Got Some Questions For The Pros

WayneVT08

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Okay I'm thinking about buying a 26 gallon bowfront and make it into a SW tank.

What would I need and what could I house in it?

Would I need a sump and etc etc?
 
woah, hard to answer

first things first, what do you want

FO = fish only
FOWLR = fish only with live rock
Reef = fish with live rock and corals


And i also start to suggest you to buy books and research!
 
I am not a pro, but I'll try to help. :)

26 gallons is a nice size tank. Bow fronts will be a pain to clean, but that is minor. You wouldn't need a sump but they increase the water volume and make it easy to change water and dose. Try reading the FAQs in the marine section to give yourself ideas. If you have more specific questions you will more likely get more posts and more information.
 
Yeah first off I probably only want FOWLR but eventually want to do a reef. I'm going to a LFS on Saturday since this is my first week of school and I will see if they have just a tank with a sump built into it and for how much. It probably won't happen for a while since I have to get my FW set-up to where I want it but it should be up by christmas.
 
up by christmas is great, gives you all that time to study and do research.
 
I was thinking today that I will probably get it up and running by next summer. Seems more realistic and I'll be able to save up enough money for it. Plus I'll have all that graduation money. =]
 
And now that my dad asked me where I was gonna put it I pose the question. Should I just convert the freshwater set-up that I currently have into a SW? I do love the angelfish that I have and I don't really want to get rid of them, so what could I do? Would I definately need a sump for a 55 gallon tank rather than not having a sump for a 25 gallon tank? And how could I fabricate one so that it would be in the 55 gallon, not under it.

And how much would a RO/DI system be to install? If I need one of those at all?
 
RO/DI system is free in the long term. You can get them from 10 gpd (like 75 dollars) to 100 gpd (200 dollars), up to you. One will be fast, other slow.
 
Obviously, the second would be better. And you can drink this water also? And it is basically really pure right?

And also, do I really need a RO/DI unit?
 
i drink RO all the time, it has been around for a long time and so far there are no recorded risks or anything, its just a mechanical filter, plus it tastes good IMO, but i wouldnt drink RO/DI since it is very very pure and it is chemically filtered, not mechanically or anything, fish get better water than you, thats the rule lol.
 
Ah ok.

And I was just remembering what i saw at the good LFS the other day and they had a tank with a false wall in it and I'm guessing that's the sump/refugium. How could I put one of those onto my 55 gallon tank as I don't have the room for a sump under it, unless has a shorter footprint than about 15 inches long. and probably about 12 inches deep. Plus I want to avoid this as I don't want to have to drill the tank and to do all sorts of plumbing.
 
do you mean those all in one tanks?

I wouldnt bother doing that kind of stuff, your not raising your tanks volume, your just making your display smaller, and since 55 gallons are already so thin, i wouldnt make it thinner by taking out the back portion.
 
okay but do i need a sump, cause i dont have the room for it under the setup.could i just get an eheim canister filter or something?
 
sumps are rarely a necessity. They make life easier once the system is up and running, but you can do without them.
 

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