Now im starting.

[pumper]

I added my sump after about 3 months... You should be fine... I have 1 40 gal and 1 55 gal tied in to a 30 gal..... Its a little cramped but It makes things so much easier. I have 2 sections. One section which is about .75 of the total sump as the fuge/skimmer/filter sock area. The other quarter of the sump is where the return pump is located. In my fuge I have 60 lbs live argonite sand, a few lbs of lr rubble, 6 mangrove plants, a 12x12 ball of cheato. Copepods/amphipods where added a few weeks ago and seem to be breeding like rabbits. Are you going to drill the tank for a bulkhead return or use a weir? Don't get in a hurry. Trust me, I didn't buy all these things at once. They were added over time...

 

[pumper]

Ugh, its going to cost more for the darn sump lol oh well it will look better. So would I just have PVC pipe run from my sump connected to a return pump stright to the tank and thats it? Any ideas on weather to have live rock or bio balls or a hang on filter or what for the sump I mean I'll have a skimmer thats a no brainer but what els anything?
ALSO:
fish im thinking of.
2 clown fish.
1 small blue hippo tang
3 Blue Reef Chromis
1Dusky Dottyback
Thats what I'd like to put in the tank. I figure ill be bashed for trying to put any tang in a 55gal tank.[/QUOTE
A 55 gal is to small to house a tang long term. They need ample swimming room. You mentioned you wanted a 10 gallon sump? Don't waste your time with a 10 gal.... I am strapped for room in my 30 gal tall. Go ahead and get a 30 gal long. They should be under 40.00 with tax new. I recommend a mag drive 7 for the return pump... No less than a mag 5. A mag 7 should run around 85.00 with tax.

 

[jared_p]

Well im most certinalty not in a hurry im on a tight budget between my photography buinsness and this i cant spare much change. But what iv got set back right now to start is only a few hundred basically enough to maybe cycle the tank. deffinatly not enough for live rock thats what is going to hurt me most live rock and lights. But like you said take it slow. Today I cleaned the tank with ALOT of white vinegar and some tank cleaning stuff got it pretty well clean only parts that still need scrubing are the corners where algea has gotten in seams. Ill post some pictures tonight. I am going to try and sand down the stand this week and get it painted. Then I'll buy my first peace of filtration. I am not going to drill at all on my tank though just dont feeel up to it. For now I am prob going to just use a HOT filter or canister filter to start with while i set up a sump. So I can get things started.

 

[prime311]

A 10 gallon is too small for a sump IMO. You'd be better off with just hang on stuff and a canister filter. You could maybe use the 10 gallon for something, but it would be tough to do it without a micro bubbles problem.

 

[jared_p]

Well what I'm thinking of doing is just having a canister filter along with an inline heater and two power heads in the tank then later on adding the skimmer.
Here is a picture after cleaning it.

heres a picture of my lil 2gal tank thats freshwater that as you can see i wish was saltwater,lol.

 

[jared_p]

ok so I just had an idea and drew it up in Paint to see what you guys think and see if this is possible or not. any ideas?

 

[ca161406]

really you should go for a sump instead of a canister. easier to maintain and you can hide all your stuff in there. and you can use natural filtration with like a pad for mechanical. as well put the skimmer and heaters in there. much much better. i have a canister on my FW 90 gal thats a pain to clean. and im setting up my 125FOWLR with a 45gal sump and im loving it already. when i set up my 90 for reef im going straight to a sump set up. also if set up right you have no chance for leaks. but with a canister if one seal goes bad there goes your floors

 

[ca161406]

erase the canister and replace it for a 20-30 gal tank for a sump

cheaper as well as more effective. and i think it would be hard to match the canister flow with the return pump flow too

 

[mch2o]

Originally Posted by ca161406
http:///forum/post/2779230
erase the canister and replace it for a 20-30 gal tank for a sump

cheaper as well as more effective. and i think it would be hard to match the canister flow with the return pump flow too
hey man,
I second what CA161406 said. U wil be much better off with a 30 gallon sump man cheap and better. Make sure when you have had your tank and sump runing for awhile to frist and for most put clean up crew that u pick out.
* NOTICE I SAID PICK OUT NOT A PACKAGE FROM A STORE* Reason I say this U will either want hermits in your tank or snails. I am going with snails but that is up to u. why u ask most all hermits no matter what a lfs says will eat your snails. So to me know point in having both. But back to my first point but a crew in your tank and sump.

I think if u follow that alittle you will be off to a better start than most of us where and want be doing this 4 months later

why

oh why

god please why

But anyways welcome to the forms and can't wait to watch your tank grow up.
Make sure to have fun with it man.

 

[pumper]

Originally Posted by jared_p
http:///forum/post/2779225
ok so I just had an idea and drew it up in Paint to see what you guys think and see if this is possible or not. any ideas?

That inline filter canister is not made to be run like that. They have a pump but they rely on the siphon and gravity to work. Getting the inline filter and a return pump in equilibrium will be a pain in the neck if not impossible. Here is what you need: a 30 gal long tank, mag 5 return pump, and a sheet of acrylic to section off the sump. You should be able to get those things for the same price as an inline filter and return pump. Also I will add the inline filters are a pain in the a** to maintain. I had a fluval 405 (about 220.00 worth of junk). Everytime I cleaned it it would loose siphon, leak water and make me pull my hair out. Not to mention they are nitrate pumping factories. Skip the inline. Use the 10 gal to breed copepods or something. Or you could use it for your nursery tank.

 

[jared_p]

been awhile sorry, but im now filling the tank with water as we speak will post a picture here in a min. but iv got one big question. I'm looking at ordering live rock and rubble is very cheap is it really just small bits of rubble like it sounds?

 

[robertmathern]

From the fish stores by me. Rubble is about the size of a golfball or smaller. Good for seeding base rock and stuff like that. Did you decide to use the sump if so you can put it in there.

 

[oceansidefish]

You can check online or your local reef club for good deals on LR. That guy who might be named something like craig has this list thing that people sell Live rock on for cheap when they break down their tanks

 

[mch2o]

If I were you man I wouldn't buy Figi LR for no more than 3 dollars a lb. There are alot of ppl out there selling it for that much no reason to pay more than that for it. And make sure to try to get other kinds so you multi. colors of LR in your tank.

 

[jared_p]

Is $60 for 35lbs of fiji base rock very good? what kind of care is required for the fiji live rock?
my original plan was to have 35lbs of live base rock then another 15lbs of rubble live rock about 3-6inches in size. Then roughly 35lbs of dry sand that would hopefully become live from the rock. Is there a better way to go about this or a cheaper way?

 

[jared_p]

Originally Posted by robertmathern
http:///forum/post/2794264
From the fish stores by me. Rubble is about the size of a golfball or smaller. Good for seeding base rock and stuff like that. Did you decide to use the sump if so you can put it in there.

For now i am not useing the sump I am useing a HOB filter i had its an aquaclear filter with 3 stage filtration that you put togather right now i have two sponges and carbon cant really decide on taking one sponge out and putting something els in. I plan on adding a sump just right now i wanna get it started and start the cycle then add the sump.

 

[jared_p]

Here is the tank right now.

 

[mch2o]

IMO you should just go ahead and get the sump together now and get your algae in it and start it up with your tank to start a bio.

 

[jared_p]

well iv got finacial problems keeping me from starting it right now and iv known of and seen tons of great reef tanks with HOB filters long as its done right and i figure with a good 55lbs of rock i should be fine with the filter i have.

 

[jared_p]

plan on adding salt in the next hour or so. then i plan on buying some dry base rock and then buy live rubble and some decent live rock. then add the sand and ill be on my way there.