Getting Close To The New Tank

[@ombomb]

I've got just about everything ordered / delivered for the new tank so far so I'm starting to think about what's actually going to be going in it...

The tank is going to be 48"x24"x24" (113USG) with a 36"x18"x18" (48USG) sump, water turnover about 25x per hour to start with (although I may add another powerhead taking it to about 35x as I add more corals), with about 30KG of rock on day one which will be added to over time.

Lighting will be 2x250W metal halides and I'll be running a skimmer and UV steriliser.

Current plan for the sump is a DSB / refugium / live rock rubble / equipment, is there anything else worth considering putting in there? How would you set up the compartments?

Proposed stocking (over time obviously):

1 x clown fish - moving from nano
1 x watchman goby / pistol shrimp - moving from nano
1 x cleaner shrimp - moving from nano
1 x flame angel - yes I want to keep SPS corals so this is still in the balance
1 x kole tang
2 x leopard wrasse - my favourite marine fish (at the moment anyway )
1 x mandarin - any concerns about two gobys in a tank of this size?
5ish x chromis / anthias of some sort - no decision made on this yet, depends on availability really, any recommendations for a suitable type?
1 x BTA
? x sexy shrimp

and that's about as far as I've got...

Any thoughts on the fish I've mentioned or suggestions of others that would fit in well?

 

[SkiFletch]

Sounds good to me. I'm a fan of the antias, chromis are a little boring if you ask me.

 

[@ombomb]

any thoughts on the sump?

 

[SkiFletch]

I'm not a fan of DSB's in sumps. Way too tough to clean IMO. Rest sounds good. Just remember, make sure you have a big enough final chamber to account for evaporation. If not, an ATO will be almost required

 

[@ombomb]

Just knocked this together, fairly similar to the layout I use for the sump on my nano.

What do you think, overall size is 36"x18"x18" all to scale.

Just thinking that the return compartment should be a little larger to allow for evap.

The two compartments on the right will be filled with rock / rubble / phosphate remover etc, middle = rock / fuge, left = pump / skimmer.

Thanks for looking.

just having another think, i definitely think the return compartment is too small.

 

[SkiFletch]

It's a little small. One problem though, do NOT put your skimmer in the final chamber. Troubles with bubbles and the constantly changing water level will really mess with it and it's skimmate production will be troublesome. Best bet would be to have only one corner box for LR, one for the skimmer, and the big chamber in the middle for the refugium

 

[@ombomb]

makes sense, i'll make the return chamber buigger, fill the back right chamber with rock and put the skimmer in the second which will have a constant water level