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Movin on up... 20gal--->36gal bow. any input appreciated


XtraKritical

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2nd hand 20gal tank thats begining to show its age.

I'm worried about leaks since the silicone inside is peeling off pretty bad.

went to purchase another 20g & eneded up with 36 gal bow front :blush:

I plan to transfer everything exept the substrate(used dolomite) X) and need to purchase more L/R & would appreciate advice on using all live sand or a mix and sites to purchase from. I came across this and suprisingly its in my home town.

 

http://www.esvco.com

"Fine Grade" Oolitic Aragonite Reef Sand

#140 - 50 pounds.............................. $22.75

 

Plans 40-50lbs L/S (needed)

30-45lbs additional L/R plus my 10-15lbs. (needed)

Skimmer (needed)

and 1 maybe 2-1/2" spray bars on/off opposite sides

I am using:

75watt PC Smart light

2 power sweeps (212 and a slightly smaller model)

Wispr pwrfiltr and skilter 250 (Upgrade needed on filtr?) Sorry post is so long, but it is my first!!! lol

 

Thanks in advance!!!

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First of all congratulations on the new tank !!!!

As far as your plans go, generally i would say they sound pretty good, the oolitic sand is good, but personally I find it too fine to use alone and would mix it with some coaser grade material to keep it from compacting too much. I like to mix it with materials like the coarser caribsea sand and even a little bit of the fine crushed coral, up to about 2mm. I think this offers a more diverse habitat for sand occupying fauna.

The skimmer is a personal choice, and personally I prefer not to use one in a reef tank, but thats up to you.

I would avoid using spray bars in a salt tank since they can easily become clogged with salt creep and quit working, maintaining them is a PITA. Just make sure your filter return and the powerheads break the surface of the water, breaking the surface tension and aiding gas exchange.

As far as the lights go that depends on what you plan to keep, the PC will be fine for mushrooms and many soft corals. If you plan to keep any corals that need more light such as LPS or SPS you will need to upgrade your light.

Ans as far as the filters go, those should be fine or you could go to a single HOB , such as the Tetratec, I really like the surge effect of these filters. Or better yet, why not use a sump?

Hope this answers some of your questions.

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Congrat on the 36 bow! I love the look of those tanks and almost bought one myself.

 

As for the set up, I'm a big fan of straight oolite! Vern has a point about adding diversity, but the denitrification you'll get from that compacted oolite is HUGE! Worms, pods, and sifters will do just fine. I think the oolite looks great too, lots of reflected light.

 

Skimmer! I'm a big fan of skimming, but I also tend to have a large bioload in my tank(s). I'd spend some cash here and avoid the skilter. Glazer found one for $50 (otto venturi), but most should cost about $100-150 (CPR, Remora, Sea clone).

 

Vern has a good point about spray bars and salt creep. I think spray bars can add a good "tidal" effect when placed on timers, you're better off with some power heads/sump return for surface aggitation.

 

Again "what vern said!" Pony up some cash for the lights. You should have atleast 140W of PC on that tank (4W/ga). Its easy to light a small tank for a good price, but once you start "going big" lights can get $$$. Oh yeah, you might want to search those "power sweeps" here. I think some people have had problems with them.:

 

Post some pics when you get it going!

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First off thanks alot!

this only being my 2nd tank (first nice one!) upgraded from the crusty always rusty iron stand and the 2nd hand petland 20g.

Went to the local Home Depot for Plemum materials and came up with ONLY the PVC tank 21" high x 30"long So (AGAIN) not sure got both 1/2" & 1" for spacer.

 

But the nylon mesh??? I saw 3 types...

aluminum fiberglass and some pet screen with no kind of info...

So none of the above i guess?!?! and no eggcrate so I guess I will have to pay a bit more from the local aquariums(cant b 2 much more).

again input appreciated!!!

I read somewhere here about black sand?!?!? But i dunno anyone seen any pics?

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as far as the nylon mesh you mentioned-you want fiberglass window screen. the aluminum versions will rust and fall apart. you should be able to find a role maybe 6' x 2' (look near the screen doors and window stuff)

you should also be able to find eggcrate but its always hidden and no one at home depot knows what the hell they're taling about so...GL look in the ceiling tile stuff-if you ask one of them employees you're looking for the light diffusers (2' x4' panels) maybe you knew all this, just though maybe i could help. GL! have fun w/ the bow front!

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Actually I had no clue regarding the nylon/fiberglass mesh but i wasnt putting anything i wasnt sure about...

So on my way back to home depot!!! lol

Thanks!

Still havent done anything with the tank yet!

Trying to decide on subsrtate and L/R

My brain hurts!

Thanks Again!!

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You should add a sump to that tank. So no need for powerheads, heater, etc. in the tank. If I remember right, bowfronts use tempered bottoms right? Just get the back drilled. One hole for overflow, two holes in both top corners for returns. You can tee off the return pump line for those returns. A 20gal tank or similar sized container(rubbermaid even?) should fit in the stand I'd think. You could light your tank with a 150 hqi de pendant. If you go with a skimmer euro-reef just came out with a skimmer for tanks around your size, I think it's called the es5-2. I just suggest do it right from the beginning. Spend the extra cash if you got it. So no worries in the future of having to upgrade.

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Before you install the plenum, give it some more thought. When plenums first became "the thing" they worked great, and lots of people used them. The main problem is, after awhile , detritus builds up in them and they can begin to release nitrates back into the tank. Since their is no way to clean them short of dismantling the tank, they become a nitrate factory. I have known many people with old plenums, that due to this problem , have had to tear the tank down and remove the plenum. I personally prefer a 3 - 4" sand bed without the plenum. This avoids the whole problem.

I agree with J, I like the idea of a sump, especially on larger tanks, and as he said, if your return is sufficient you won't need the powerheads. If you don't want to drill the tank, you could use an overflow box instead.

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So I added carib sea aragalive 40lbs @ $58 and another 15lbs of carib sea @ $15. looks like about 2" Cant really tell water is so cloudy.

Should I be running power heads and/ or filter/ skimmer???

I went with out the plenum... just sand

 

 

might go another 15-20 of live I really like the look, would that be too much?

And wont be adding any L/R for another week or 2... $$$ :(

 

Also I have the 75 watt PC smart lite thats only 24" wide and my tank is 30" I shelled out quit a few bucks locally and went with all glass cover hoping to incorporate with another lite (not sure which) or retro to up grade the lighting.

Wondering if I hang the lite from the ceiling to widen the range would it penetrate deep enough? So many options so little cash... :)

Happy Holidays!!! X)

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