150 Reef Build - Decided to hold off and seek a used setup

[Guest]

Thank you for everyone's input. I have decided to hold off on a new tank and seek a used setup preferably in the following dimensions:
48"24"24"high
60"24"24-30"high


So far I am leaning toward the 150 mixed reef tank with a 50 G Sump/Fuge, with some tangs, anthias, sps and softies. I do not plan on feeding more than once a day.

Here are some of the broad strokes:

1) Tank Stand & Canopy: Dimensions: 60" 24" 24" Custom glass done by locally with calfo overflow eurobraced.
I liked Andrew setup from reefcentral
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1294327

2) Sump and Refugium: (48" 15" 16") Local custom build - need to accommidate Skimmer, possible calcium reactor. Probably one with skimmer on left, fuge on right and return in middle.

3)Plumbing: Two 1.5" returns to sump. Two 1" returns from sump to display

4) Lighting: Two 250 MH. Coralvue ballasts, Larger Luminbright single ended reflectors without glass covers. Coralvue Reeflux 12K Bulbs

http://www.reefexotics.com/lumen_bright_retro.htm



5) Skimmer: Octopus NW 200 or DNW-150.

http://www.aquacave.com/detail.aspx?ID=985
or

http://www.reefexotics.com/needle_wheel_skimmers.htm


6) Live Rock and Sand - Approx 250-300 pounds of Arogonite or whatever translates to 5" deep - 200-300 pounds of Live Rock. My Idea is to do a large pile of mature rock and one of the exotic arc's you make with PVC that you see on Tank of the month.

7) Controller - Budget - $10 timers High dollar - Aquacontroller Jr.
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~SearchStr~aquacontroller%20jr~action~view~idProduct~NS1163~idCategory~FITEMOMI~category~Neptune_AquaController_Jr_with_Backlit_Display_+_Temperature_Probe_+_Direct_Connect_8_Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies_Testing_Equipment_Monitor_Equipment_Multi_Item_Monitors___Controllers~vendor~.html

8) Powerheads/Wavemakers - Budget - 2 or 3 Koralia 4's. High dollar -Tunze streams and wavemaker
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~SearchStr~wavemaker~action~view~idProduct~TZ2311~idCategory~FIWMIW~category~Tunze_Wavebox_6212_Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies_Wavemakers_Internal~vendor~.html

9) Calcium Reactor Budget - Budget - Dose every week. High Dollar - Korallin Setup
http://www.reefgeek.com/equipment/Calcium_Reactors/Korallin/C-1502_Calcium_Reactor_Package_w!_Regulator,_CO2_Tank_&_Media_by_Korallin

o

10) Phosban Reator & Carbon Reactors - Via Aqua Polyreactor
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~SearchStr~carbon%20reactor~action~view~idProduct~VA3311~idCategory~FIFRISPR~category~ViaAqua_Poly_Reactor_(Multi_Media_Reactor)_Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies_Filters_Inline__Specialty_Phosphate_Reactors~vendor~.html

11) Return Pump - Sequence Dart
http://www.reefexotics.com/reeflo.htm

12) Heaters 2 or 3 200 Watt good ol Jagars

13) Electric Control Panel?

That is it for now. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Please help me pick a skimmer. Trying to decide is getting annoying.


Old post Below:


Below are some pics on my 54 Corner Bow Tank. Trying to find the the lighting solution was my biggest challenge. I went for from 130 PC unit, then added the a 150 MH viper, and now have settled on the 250MH sunpod. I am running the 12K Reeflux De. I busted the glass cover with the 250MH and nearly electrocuted my tank. I then had a glass guy make me some 1/2 glass supports to hold the sunpod over the tank which has worked nicely for me so far.


The 54 G tank has been running since October 2007, and I now have aspirations of doing a 100+ gallon mixed reef. At the moment I am leaning toward a 150(60", 24", 24"), or a 135 to go in my kitchen area 72" 18"deep, 24"high. My wife seems to be more receptive for one in the living room. Space is an issue in the kitchen otherwise I would seek a 24" deep. The trouble is finding an appropriate size to to do enough without wanting something larger 6 months late. If anyone could comment I would appreciate it.

 

[Guest]

go with this size 150(60", 24", 24") the 135 gallon's18 inch depth is not alot of room for aquascaping...also if you go eurobracing than centerbrace that will only give you a 12 entrance up top to get stuff in..

i reccomend to go with that size you mentioned and eurobraced with calfo over flows....that would give you maximum use of your tank for aquascaping

looks like the frags i traded you are doing good.

 

[FranktheTank]

Oh my!!! Those leathers are look great Spence!

Glad to see the toadstool come around.

How'd the sump work for you? Hope it's going well.

 

[Guest]

Pampee,

Is Euro braced mean, a tank that has a 2" lip going around it? Seems like the benefit is to keep fish from jumping out, slightly more support around top of tank, and to keep water from sloshing over.

Is a calfro overflow the kind you see on Oceanic tech tanks, the long slender overflow often placed in middle of the tank?


Frank,

The sump works great. I could not have asked for a much better size that could go underneath the tank do to my obscure tank dimensions. My nitrates tend to stay between 2.5 and 5, and I am pleased with the additional flow it puts out.

 

[Guest]

Bump

 

[Guest]

calfo is where the overflow is drilled and hung on the outside so you get all of the inside of the tank for aquascaping

like the one david built...

http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/viewtopic.php?t=41244

eurobraced is when they go with 3 inch bracing around the tank so you wont have the ugly center brace down the middle and hinder light going into the tank.

instead of a korallin reactor ....octopus makes a calcium reactor that is priced very well. I have not used it but from what i have seen it looks like it alot of good features i look for in a ca reactor.

the nw 200 skimmer is really big...i would go recirculating 150 octopus that way it can either sit in the sump or outside of your sump.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the info Pampee. The Calfo seems to make a lot of sense to avoid the big columns running up and down your tank. I wonder if they are very noisy compared to the traditional overflows. Would having a rectangular cut out on the top of the tank instead of round cut outs could put stress on the tank?

The Eurobracing seems nice for not only ridding of the centerbrace and shadow, but you could easily run some PVC & eggcrates on the side to place your frags without getting in the way of the canopy.

As for the skimmer and calc reactor I think I may go with your advice and go with an in sump Octo Recir 150 and in sump Octo calc reactor. The tank will go next to the couches so heigth of stand may become problematic. The Octo 200 may not fit plus I do not want it taking up too much Real Estate in the sump.

@kuyatwo wrote:

 

[Guest]

the only downside to eurobracing is that stuff meant to sit on the lip of the tank cant as the bracing goes in 3 inches