New aquarium/DIY

[tomski1024]

Hi there! This is my first thread, so bear with me!
I've been running a 55gal FO tank with CC substrate. I'm planning on upgrading to (ideally) a 180gal reef tank, but I want to save as much $$ as I can with DIY stand, canopy, fuge, skimmer, lighting, etc. If anyone has any suggestions or plans they would be willing to share, that would be great.
I've been checking out the local hardware store to see what I can come up with, and I think I want to build the stand/canopy with oak and stain it to a red mahogany. I was thinking give the tank a black background and use black sand to bring out the color of my fish, corals, inverts, etc. My LFS doesn't carry black sand though- is black sand bad for the tank, or just hard to find and expensive?
Also, where can I find info about the pros/cons of different lighting systems? Could I do a DIY system with lights from the hardware store, or would those lights be on the wrong spectrum and just give me a bunch of unwanted algae?
Sorry for the long thread, I've been thinking on my own for a while, and want to get some advice from other real people now (I'm not too impressed with my LFS).
Thanks for your help!
~Tom

 

[ophiura]

I've moved your post to the forum specifically designed for such questions. But I am no expert. However, I don't believe the hardware store lights are suitable - definitely not the bulbs. But most are not suitable for use around water to start.

 

[acekjd83]

hardware store MH are usually in the 6500K range, which is more energy efficient, but not at all good for aquariums. a hardware store will only carry normal output fluorescent ballasts, which are also not enough for a reef. VHO ballasts are usually only found in fish stores and online, and PC ballasts (of the appropriate configuration) are also rare in hardware stores.

 

[tomski1024]

Thanks for the input!
Originally posted by acekjd83
hardware store MH are usually in the 6500K range, which is more energy efficient, but not at all good for aquariums.
So what should I be looking for in lighting then? Is it total lumen output that's important? If so, how high are the right MH's?:help:

 

[ebsochin]

I was once in your shoes trying to complete my 180reef by spending the least amount of $$$. My advice would be to do it right the first time. There is nothing wrong with building the stand and canopy, but when it comes to the lighting or filtration, I would purchase those items either online or from a LFS. When I set up my tank the first time, I used a pond pump for the return, bought fluorescent light strips (the work shop kind) and built the return plumbing. The only thing that lasted was the return plumbing. The lights corroded, and the pump failed. Both because of the salt. Anyway, long story short I ended up rebuilding the system and purchasing MH lighting from a company in Canada.
There is nothing wrong with DIY, but make sure you do it right the first time!

 

[tomski1024]

Good advice, thanks. I hadn't even thought about the salt causing problems with the pump and lighting- I had the exact same ideas in mind until now for those parts!

 

[ebsochin]

When my pump failed, the make shift sump didn't hold enough of the water and flooded the entire room. All this happened, not once but twice and both times I was deployed in Iraq. So the wife had to clean up the mess. Needless to say she wasn't to happy.
Just make sure to get a pump that can be used in saltwater, the lighting can be done DIY. If you want to got this route, make sure to buy parts that are non corrosive. The bulbs from hardware stores really aren't the right kelvin or type, thus the $$ difference. If you want to DIY then buy the retro fit kits and build it to your specific canopy dimensions and such.
Just to give you an idea of $$ I spent,
The first time I spent about $400-$500 for the pumpS, lighting, and filtration
After all the problems I spent $1100 on lighting, $1000 on pump and filtration.
There is a big difference in price but to tell you the truth I'm much happier with the appearance as well as the functionality of everything. Good luck with yours.

 

[tomski1024]

Are those expenses for metal halide lights, then?

 

[acekjd83]

as far as i've seen, yes... but i've only been pricing, not buying, installing, retrofitting, etc.
if you do a search for "metal halide aquarium" you'll find a bunch of different options and a lot of good background info to help you learn more about the pros and cons of different types of MH lighting, and what type of setup will work best for your system.

 

[ebsochin]

Yes I bought a canopy system with 2 HQI DE 250W MH and 4 160W VHO with 2 moonlights and 2 fans. It came with Ice Cap ballasts and is really sweet. It lights the tanks so much better than the old strip lights I had used. Plus I get to keep corals now!!:jumping: :cheer: