Need advice on new setup

[jasyu]

Hi Guys,

Been keeping some corals and fishes for a few months already, so i have decided recently to setup a new tank. Intend to plan everything first before starting, so i need all the help, advice and comments from all the reefers here. so feel free to post here. I intend to take everything slowly so that i will be able to have a stable system to start off with. Below is the equipment i intend to get once i get everything planned out.

Tank:

Customised Tank 3ft x 2ft x 1.5ft with cabinet

overflow compartment with durso to reduce noise

(12mm with eurobracing)(any recommend tank makers)

Sump:

2.5ft x 1ft x 1ft (6-8mm)

sump with refugium (design please recommend, Important!)

Lighting:

T5 x 6 tubes (wattage and brand pls comment...paging dr evil...)

Skimmer:

H&S 150-F2001 or AquaC EV-180 (comments on both of them)

may consider a mini beckett skimmer

Sand:

4 inch grade "0" sand in main tank

5-6 inch grade "0" sand in refuge

Return Pump:

Still haven decide pls recommend

Internal Power Head:

Seio (620 or 820) x 3 (others pls recommend)

(wave maker in near future)

Others:

Rowa FR

TUBBY and Le Kalk

Intend to run the whole system with live rock in freshwater for 1 week to get rid of all the parasite like mantis shrimp, bristle worms etcs..... cycling period would be abt 3 months (min)....

I am still considered a newbie in marine reefing, so i need all the help from more experienced ppl ard here especially on the sump design. I Like to thanks all that is going to contribute in advance. Thanks.....

Jason

[strat]

Intend to run the whole system with live rock in freshwater for 1 week to get rid of all the parasite like mantis shrimp, bristle worms etcs..... cycling period would be abt 3 months (min)....

Not advisable to out the live rocks in fresh water as it'll "kill" the purpose of the live rocks

If you wanna get rid of all the pest, I suggest you put the live rocks in high salanity water, ie: Specific gravity more than 1.030.

[kareen]

A simple sump ###### refuigm design....

[Ekia]

For the tank's size.. 10mm thickness is enough already.. for tankmaker.. can contact this guy.. Goh_TM

http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143824

No point buying expensive LR and leaving it in freshwater a week.. its as good as dead after 1 week.. might as well buy dead rocks..

[piglet]

Trust me, ekia... Goh tm tank >> very good quality.

can get goh to build your tank/sump and your T5 ho too .

Agreed >> pls don't leave your live rock in freahwater.. not even for 10mins.

You will kill the 'rock'. keep it in salt' water only !!!

[ZeRoC00l]

A simple sump ###### refuigm design....

Would suggest you remove the bioballs section, as it will be a nitrate factory

As for wavemaker: 3 X M820 ===> M620 is way too weak

What do you plan to keep???

SPS?? LPS ??? Softies??

Diff corals need diff needs.....

I am running a EV180 on my 2ft cube (SPS).... get a bigger model or the biggest you can afford...

[jasyu]

Would suggest you remove the bioballs section, as it will be a nitrate factory

As for wavemaker: 3 X M820 ===> M620 is way too weak

What do you plan to keep???

SPS?? LPS ??? Softies??

Diff corals need diff needs.....

I am running a EV180 on my 2ft cube (SPS).... get a bigger model or the biggest you can afford...

Well i intend to keep mainly lps and softies, will not venture into sps so soon...

[jasyu]

Trust me, ekia... Goh tm tank >> very good quality.

can get goh to build your tank/sump and your T5 ho too .

Agreed >> pls don't leave your live rock in freahwater.. not even for 10mins.

You will kill the 'rock'. keep it in salt' water only !!!

yup will contact the tankmaker soon his works are very good quality

[kareen]

Would suggest you remove the bioballs section, as it will be a nitrate factory

Remove and replace with what?

I rinse my bio balls with aged tank water when I perform partial water change and the nitrate is okay.

[lightningstrike]

Remove and replace with what?

I rinse my bio balls with aged tank water when I perform partial water change and the nitrate is okay.

if u dun mind the regular chore of cleaning ur bio balls then it is ok lor. if not, going for, jaulbert or berlin or a mixture of both will do fine oso.

[jasyu]

if u dun mind the regular chore of cleaning ur bio balls then it is ok lor. if not, going for, jaulbert or berlin or a mixture of both will do fine oso.

decided that i will go for a dsb and live rock as a filtration.....

any return pump that u guys recommend...

[piglet]

advice you to try german pump..

get the one that match your flow rate and energy consumption.

[jasyu]

advice you to try german pump..

get the one that match your flow rate and energy consumption.

german pump as in ehim??

[Blenny]

you can also try aquamedic OR pumps

[piglet]

german pump as in ehim??

Example of German pump:

Eheim Universal Pump 1262 > Pump Output: 3400 litres/hour; Max Delivery Head: 3.6 metre and Power consumption: 80 Watts. cost around s$250.

Ocean Runner OR 3500> Pump Output: 3500 litres/hour; Max Delivery Head: 3.3 metre and Power consumption: 80 Watts. cost around s$300.

For your Tank 3ft x 2ft x 1.5ft. return pump with output around 3500 litres >should be okie.

jasyu > since you decided to use DSB . In my opinion > i think> be better for you to get height of 2ft. = 3ftx2ftx2ft.

[jasyu]

Example of German pump:

Eheim Universal Pump 1262 > Pump Output: 3400 litres/hour; Max Delivery Head: 3.6 metre and Power consumption: 80 Watts. cost around s$250.

Ocean Runner OR 3500> Pump Output: 3500 litres/hour; Max Delivery Head: 3.3 metre and Power consumption: 80 Watts. cost around s$300.

For your Tank 3ft x 2ft x 1.5ft. return pump with output around 3500 litres >should be okie.

jasyu > since you decided to use DSB . In my opinion > i think> be better for you to get height of 2ft. = 3ftx2ftx2ft.

Yup still considering between 1.5 or 2 ft ....... i scared 2 ft wait i need chair to climb up and maintain ...... too high liao haha.....

btw for the skimmer H&S 150-F2001 or AquaC EV-180...... are both of them needlewheel skimmer....

[piglet]

btw for the skimmer H&S 150-F2001 or AquaC EV-180...... are both of them needlewheel skimmer....

AquaC Ev-180 ... No! it is not a needlewheel skimmer. AquaC is a US design that use powerful pump to operate.

H&S > yes. The heart of this skimmer > the Aqua Bee pump

which is modified and finished with special impeller

wing wheel.

[Ekia]

Yup still considering between 1.5 or 2 ft ....... i scared 2 ft wait i need chair to climb up and maintain ...... too high liao haha.....

btw for the skimmer H&S 150-F2001 or AquaC EV-180...... are both of them needlewheel skimmer....

2ft shouldnt be a problem.. 1.5ft u also need to climb onto chair to maintain anyway.. Unless u got a really really short arm than u cant reach the sandbed which is not quite possible... get a higher chair and everything will be solve. 2.5ft then its a problem.. I cant reach the sandbed.. lol

[piglet]

Eheim Universal Pump 1262 > Pump Output: 3400 litres/hour; Max Delivery Head: 3.6 metre and Power consumption: 80 Watts. cost around s$250.

Ocean Runner OR 3500> Pump Output: 3500 litres/hour; Max Delivery Head: 3.3 metre and Power consumption: 65 Watts. cost around s$300.

Ekia> you never spot my mistake..

sorrie.. jasyu.. OR3500's power consumption :65watt only.

[lvcap]

eheim 1262 shld cost only $210

shld go for 2 feet hgt...2.5ft...then like me loh..everyday soak armpit in water..cos just barely can reach the sandbed....

[piglet]

eheim 1262 shld cost only $210

sorrie. . i am not sure of the current price as i get my equipments at a different rate > >under tank package'.

thus the prices that i used is from > http://www.eaquanature.com/web/index.html

[jasyu]

Eheim Universal Pump 1262 > Pump Output: 3400 litres/hour; Max Delivery Head: 3.6 metre and Power consumption: 80 Watts. cost around s$250.

Ocean Runner OR 3500> Pump Output: 3500 litres/hour; Max Delivery Head: 3.3 metre and Power consumption: 65 Watts. cost around s$300.

Ekia> you never spot my mistake..

sorrie.. jasyu.. OR3500's power consumption :65watt only.

no problem...thanks for ur help......

As for the Skimmer i may be getting the H&S but RM 6" beckett skimmer looks quite good but not sure whether it is able to support up to a 3 ft tank.... btw anyone here has modified an H & S so that it is able to collect additional waste into a bottle.

[piglet]

As for the Skimmer i may be getting the H&S but RM 6" beckett skimmer looks quite good but not sure whether it is able to support up to a 3 ft tank

jasyu> in my opinion, you will need beckett skimmer > if you are> keeping a lot of fish etc. HS skimmer is good enough.. beckett skimmer need even >more powerful pump than aquaC skimmer. thus the operation cost for beckett skimmer will be higher than HS and aquaC skimmer.

If you are using DSB, lots of live rock plus HS skimmer. (plus a Nitratreductor for your tanksize) >> very stable. don't really need beckett skimmer.

[terryansimon]

get a Beckett if you can afford the astronomical price you will have to pay for maintenance, in terms of electrical consumption.

do not be put off by what other people say, what "you can spend so much on chiller bills, why cannot spend some more on electricity bills." because at the end of the day, you are the one paying the bills, not them. (=

PS. I use AquaC EV180 for my 4 by 2 by 2.5 and it skims out gunk. if you've seen my tank, you would know how overloaded it is. so yah. (= ask people who have seen my skimmer in action. hehz.

[jasyu]

THanks for the comment from both piglet and terryansimon, u 2 have gave me a lot of suggestions.

terryansimon : How long does ur waste collection cup for ev-180 takes to fill up. And could u pls pm me the price that u bought at. Thanks.

As for the H & S 2001 skimmer has anyone modified the waste collection cup to collect extra waste.