new set-up

[daisy]

I have been on this board for a long time, and don't usually think of myself as a newcomer to the hobby, but I am so in the dark about this that I figure this is the best place for these questions...
I'm setting up my new 58-gal oceanic tank. It's 3 feet long, 18 inches front to back, 21 inches high.
1. Lighting -- I would like to eventually have clams, soft corals, sponges, and feathers.
My LFS suggested a set-up of one MH and 2x65W PCs for about $600. The alternative he suggested was 2x95W Pcs and an actinic for $325. He did not give me a wattage on the MH or the actinic -- I forgot to ask. The PCs have a fan, the MH does not. Do either of these sound like a good set-up?
2. Refugium -- I want to set one up under the tank with a protein skimmer under the tank as well. Can I put a 20gal Long underneath and have the skimmer run from and back into the refugium?
3. How is the Reef Devil protein skimmer? That's what my LFS suggested for me at $260.
4. Is that enough filtration if I am going to be using a DSB, about 100 lb of LR that are already in my tank and have been there for about 3 years? I also have several peppermint shrimp and lots of hermits and will increase the clean-up crew after my new tank cycles.
Thanks for answering all my questions!

 

[jerseysaltwater]

you should post this to the "reef tanks" section - you should get responses quicker.

 

[leigh]

if you want clams you're gonna need serious lighting. for that tank i'd say that's a minimum of 2x250 watt metal halides with some vho or pc actinic supplementation. i don't think you could do it with one metal halide, even if it's one of the 400 watters. in a 3 ft long tank, 2 metal halides will give you a bright spot in the center (ideally you'd figure each one to cover 2 ft) but that bright spot in the middle will be a haven for clams!
refugiums are great. 20 gal long would make a great size--don't know if you have physical space for it in your stand or not--that you'll just have to measure. i had a 20 long under a 50 long (4'long) for a while, but that extra foot of length may make a big difference. you can definitely have the skimmer run in the refugium--there are a variety of ways to do that--if you choose to get an 'in sump' skimmer than you'll just need to baffle off a section of the 20 gal for the skimmer. the system will actually work best if you have a few sections in the 20 gal one for the flow from the overflow box into the 'fuge, one for caulerpa, sand, pods and such, and one for the return pump from the fuge to the display tank.
don't know nada about the reef devil skimmer. i'm sure someone else will pipe in...
sounds like plenty of filtration to me. a dsb, lots of live rock, a fuge, and a skimmer is a stellar setup.

 

[daisy]

I didn't post to reef tanks only because it seemed to mee like such a basic question. I'm hoping the sharks and all you more-experienced like types can help me here. I feel like such a newbie even though I've had SW for about 4 years!
Is a 20 L long enough to split into three sections? They don't need to be the same size sections, right? I imagine the first section, where the display tank water is received, would be where the protein skimmer would pull from (the skimmer I'm looking at would sit outside the sump, pull water from it, return water to it).
Then the water from the skimmer would go into the second section -- where the sand, plants and pods live. Then the third section would be the return.
But why does there need to be a section for the return? Can't you just put a pump in the second section to return water to the display tank? I've never seen the pump that would return the water to the display. What does it look like and how is it situated?

 

[leigh]

a 20l is definitely big enough to be partitioned...when i had mine i actually only had it separated into 2 sections--one with the overflow from the main tank, the refugium, and skimmer and one with the return pump. they were separated with only eggcrate lined in fiberglass screen. for me the only purpose of the partition was to keep sand out of the pump. but to have an ideal refugium i think you'd want the 3 sections separated by plexiglass dividers so that you can maintain a lower flow rate in the refugium portions. lots of people have posted setup schematics on these forums--i'm sure a quick search could turn them up. the pumps you use for the return are just big powerheads. in my current system i actually don't have my return pump partitioned off, but it's in a 50 gallon tank and i have it up high in the tank so that less sand finds it's way to it. some, however still does so i spend more time cleaning it than would be ideal. oh, another reason to partition off the return pump is if you should happen to ever loose suction in the u-tube for your overflow box (rare, but it happens) then have the partitioned section with the return pump will limit how much excess water gets pumped into the display tank (and thus overflows onto your floor)...much nicer to have a 5 gal flood than a 20 gal flood!

 

[daisy]

Okay, I called my LFS and he said it's one 10,000K MH bulb and two 65W PCs. He says I'll have to pick the whole thing up about 6 inches from the tank.
Will this work for what I want? Clams, corals, sponges? Will I need to buy a chiller to run the whole thing?

 

[leigh]

10,000k is the bulb's spectrum, but not it's wattage. he's talking about either a 175, 250, or 400 watt bulb. even if it's a 400 watt bulb he's talking about it's overpriced and arguably not enough wattage. i have a feeling he's more likely talking about a 175 or 250 in which case he's blatantly ripping you off (for $600). and is he talking about a retrofit kit or an enclosed canopy? either way, still it's overpriced. i really think if you want clams you'll need 2 metal halides for a 58 gal tank. you'll most likely need fans if you run metal halides...and possibly need a chiller depending on how hot it gets where you live? i know NYC can get hot, do you have central air conditioning?

 

[daisy]

Not central air, but window units in most rooms. As it is, I have my 55 gal near a window unit. The temp is pretty constant, but there are no really hot bulbs on the tank right now. This is why there are also no really cool corals in the tank right now.
Any idea how cool the room will have to be in order to keep the tank about the right temp? It gets good and hot in NYC summers. YUCK.
I think it's not an enclosed canopy, but something I would suspend over the tank in a canopy I would have to make myself.
I am getting the feeling that I am not buying this particular piece of equipment from my LFS.
It's not his fault, though -- he has to order it from someone else, so he has to take a cut. Well, maybe it's partially his fault...