fresh water to salt

[sue]

Hi Friends,
I have been raising fresh water tropicles for 20 years. I have finally decided to take the leap. I have a spare 120 gallon tank that I want to start into a reaf tank.............what do I need to build into the tank first?

 

[surfnturf]

I would get a couple of overflows drilled by a good glass shop if the tank doesn't have them yet. You can use a hang on overflow instead, but as long as the tank is empty I would have it drilled.

 

[sue]

Thanks, keeping in mind I havent even read anything on this yet. How high, what size and what location?...Im in alaska...not to many aquarium drillers up here. but I do have a large selection of diamond drills.

 

[surfnturf]

Well it seems you're well prepared. There are two types used, one is a hole in the bottom of the tank, and a standpipe is used. Do a search on "Durso Standpipe" that will give you a good idea of what is involved there. The other is of course a hole drilled approximately centered on the desired water line allowing good skimming of the water surface (maximum light penetration). The size is dependent on the desired flow to the sump, you would want 6 to 10 turnovers per hour. If you want, I can give you some links to clarify some of this, or you can find a wealth of info at:
http://www.saltaquarium.about.com
Welcome to SW and good luck!

 

[sue]

Thx Bunches,
punching a hole in 1/2 inch glass sounds like a real experiance but I'm game. Think I'll practice a bit first. But I now know what to read up on first. I'll probly be back for more advice...I want to set it up right first.
Sue

 

[surfnturf]

I wish I had the guts to drill my own tank, I dunno if I would even attempt it on my 29 gallon much less my 75, a 120 would probly make me pass out, just don't trust myself that much I guess. Drilling acrylic wouldn't bother me, but glass is a different story.

 

[sue]

I'll let you know what happens, But just from what i've read this evening, I'll take your advice to drill first. Is the tube in the bottom for an under aquarium wet dry or for a skimmer, I like the sounds of these 2 systems any idea where a can get good designs?

 

[mr . salty]

The bottom of the tank is most likly tempered glass,so drilling may be impossible.You should drill the side or back.Or go with a hang on overflow box.Many people use these(including myself) with no problems....Personally,I would not drill at all...

 

[sue]

Hi Guys
after doing more reading.....I've decided to only drill the side.
Thanks for all your great advice.
Sue

 

[surfnturf]

Sue,
I'm curious as to how this comes out. I've been thinking about drilling one of my tanks, but I guess I'm chicken, no experience in that area at all.

 

[sue]

With the help of a friend, and a stream of water. I am proud to say, I suggesfully drilled 2, 1 inch holes in the center of one end 1 1/4 inch from the top and 10 inches apart. I pulled the measurements from my head. (still not sure how a skimmer works!) I already had 1 inch thru hole grommets-and I figured the 10 inches apart would aid in adjusting the currents.
I'm still trying to find inside and out plans of a skimmer, Any Ideas?
Thx
Sue

 

[surfnturf]

Sue, do you mean a surface skimmer (to remove the oily film from the surface of the water) or a protein skimmer to remove disolved organics from the water? Both are preferred, and both can be DIY. Here's a link to some info that will give you a good understanding of a protein skimmer http://saltaquarium.tqn.com/blqaskim.htm

 

[sue]

Thanks,
I'll go there. Would you recomend both?
If anymore holes need drilled...I'de rather do it now
Sue

 

[surfnturf]

No more holes needed, and BTW congrats for having the guts and determination. I wish I could walk you through all of this, but there is an incredible amount of information on the web that you can research. Saltwater really isn't that different than freshwater, one of the major benefits that SW has over FW is that SW allows you to create very small bubbles of air, this allows you to extract compounds from the water that are next to impossible to remove from freshwater. Once you start reading about the principles behind protein skimmers (foam fractionaters) you'll know what I mean. I have a pretty similar background, 18 years of freshwater, and about a year of saltwater, to tell you the truth, I think saltwater is easier, It's been a year and I've never had a problem in saltwater. In freshwater, I at least have a case of nipped fins that I need to attend to every once in a while. Saltwater, nothing, no disease and the water is always crystal clear. It's funny because the only reason I avoided SW for so long was the misconception that it was difficult. It isn't, but you need all the information you can find, so read up, it's free and waiting on the net. Another note, if you aren't getting the search results you want, try this search engine http://www.ixquick.com

 

[sue]

Thanks again,
I wont give up...and I wont quite reading.
sue

 

[surfnturf]

I was going over your previous messages and noticed that you drilled 1" holes. You might want to go larger since you need to put a bulkhead fitting in each of the holes so you don't get any leaks. Unless you have a different way of doing it. You probably need larger holes because you need 6 to 10 change overs per hour so for your tank you need between 720 and 1200 gallons an hour to flow through those fittings. If you haven't looked at sumps yet, you may want to do that before proceeding any further. Here's a good basic explanation and plan for a sump http://users.erols.com/reef101/diysump.html