Hello.... with questions...

[TaubBaer]

I'm fairly new to salt water hobby under 1 year.

Current:
I have the 20 gallon tank sitting on the kitchen counter. It has about 10 pounds of live rock and 20 pounds of live sand, 4 peppermint shrimps, 2 embald crabs, 2 big snails, 3 demsels, 1 tomato clown, and 3 dwarf hermits. Hang over skimmer and filter are on the back of tank along the small powerhead down in the near bottom back of tank. No corals. I'm going to the Twins store to get some more live rocks and corals.

Result:
I think I'm ready to upgrade to bigger size, 90 gallon tank sometime in near future. I checked many sump tanks onlines, looked at several skimmers, etc..... until I got confused and am at loss! :confused:

My goal:
Wanted to get bigger tank with all stuffs hidden below the tank in the stand, so I can push the stand/tank all the way back against the wall, leaving no space between wall and stand. Also, I wanted to get some corals, fishes, and something interesting to show off. :cool: If I success at it, I would like to do some tradings with local members on the corals, reefs, etc...

Question:
1. Can I put the tank at the wall between front door and big window?
2. I have crawlspace under the house, will the floor support the weight?
3. Is the MegaFlow overflow good idea?
4. How many pounds of live rocks? Live sand?
5. Which and what size of sump tank?
6. Which GPH pump?
7. Which skimmer?
8. I might not want to get metal halide lamps but required?
9. Is there a member locally know how to get those things together as an kit?
10. Any ideas? Suggestions?

[cyclebrkr]

I ahve the perfect set-up for you. If you can wait a little longer, I'm going to be taking down my 100 gal. set-up. It comes with everything, lights ( MH & VHO ), skimmer ( asm g2 or g3, can't remember ), Pumps, live rock, sand, sea swirls ( 3/4" ), and a lot more i can't think of right now. Let me know if your interested. By the way, welcome to the site! Hopr to see you at our next NVR meeting.

Stephan

[cyclebrkr]

By the way, the tank sits flat against the wall. All the plumbing goes through the tank, then the stand , to the sump.

[mothra]

Hello and welcome! I think you may definitely want to check with Cyclebrkr, I know his setup and it sounds very similar to what you're looking for, he is upgrading to a big tank soon - so buying used will save you a lot of money! In the mean time I'll do my best to answer your questions below...

1. Can I put the tank at the wall between front door and big window?
How wide is the space between the door and window? A standard 90g is 48" wide, figure on the stand being about 2-4" wider - so you need at least 50-52" to fit it in. I wouldn't recommend putting it right against the wall - maybe leave a few inches just so any splashing or moisture in the air doesn't cause your wall to become damp.


2. I have crawlspace under the house, will the floor support the weight? Yes it should. If you can crawl under there and check which way the floor joists run that would help. You want to see the floor joists running perpendicular to the wall (not parallel with it).


3. Is the MegaFlow overflow good idea?
Yes! Absolutely.


4. How many pounds of live rocks? Live sand?
I would not put more than 1 pound of rock per gallon. Not only will it look more open, but it will help with water movement in the tank. Too much rock can create "dead spots" where waste will settle. You might even consider using 'base rocl' which is dead, and only a few tiny pieces of LR. This would be much cheaper and also you'l;l be less likely to get problem algae what will never go away. The sandbed is a touchy subject. These days people are doing all kinds of different things... no sand at all, deep sand bed, shallow sand bed, rubble bottom... you really should spend some time searching about and reading about the pro's and con's of each method then make a decision that sounds right to you.


5. Which and what size of sump tank?
If you buy a pre-made sump there are many brands to choose from. I would personally recommend finding a used acrylic (or glass) tank and adding a few baffles to make a 'standard' sump. I would be glad to assist with design questions, as I'm sure other's in the club would too. My preference is to get the largest sump that will fit in your stand AND leave some room for misc equipment you might want to put next to the sump.


6. Which GPH pump?
A good rule of thumb is to have a 'turnover' of 10x. For a 90g that would be 900 gph. If you want more flow in the tank (a good idea to have at least 20x total turnover) you can add powerheads or a closed loop.


7. Which skimmer?
It's really up to you. This is an important piece of equipment. I would recommend a EuroReef, ASM, or AquaC skimmer rated for at least the size of tank you setup (go a size bigger if you can fit it in the sump and afford it) - they are all tried and true and work great.


8. I might not want to get metal halide lamps but required?
MH is not required at all. What kind of corals do you plan to keep? This will determine what lighting and how much flow you need in your tank. T5 lighting is a great alternative, power compact is another option if you don't plan on keeping light demanding animals such as Small Polyp Corals (SPS) and clams.


9. Is there a member locally know how to get those things together as an kit?
I don't think a 'kit' with everything you need is practical or available - unless you buy a used setup from someone who is selling everything.


10. Any ideas? Suggestions?
It sounds like you are off to a good start. My suggestions would be to try and decide which corals and fish you want to keep and make all of your decisions around that. Before you buy anything I would recommend posting on the forum and seeing if someone has something they can sell you used or GIVE to you.


Hope that helps. There are many ways to setup a reef tank so in the end you have to decide which sounds the best to you and give it a try! I look forward to meeting you when you have a chance to come to a meeting (the next one is this month) if you can make it.

[TaubBaer]

The wall is 4.5 feet between window and door. Umm... I guess I need to find another place for it.

I'm not sure about the support beams's positions under the space I wanted to put the tank there. I need to take a look under the floor.

cyclebrkr, you said that you have the completed tank for sale? How much?

I am unable to come to the meeting 'cuz I have another meeting on the same day in bay area. Darn! Maybe, I can come in March.

[Bdimas]

Welcome to NVR! Good luck with the upgrade.

[MrMonkeyFingers]

if it's the tank I've seen before he has a really nice setup! And welcome to NVR! Watch out for those bodies in those crawl spaces ;) Oh and about the rock... listen to what Jacob has to say... I had the problem of low flow and too much live rock and it was a problem. recently fixed all of that and my nitrate problems have worked themselves out!