newbie here

[xhappyx]

i just want to start out by saying hi to everyone and look forward to getting as much info as possible from this site. currently i have a freshwater tank setup. it is a 30gallon tank. i am running a fluval 204 canister filter. i was wondering what i would equipment wise. i know the heater. thermostat. all that stuff that i have from the freshwater setup. but what else. i know the basic stuff salt, live rock, good substrate, and my other question is, are sumpumps nessacary. or am i able to do with out. and help info on setups if a sump is nessacary and ideas on a diy one. i have a spare 10 gallon tank. any links to sites that may help me out. i've been trying to read up as much as possible. and so many different places say different things, it's a little overwhelming. well thanks in advance.

 

[sato]

You dont have to have a sump. It can make life easier and yet harder at the same time. Anyways what you are going to need to change to move over to salt is an upgrade to your filter system, that fluval isnt going to be doing the job alone. If you want to go HOB then IMO go Emporer probably a 280 since you dont have alot of room and are going to need space for a Protien skimmer. Which brings me to my next thing, the protien skimmer, its a necessity wether your doing Fish only or reef. You are most likely looking at anywere from $80-$200 for one. You might be able to find one for cheaper off the auction site.
Make sure to use sand not Crushed coral for the substrate, alot of stores will push the CC hard.
As for changing over to a sump, it would be farily easy to do. You are first going to need to either drill your tank(which is the harder option) or you can buy a HOB Overflow designed for a sump sytem, or make one yourself. Then simply run a hose of some sort down to your 10 gallon and have a decent sized pump just push the water back up to your tank. Thats the basic idea however so that is by no means plans to follow. If you want to setup a sump you shoudl check out the DIY forums and you will find all the plumbing answers you could ever imagine.

 

[loopy]

Welcome, and YES, sand not cc, bad stuff, I got it, I hate it, dirty,messy crap...sand.......ooooooooooooo ya!!!
Have fun!

 

[xhappyx]

well this is what i have now i figured pics would be a little easier to get some advice. like i said i have the fluval. am i able to use that at all. i'd hate to have to just get rid of it after i just bought it.
this is my current freshwater setup. soon to hopefully be sw setup.

and as you can see in the pic i have a good amount of room under my tank.

 

[dmc888]

Sump/refugium would be the best filtration In my opinion.
Many pics up in the equipment section.

 

[gfk]

do you run copper? apparently copper is present in freshwater systems and it cant be in saltwater cause you cant have crabs or corals... someone else should know some more about it thoguh ive just read about it here

 

[trainfever]

If you can fit the ten gallon tank under your stand, I would convert it to a sump and go that way. If your LFS can drill your tank, I would have taht done for the overflow. Overflow boxes are expensive and are not as reliable as having your tank drilled.

 

[xhappyx]

ok after reading till 1:30 in the morning i've been convinced to have my tank drilled, and have a sump/fuge. after reading many posts about flooding i can't aford to come home from work to seeing all the water from my tanks on the floor. had a problem with a waterbed before and was not pleased haha. i have a 30g tank i think i mentioned that before. and i'm going to try and come up with a way to use the 10g for a sump/fuge. what would be an apropriate size hole i would need. what size plumbing, what size pump.i really haven't figured out how u decide how much water i would need to move through the tank. i'm a firm believer of doing things right the first time. so this is my one time shot to make it work right. i'm not sure what the bottom of the tanks glass is most likely tempered. but the sides are not. not sure what kind of tank it is but i read somewhere on this site that if looks like 2 pieces of glass on each side then it's tempered. looks like to me that i only have the one sheet of glass. ohh and by the way it is going to be a reef tank with a few fish.. i've read many ideas on the sump/refuge thing and am hoping i can put it together in one tank. thanks for the help can't wait to get started on this project this weekend. will post pics as well just as soon as i have the tank setup and running. what test can i run on my tap water to see if it is contaminated. if it is contaminated will i be able to use it for the initial fill up during the cycling. thanks again. tom

 

[farmboy]

The back of your tank can be drilled with the same effect. I'm pretty sure the bottoms only are tempered. I've seen a whole row (maybe 6) of tanks done this way in a pet shop. They all went back to a huge Rubbermaid water tank (like for livestock) for the sump. Each tank had 2 holes on the back about 2" down from the top. One for drain and one for return. The tanks were a little smaller than 55's--not sure. But a very cool way to do this!
LFS guy said he would drill mine for $10.00/ hole with NO guarantee he wouldn't break my tank (75 gallon). Seemed kind of risky.
Maybe a glass place would give a NO BREAK guarantee?

 

[xhappyx]

and my next question drilling down 2 inches from the top. would keep the water flowing even when the power goes out. or would i end up with mess on the floor. that is my biggest concern also by drilling it am i weakening the durability of the tank. thanks. tom

 

[farmboy]

The 2" was a guess from the pet store setup. I read a thread with SQUID where I believe he recommended a minimum of the diameter of the hole your drilling from any edge/corner. That shoudn't hurt the strength of the tank at all.
When the power goes out, the water level will drop to the bottom lip of the drain. If pump and drain/overflow are sized OK, then the water level shouldn't raise a lot more than the top of the drain. Water leaves as quickly as it enters. OR you get to MOP!
Also, your sump/fuge is usually below the display tank, so you must leave enough space in it to hold the water that will drain from the main tank.
TOM-It is Very Do able! and very cool! WHo knew plumbing would be this interesting?

 

[xhappyx]

one last question and then i think i know how to do this thing. well i called around today and no one can gaurenteethat my tank won't chip. so i've decided to use the tacky overflow box. my question is i'm still a bit worried about power outages and losing the siphon and watre going the wrong way filling up the sump/fugethen my floor. is it true that if i drill a hole on the return line just below the water line that it will take care of the problem that i'm worrying about. also what size plubing should i look into getting and what return pump. sorry for all the stupid questions thanks

 

[farmboy]

The small hole on your return is to prevent a siphon back to the pump in the event of an outage. This is a good idea. Also, a check valve is an inexpensive insurance policy. Place it in line with your return. I have a check for mine -new setup-. It was a 3/4" pvc slip fitting check. I think it was about 5-6 dollars. (I'll bet you couldn't pay someone to MOP for that!)
Hope that helps!
Hey happy, this link was on another thread. It explains a lot about sumps.
http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html