Looking into buying a Saltwater Tank. Need Help

[Chac]

Yeah as M & I have said get a real descent skimmer and the correct amount of live rock, 20x flow and you will be off on the right foot.

D

 

[billa_bong]

Can someone explain to my the flow I just don't understand.

With the protein skimmer set up, how would it work. Can some explain how the water gets to the filter and mainly the flow part. Thanks again.

Tim

 

[Chac]

Hi B

By Flow what I mean is Water that is sped up and dispersed through the tank using Powerheads, your LiveRock require that water is constantly passed over it to feed the bac. that colonise on it, if the LR doesnt get enought flow then the Bac. will simply die off, I persoanlly prefer a higher Flow rate of 40x Total Tank Volume, so for a 70g tank you will be looking to have say 3 -4 Powerheads that in totlal will move around 2800g of water per hour.

But some others go fro between 10 - 20x (too low IMO), others go even higher than I do

Part of the skimmer unit is placed inside the tank (or Sump) and draws water into the main body where it is broken down and then poured back into the tank.

Hope this is some help

D

 

[billa_bong]

that totally helped.

now on the tank i would prefer to have a closed hood and everything.

how would i do that with lighting to support live rock with some corals and fish.

the guy at the fish store talked about that really expensive ligthing (the most esxpensive stuff)

than he said it would boil the water if i didnt do a chiller with the custom hood wth fans in it and blah blah blah later.

the lighting needed to be certain inches above the water and the fans need to suck out the air and w/e


do i need all that for a live rock set up with some soft corals (like 2-4 range) with some fish.


remember, my house never gets hotter than 74 degrees because my mom is very picky about that sutff.

what should i do bout that??

 

[Chac]

Hi B

YOu do get loads of different types of IN Hood Lighting

I will pm you the one's I use.

Althought they are UK Based you may be able to find something similar in the US

Del

 

[billa_bong]

Hi B

YOu do get loads of different types of IN Hood Lighting

I will pm you the one's I use.

Althought they are UK Based you may be able to find something similar in the US

Del

thanks a ton del. i appreciate your help and everybody else's help to.

when i buy the tank i will show pictures and such, i dont think i cud have done this without you guys. thx again.

i will probably have more qeustions though, even though i know what i am going to get

thx again.

 

[billa_bong]

I probably forgot to ask, what protein skimmer, powerheads, and heater and such would you recommend for a 70 gallon bowfront?

 

[Chac]

Hi BB

I can recommend what I would use but do remember that being I am UK based and you may have to extrapolate the info and transfer to what is available: -

Skimmer: Deltec MCE600
Heaters: 2 x 300w Visitherm Heaters
Powerheads: Hagen Aquaclear or Tunze Streams

If you go for p/h's then I would say for a 70g US (260ltr) the following:
(As mentioned before I prefer a hight turn over some dont)

20x = 5200 ltr = 3 x Hagen Aquaclear 802's (1650lph)
35x = 9100ltr = 5 x Hagen Aquaclear 802's (1650lph)

Del

I would keep an eye on ebay as these items do come up quite often and it is a good way to save a buck

 

[Chac]

Loads of Pms sent

 

[Seahorse]

Any update? Did you ever purchase it?

 

[billa_bong]

Any update? Did you ever purchase it?

Yes, I bought a 90gallon oceanic bowfront.

I bought 2 x 250 watts MH ligthing

I mounted the lighting in the hood myself and put in some fans for cooling.

I bought a refugium off ebay and hooked that up.

Right now I am waiting on the 125lbs of sand I bought of ebay (much cheaper) and when it comes I can put it in and fill with water.

Than I can start filtering.

So far I have spent 1500 bucks.

700 on the tank, 500 on the filter/ligthing, 300 on powerheads/sand/other valubles.

I'll post some pics l8.