hidesertreefer
New Member
Hi all, I've been coming here for a couple of years and now I need some specifics(bear with me this might take a while). My wife said my 55gal has to go! She doesn't like it in the living room so she's going to buy me a 230gal to move it into and put in the basement.
I have almost all the fish I want except for a Mandarin, some Anthias, and maybe a Flame Angel. My new tank will be 72Lx24Hx30W with a center overflow since it will be viewed from 3 sides(front, back, end). I want to add some LPS and a couple of SPS
Equipment: I currently have 2 HOB Filters, cheap skimmer, Nova Extreme T5HO lights, 3 PH's, about 100lbs LR and 100lbs LS.
My current stock is:
1ea Black and White Ocellaris Clown
2ea Ocellaris Clowns
2ea Firefish Gobies
3ea Yellowtail Damsels(I know)
1ea Three Spot Damsel
1ea Bi-Color Blennie
1ea Scooter Blennie
3ea Brittle Stars
2ea Tigertail Cucumbers
2ea Skunk Stripe Shrimp
1ea Sebae Anemone
1ea Peppermint Shrimp
1ea Sally Lightfoot Crab
Snails, Hermits, and about 100 little snails that only come out at night
Xenias, Kenya Trees, Zoo's, Duncan, Torch, Frogspawn, Polyps, and a Brain Coral
Now for my questions...
I want to do a Sump/Refuge for filtration and growing copes. My thought is to convert my 55gal over by dividing it into three sections, first 12" for protein skimmer, 2nd 18" for refugium, 3rd 18" for sump return. I plan 3 return pumps; two at about 2000 GPH return to the tank and a third at about 800GPH through the chiller and then into the tank. Will the 55 be big enough to handle the water flow and still properly filter? Can I use the two big pumps alternating for wave action and still get enough flow? Will two 2" drain pipes and three 1 1/2" return pipes be large enough? How large should the overflow be?
Is there a way of temporarily storing my livestock while I convert the 55gal and let the new tank cycle? The nearest LFS is in Salt Lake City about 250 miles away.
Is anyone familiar with Marine Environment salt? Good, Bad, Indifferent?
I will be upgrading the lights to MH and T5HO combination.
If you managed to hang in this long I appreciate it and I really appreciate any advice you folks can give. Thanks
Equipment: I currently have 2 HOB Filters, cheap skimmer, Nova Extreme T5HO lights, 3 PH's, about 100lbs LR and 100lbs LS.
My current stock is:
1ea Black and White Ocellaris Clown
2ea Ocellaris Clowns
2ea Firefish Gobies
3ea Yellowtail Damsels(I know)
1ea Three Spot Damsel
1ea Bi-Color Blennie
1ea Scooter Blennie
3ea Brittle Stars
2ea Tigertail Cucumbers
2ea Skunk Stripe Shrimp
1ea Sebae Anemone
1ea Peppermint Shrimp
1ea Sally Lightfoot Crab
Snails, Hermits, and about 100 little snails that only come out at night
Xenias, Kenya Trees, Zoo's, Duncan, Torch, Frogspawn, Polyps, and a Brain Coral
Now for my questions...
I want to do a Sump/Refuge for filtration and growing copes. My thought is to convert my 55gal over by dividing it into three sections, first 12" for protein skimmer, 2nd 18" for refugium, 3rd 18" for sump return. I plan 3 return pumps; two at about 2000 GPH return to the tank and a third at about 800GPH through the chiller and then into the tank. Will the 55 be big enough to handle the water flow and still properly filter? Can I use the two big pumps alternating for wave action and still get enough flow? Will two 2" drain pipes and three 1 1/2" return pipes be large enough? How large should the overflow be?
Is there a way of temporarily storing my livestock while I convert the 55gal and let the new tank cycle? The nearest LFS is in Salt Lake City about 250 miles away.
Is anyone familiar with Marine Environment salt? Good, Bad, Indifferent?
I will be upgrading the lights to MH and T5HO combination.
If you managed to hang in this long I appreciate it and I really appreciate any advice you folks can give. Thanks