Want to Start a Marine Aquarium?: A Step by Step Guide

[Travis L. Stevens]

As far as the overflows go, is there a disadvantage to making it shorter than reaching all the way to the bottom, whether a corner or center overflow? The obvious advantage to doing it is a little bit more space in your tank, but I was curious as to whether there were disadvantages, other than having to glue a little more, I suppose.

There's no major advantage over it, but there is the bonus of less material used, less space used, and less water standing still under the drain hole.

People talk about refugiums providing a place for copepods and other pods to reproduce... I'm betting that they get to the tank through the pump unharmed? I was thinking about it and it caught my curiosity.

Yes, they make it through there nicely. FWIW, a lot of different critters that live and breed in the refugium also release microscopic larvae young that pass through the pumps without any harm. There are many threads, especially in the Advanced Topics forum, about this topic. There are people that report baby fish and various other rather large animals go through the pumps no worse for ware.

[floydss]

awsome thread this will be my first attempt at saltwater but this thread has made me decide to do it!! I have a basic idea of what to do but I am learning as i go hopefully i dont kill to many things I just drilled my first (actually third if you count the two i broke!! lol the first was a 20 gallon tall that drilled fine but hit a corner and dropped it! the second was a 29 gallon that was tempered but not labeled your right travis you cant drill threw that it scared the crap out of me when it burst!!)
I have a 90 gallon setup for freshwater right now but i wasnt about to drill that so i went and bought a 10 gal and drilled it so i am almost caught up i need lights and need to know how to do the plumbing ( i know how to do plumbing but dont know where it needs to go!) I see you have your plumbing done but you didnt post or show how it goes or did you and i missed considering it took me four hours to read the 35 pages! lol
so i am going to try to post some pics maybge it will work but prolly not
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...MVC-011S-1.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...MVC-012S-1.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...MVC-013S-1.jpg
p.s when drilling your tank more speed on the dremel is better I have a variable speed and tried different speeds slower chatters and risks breakin the tank

[floydss]

some more pics
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...1/MVC-009S.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...1/MVC-010S.jpg

[mascencerro]

I've been reading this thread since it was started, and the more and more I see it, the more I want to go get some parts and try. I've got 2 10's sitting around, and an old wrought-iron stand for 2 10's. The fuge wouldn't be hidden, but hey, that's something else to look at I guess.

Of course, the ol' lady would have to find somewhere else to put her 10 gallon guppy tank.

[Hopeful Reefer]

Originally posted by mascencerro
I've been reading this thread since it was started, and the more and more I see it, the more I want to go get some parts and try. I've got 2 10's sitting around, and an old wrought-iron stand for 2 10's. The fuge wouldn't be hidden, but hey, that's something else to look at I guess.

Of course, the ol' lady would have to find somewhere else to put her 10 gallon guppy tank.

If you have an iron stand and want your fuge to be closed in so it isn't seen that is very easy to do...get a bunch of cabinet magnets...cut some wood (your choice) to size to make 3 panels (front and both sides)...paint or stain one side, your choice again...put the cabinet magnets, one each corner and 1 in middle on each side...then, simply put the panel on the stand...VIOLA!! Old wrought iron stand converted to a new enclosed wood stand...

[first-chevalier]

Okay, I've purchased nearly all the supplies needed for our tank. I'm only missing a few items and they are apparently going to be difficult to obtain. Here's what I'm missing:

4x 25w lights of america compact flourescents
acrylic adhesive/solvent (like weldon)
2 pieces 90 degree trim (cause I'm doing oak veneer instead of birch)
5 gal tank (for our refugium)

I had a bunch of pictures but for some reason they didn't get imported when I downloaded the camera. I'll post them later. For that matter, what forum should I start the thread for the tank construction in case anyone is interested?

[ZachStep]

Are the PC lights still prone to producing unwanted algae growth? Or is that just another rumor?

[ZachStep]

double post

[Hopeful Reefer]

Originally posted by ZachStep
Are the PC lights still prone to producing unwanted algae growth? Or is that just another rumor?

PC lights, due to the color spectrum they emit, do cause unwanted algae growth...

However, this is easily taken care of with a clean-up crew...in my nano, I have a 96w PC Quad Light (2-10k tubes & 2-Actinic tubes)...at first I had algae gallore...green filamentous algae covered one piece of branch rock like grass!! Thanks to a decent clean-up crew, all of my hair and filamentous algae is virtually disappeared...

Now...what to do about all the snail and hermit crap from eating all the algae?

[danoreef]

Travis, how does your overflow work I am doing a 20H am I'm not sure how I am going to make the overflow, I see you drilled on hole up top behind the 6" PVC overflow, is there going to be an elbow on that to help get the water level right? or does the holes in the PVC do that all by themselves?

[NeveSSL]

If I understand your question right, the water level should be regulated by the overflow itself.

Brandon

[WaterKeeper]

Right Brandon,

The weirs on the overflow box control tank levels. Unless something major happens the level will not be higher than the weirs. Also, if the main pump stops the sump fills but only to the point that the main tank level falls below the weir box.

Jason,

Your PC lights put out the same spectrum as any other florescent system. They should not encourage algal growth any more than VHO for example. My only thing about PC's is visual more than practical. They always seem to give a color rendition that is inferior to VHO or MH. It doesn't mean they are bad but just they are not aesthetically pleasing as VHO or MH. That of course is in "the eye of the beholder".

[Paul B]

The weirs on the overflow box control tank levels. Unless something major happens the level will not be higher than the weirs. Also, if the main pump stops the sump fills but only to the point that the main tank level falls below the weir box.

Thats wierd

[NeveSSL]

Originally posted by Paul B
Thats wierd

Weird weirs?



Brandon

[WaterKeeper]

Hey, once a water guy always a water guy. And I do know my weirs; in fact, once I was bitten by a wereweir. Watch for me next full moon.

[Travis L. Stevens]

If you have an iron stand and want your fuge to be closed in so it isn't seen that is very easy to do...get a bunch of cabinet magnets...cut some wood (your choice) to size to make 3 panels (front and both sides)...paint or stain one side, your choice again...put the cabinet magnets, one each corner and 1 in middle on each side...then, simply put the panel on the stand...VIOLA!! Old wrought iron stand converted to a new enclosed wood stand...

I was going to suggest screwing it through the metal, but I like the magnet idea better. Good call!

Okay, I've purchased nearly all the supplies needed for our tank. I'm only missing a few items and they are apparently going to be difficult to obtain. Here's what I'm missing:

4x 25w lights of america compact flourescents
acrylic adhesive/solvent (like weldon)
2 pieces 90 degree trim (cause I'm doing oak veneer instead of birch)
5 gal tank (for our refugium)

I had a bunch of pictures but for some reason they didn't get imported when I downloaded the camera. I'll post them later. For that matter, what forum should I start the thread for the tank construction in case anyone is interested?

You should be able to get the LoA bulbs at WalMart. Mine carries them. If not, you can order it online. I could only find the solvent online, but you might want to check some local plastic dealers. I don't know what they would be listed under in the phone book. Check under Acrylic or Plastic and see what you get. The 90º Trim shouldn't be too hard to find. My Lowe's carries TONS of it. The 5g tank doesn't have to be a glass tank. You can always use a plastic bin. But, you should be able to check with a LFS and see if they will order you in a 5g tank.

I can't wait to see the pictures.

Are the PC lights still prone to producing unwanted algae growth? Or is that just another rumor?

Just a rumor. It's all about color spectrum. Algae and plant growth prefers a spectrum of 5500-6500ºK Corals prefer 6500-10,000ºK for growth, and bluer for more color. That's not to say that corals can't grow under more yellow light. After all, many coral propogation facilities that use greenhouses use the sunlight and shallow tanks. This has got to be quite yellow. More importantly, if you are worried about algae growth, limiting the nutrients is a larger factor than light spectrum.

PC lights, due to the color spectrum they emit, do cause unwanted algae growth...

False. If that was the case, then VHO, NO, T5s, etc would all cause unwanted algae growth. Like mentioned above, it's the color spectrum of the bulb, not the type of bulb.

However, this is easily taken care of with a clean-up crew...in my nano, I have a 96w PC Quad Light (2-10k tubes & 2-Actinic tubes)...at first I had algae gallore...green filamentous algae covered one piece of branch rock like grass!! Thanks to a decent clean-up crew, all of my hair and filamentous algae is virtually disappeared...

What you experienced is a typical phase in all new aquariums. Some have more noticable algae than others. Also, some will come to this phase quicker or longer than others. If you think back, you may also have noticed a microfauna bloom where there were tons of little 'pods all over the place. This was just a phase. It takes many months to years for an aquarium to level out and go through all the phases. It's all related to the food chain. You have predators, prey, and food sources. The more food source, the more prey is available. The more prey is available, the more predators. Eventually either the predators or the prey will run out of their respective food sources, and then the populations even out appropriately. Thus, in the case of algae, nothing competed with the algae and the extra nutrients in the water column until you added a cleanup crew. Even if you didn't add a cleanup crew, the algae would have eventually used up all the available nutrients and then die down to a density that could handle the incoming nutrient levels. This is one of the banes and boons of a closed system aquarium.

Now...what to do about all the snail and hermit crap from eating all the algae?

This is where nutrient export is key. There is always an organism in the world to breakdown another's waste. For example, let's use algae as an example. Algae grows because of nutrients. Algae is then eaten by a fish. The components of the algae are absorbed by the fish through digestion for the fish to use as energy. The unused algae parts come out as waste. Then, an animal like a crab will pick the larger, still useful pieces of food from that fishes waste, use what it needs, and excrete the rest. Then, microfauna comes in to pick through the crab's waste, use what it needs, and then do its business. Lastly, bacteria go through whats left and either use up some nutrients, or release it back into the water column this is highlighted as the Nitrogen Cycle. Eventually some of what was once algae will be released into the atmosphere as free Nitrogen Gas, but what doesn't will be absorbed back by algae. Theoretically, in a closed environment, with static variables, immortal animals, etc, all the algae will eventually be gone and be free Nitrogen Gas in the atmosphere. You see, all organics are made up of primarily Hydrogen and Carbon as well as Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Halogens. Depending on what the organic compound is, depends on what will be used up by animals and what will be released in to the water column by bacteria. For example, lets say that algae is made up of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus. As the algae gets eaten, digested, and absorbed by various animals, the Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen get absorbed in some way shape or form by some sort of organism. Eventually bacteria break down the simplest waste and sometimes Phosphorus and Nitrogen (or various forms of) get released back in to the water to be used by algae again. Hopefully that all makes sense, but it goes to prove that a Cleanup Crew is not the end all solution of excess nutrients and nuisance algae. In fact, the most helpful contributor is bacteria; specifically denitrifying bacteria located in anaerobic zones.

Travis, how does your overflow work I am doing a 20H am I'm not sure how I am going to make the overflow, I see you drilled on hole up top behind the 6" PVC overflow, is there going to be an elbow on that to help get the water level right? or does the holes in the PVC do that all by themselves?

An overflow is supposed to have a water tight seal so water is forced to flow over the top of the teeth or weirs. Because the overflow is water tight, when the water stops being pumped in to the aquarium, the display tank only drains to the bottom of the teeth. Now, controlling the water level inside of the overflow is a different matter.

If I understand your question right, the water level should be regulated by the overflow itself.

The weirs on the overflow box control tank levels. Unless something major happens the level will not be higher than the weirs. Also, if the main pump stops the sump fills but only to the point that the main tank level falls below the weir box.

Jason,

Correct.

Your PC lights put out the same spectrum as any other florescent system. They should not encourage algal growth any more than VHO for example. My only thing about PC's is visual more than practical. They always seem to give a color rendition that is inferior to VHO or MH. It doesn't mean they are bad but just they are not aesthetically pleasing as VHO or MH. That of course is in "the eye of the beholder".

I agree. There is a little more practical side to PC's than strictly visual. That's the intensity of the light. A Power Compact's intensity is less than that of a VHO and far less that of a MH. Other than that, yes, it's pretty much visual appeal.

[Paul B]

It's all about color spectrum. Algae and plant growth prefers a spectrum of 5500-6500ºK

This may be true and Travis did say algae "prefer" this spectrum but don't forget, algae will grow in any kind of light. It would be great if all the algae would die with some other spectrum but unfortunately it will grow in moonlight, flashlight light, LED light
candlelight and the reflection off my bald head.
Coral, on the other hand has no sense of humor and even with the correct light of the correct intensity, sometimes it still won't grow and in fact, croaks
Have fun.
Paul

[Travis L. Stevens]

Agreed Paul. The listed Kelvin rating is just for optimal growth, and yes, any light will grow algae given that they have food in the water.

[floydss]

apparently im to new to have my questions answerd!

[WaterKeeper]

Darn right Floyd, we really hate Newbies here on RC.

For that very reason I'll direct you to our sump king, Marc's Sumps, for further instructions and newbie abuse.

[kevinbullis6]

good information i really liked it......and since im new at this it will help me in the future.

[Paul B]

When I was a Noob the only one I could ask anything to was Abe Lincoln, and he was always busy with that war thing

[Travis L. Stevens]

Originally posted by floydss
apparently im to new to have my questions answerd!

I must have missed it. What was the question?

[floydss]

thanks

[floydss]

so how big of pumps do I need?? I need pumps for my 10 gallon starter and pumps for my 90 gallon? I can't find any formula i heard something like you need the water to turn over 35- 50 times but i dont know how many gph ineed