SeaSection
New Member
Hello, I had a 150 gallon saltwater tank with clowns/damsels and live rock @ 10 years ago. I am now getting back into it. I plan on installing a 180 gallon saltwater tank with a similar set up. (No anemones last time but I am considering adding them this time.) I am older (maybe wiser) and really don't want to fiddle around with all the DIY that I did years ago. I am likely to purchase the equipment and find someone with experience to help me plumb it, etc. I have younger kids and hope this will be a fun hobby for us, plus they might learn something about chemistry, biology and the ocean.
Four questions.
First, back in the day it was commonplace to have an overflow box built into the tank. It would then be filled with bio-balls and the water would drain over the top of the overflow box and down into a sump under tank. The overflow box was essentially "dry", except for the water breaking over the bio-balls. In visiting some fish stores it looks like they are using overflow boxes that appear to be filled 50% with water from the tank (it looks like that have small slits in the overflow boxes at various depths). I presume this is done to have more flow, but is it necessary and/or is the "old" overflow box out of date?
Second, in my prior tank I had a lighting system that required a ballast and fluorescent tube lights. There was a lot of heat kicked off, which required the addition of some fans to the canopy to help cool the system. It seems that a LED lighting system provides sufficient lighting and does not run as hot. Any thoughts on pros/cons of using LED lights - they seem like a nice substitute (yeah new technology!).
Third, in light of the heat generated by the lights, I had a chiller. I am not sure I need one anymore, but would appreciate thoughts on when/when not to consider adding one into the mix. Are there any absolutes to consider (i.e., if you have x or y you must/must not have a chiller)? Also, if I start out without a chiller, how difficult is it to insert it into the line at a later date?
Fourth, I plan to situate my tank against a wall with a water source. In point of fact, I will ask my plumber to install a water spigot near my sump to facilitate adding water to the system to address evaporation issues. (I realize that water added to the sump will need to be treated, etc., before it is introduced into the tank.) Has anyone done anything like this before and do they have any words of wisdom? In my prior system I found myself hauling buckets of water around my house, which was quite inefficient and could be a mess. Maybe I am overthinking the structure but I would like to make my life a little easier this time around. If anyone has any other time saving/labor saving suggestions, I would greatly appreciate your input. Thank you.
Four questions.
First, back in the day it was commonplace to have an overflow box built into the tank. It would then be filled with bio-balls and the water would drain over the top of the overflow box and down into a sump under tank. The overflow box was essentially "dry", except for the water breaking over the bio-balls. In visiting some fish stores it looks like they are using overflow boxes that appear to be filled 50% with water from the tank (it looks like that have small slits in the overflow boxes at various depths). I presume this is done to have more flow, but is it necessary and/or is the "old" overflow box out of date?
Second, in my prior tank I had a lighting system that required a ballast and fluorescent tube lights. There was a lot of heat kicked off, which required the addition of some fans to the canopy to help cool the system. It seems that a LED lighting system provides sufficient lighting and does not run as hot. Any thoughts on pros/cons of using LED lights - they seem like a nice substitute (yeah new technology!).
Third, in light of the heat generated by the lights, I had a chiller. I am not sure I need one anymore, but would appreciate thoughts on when/when not to consider adding one into the mix. Are there any absolutes to consider (i.e., if you have x or y you must/must not have a chiller)? Also, if I start out without a chiller, how difficult is it to insert it into the line at a later date?
Fourth, I plan to situate my tank against a wall with a water source. In point of fact, I will ask my plumber to install a water spigot near my sump to facilitate adding water to the system to address evaporation issues. (I realize that water added to the sump will need to be treated, etc., before it is introduced into the tank.) Has anyone done anything like this before and do they have any words of wisdom? In my prior system I found myself hauling buckets of water around my house, which was quite inefficient and could be a mess. Maybe I am overthinking the structure but I would like to make my life a little easier this time around. If anyone has any other time saving/labor saving suggestions, I would greatly appreciate your input. Thank you.
