(this works surprisingly well). If there are still problems and you are rich, buy a chiller. If you are not rich, but are handy, build a chiller. If you are neither rich nor handy(i would fall in this category) turn on the AC and put up with the odd looks from your girlfriend as to why you have the AC on in the fall. If you are not rich, not handy, and don't have AC, read some BBS and books and get yourself handy.

 

Good Luck,