Help!! Gonna be in over my head very quickly :)

briandg

briandg

Member
Well I guess I impulse bought today. I commited to purchasing a 180 gal tank w/ 40 gal sump. I currently have a 55 FOWLR with a cannister filter. I wasn't planning on upgrading this much this quickly, but it was a deal I couldn't refuse. Now for some questions:
Will a sump by itself suffice for this tank, I really wanted a fuge also, but the tank does not come w/it. I don't think I could do a DIY for it because I will need to hook it up as soon as I get it home because it includes 300+ lbs live rock, some fish and corals, so putting the stuff temporarily in my 55 is out of the question. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Secondly, I'm currently using one of the American Pharmaceuticals filter to create my water, it works great for my 55 but will be way too expensive for a 180. I need some advice on a good RO unit. I have no place to plumb it directly as of now, hopefully in the future this will be possible.
Thirdly, it comes with a CO2 reactor (homemade?) guess it will work ok, and a UV sterilizer. Should I run the UV sterilizer, and should I be concerned that the CO2 reactor is homemade (I'm clueless).
I will probably post more questions, but these are my main concerns right now, I have a lot of planning to do in a very short amount of time.
Thanks in advance for all your input.
Brian
 
briandg

briandg

Member
1,000 for all of it, oak stand, canopy 300+ lbs live rock 4 vho lights, 2 175 watt halides, uv sterilizer, protein skimmer, and co2 unit. Misc corals and a few fish. Not sure the specifics of the skimmer, etc. but it's up and running now, and I figured the live rock is worth about what I paid for the whole thing.
PS I know I will need to take some of the fish to the local fish store, or I will possibly post on here for give away. For example, she has two damsels I don't want, and an angel. I already have an coral beauty and I know not to keep two angels in the same tank.
 
kayak385

kayak385

Member
if its what they are running in the store it should be just fine, but ask them how long it has been up, what they feed it, any supplimates and so forth. Ask about daily/weekly/monthly upkeep to make sure that you don't shock the tank once you setup your routine. make minimal changes to the original routine created for the tank already to prevent shock.
 
briandg

briandg

Member
It's actually a private person, it's been up and running for 7 years, she's giving me everything she has, so I'm guessing any food etc will be included. I will post a pic tonight, I have no way of reducing the size here at work.
So, you don't think I should worry about a fuge, go ahead and run it as is? That would definitely be the simplest solution :). I just want to make sure I have it set up right from the beginning, she said the sump has to be put in from the top before the tank, so once it's in, I'm not changing it :).
 
kayak385

kayak385

Member
Originally Posted by briandg
It's actually a private person, it's been up and running for 7 years, she's giving me everything she has, so I'm guessing any food etc will be included. I will post a pic tonight, I have no way of reducing the size here at work
if it has been running that long, all you have to do is safely transport it and start it up.
 
briandg

briandg

Member
I just edited my previous post asking about the fuge, didn't know if you saw that since you already responded. And thanks for the quick responses, I'm excited, but nervous too.
 
briandg

briandg

Member
I think it's just mature, these are pictures sent to me, I'm going to go pay for it and pick it up on Saturday, I saw some polyps in one pic, but that was all I can make out from the pics.
I know it's crazy to commit site unseen, but I don't see how this can not be a good deal, and was afraid it would have been sold by the weekend, it's two hours away from me.
 
uberlink

uberlink

Active Member
Great buy!
I think you should consider making your 55 into a nice DIY sump and fuge. You could set it up in your garage and really take your time. Whenever it's ready, you'd just have to cut off the flow from the main tank (leave a heater and power heads in there, and it will be fine for a day or so) and install it--space permitting. But under a 180, I can't imagine there wouldn't be enough room!
Definitely invest in a good RO/DI setup. You'll never regret it. And do it SOON, as you'll prbably need to start making saltwater ASAP. You'll almost certainly lose some in transit. Buy a BUNCH of buckets and save as much as you can from the tank, but I'd really suggest getting started filling up one or two 50 gallon Rubbermaids with water right away.
Again, great deal. You must be psyched!
 
briandg

briandg

Member
I was planning on making a sump/fuge out of my 55. The only problem is the lady selling it to me told me that the sump as to be put under the stand through the top before the main tank is put on, I don't know if I'd want to drain it to get the 55 under the tank when it was ready. But that's a great idea if I can figure out how to get it in and out of the stand.
Also, excellent advice on getting an RO unit, I know I need one ASAP. I'm just not sure what a good one is, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Again.
 
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