Researching for a future 72 gallon build. Need advice.

[silverado61]

I got my hands on a 72 gallon bow-front tank, and a 20 gallon two sided sump.

Here's a pic of the bow-front so you know what I'm dealing with.

You'll notice that it's got two 2-1/2" holes drilled so I can have an outside filtration system.

One question on the build is: If I use the live sand (30 pounds) from my 36 gallon and put, say, 50 pounds of fresh live sand over it, do I still need to rinse the old sand or will the cycling process on the 72 remove the toxins from the old sand?

 

[silverado61]

I edited the above thread and moved some of it to the DIY section. I hope it makes more sense.

 

[geridoc]

I would use the sump you have as only a sump. There would be too much temptation to contaminate your display equipment with the QT sharing quarters with the sump. A true QT is cheap and easy to set up, so make it a separate system entirely.It doesn't look like the sump you have has separate trays for bioballs, so I would skip them. In order to be effective bioballs need to be in air, with a continuous flow of tank water over them. This arrangement provides for adequate oxygen so the bacteria can convert the ammonium into nitrite and nitrate. Instead of bioballs, you can just add some live rock (cheap stuff, even non-live rock) in the sump. It will be submerged, but that's fine since the anaerobic crevasses will convert nitrates into nitrogen gas, which offgases. Chaeto is fine in a sump, or you could go the algae scrubber route. There are diy plans all over the internet for upflow scrubbers, downflow scrubbers, and every other direction of flow you can imagine. They can be very effective, and easy to maintain. As for stock, think dwarf angels and reef safe wrasse. There are beautiful specimens out there that are reef safe, so your inverts will be ok, and the fish will be right-sized for life in that tank.

 

[silverado61]

Thanks for the input GeriDoc. I do have the trays for both sides (at least I think I do. Although I think I have them in the wrong positions. Here's the photos of what I have.




And here's a photo of the partition separating the two sumps/refuges.

Should I remove this and open it up as one large system?

 

[flower]

LOL...LOL...LOL...You wanted me...ME... to look at that, and give advice???? I'm the kind of "handy" person, that feels proud of myself if I can manage to hang a picture straight on the wall.
,
Listen to GeriDoc. The only thing I could offer is what he already explained...a QT needs to be completely separate from the main system to protect it from possible disease or parasites...the whole reason for a quarantine.

 

[silverado61]

Bump.