BiG_FiSH83
06/22/2004, 04:10 PM
Ive been a lurker here on and off for a couple years now, and over the summer Im finally going to set up my tank. Its gonna be a nano (20L) and I want to have a 10g fuge in the stand. Im kind of on a tight budget because of my age (it'll still be a couple, actually 2, years until I can drive and get a job) , but I have savings and a part time job this summer so Im just gonna go ahead and blow al my money on the reef. I posted the following questions on another reef board, and got some helpful replies, but I know I can get a lot of help from all the experienced reefers here. And believe me I need it. OK here goes...
First, I want to have a 10g fuge under the tank (Its very convenient because I have a 10g tank laying around) but this means that Im goingto have to get my tank (whisch will be a 20L when I get it) drilled. I dont know ANYTHING about how the plumbing between the tank and sump/fuge works. How do you coordinate the downward flow of the water with the water being pumped up? And where do you drill the holes? Do I have to ad a whole overflow to the tank? I hope not, becaasue 20g is small enough without taking away more space. I dont know anything really about how the plumbing works, you dont really find anything about it in the articles and books. ANd I know this probably sounds stupidd, but what exactly is a bulkhead? and how do I build (or buy) a small overflow box for the corner of te tank. And the whole gph thing just has me more confused... I need help!!!
And for lighting, I was thinking of just using a 175W retrofit MH with a 20k XM bulb. Even thouhg the light may be a little bluer and darker than I would have liked, it takes away the need for actininc supplementation, which would complicate thing even more. The wiring and plumbing of the reef are what Im really ignorant about, I know enough about how to run the reef itself. Does anyone have any experience with just a 20k MH and could someone possibly link to a atnk with a 20K bulb just so I can see te overall look. It is ok to keep SPS with this kind of light, right? Just montipora and maybe acropora near the top of the tank of course. Im thinkning possibly of jut using a 250 watt bulb becasue its not really that much morem oney than the 175, but Im not sure if Id need it.
And as for LR, Im thinking of using etropicals cribbean uncured LR, becasue its cheap and I can use it to cycle the tank. I know people usually avoid caribbean LR and go for the pacific, so should I just pay more for some nice cured Fiji LR? I jsut think it would be sheaper and more interesting to try the caribbean rock. But since it is uncured, would hitchhickers be a problem
Do they have Mantis shrimp in the caribbean? I hope not!!!
And one more thing, I promise that's it!, how would I go about setting up te refugium. I know Ill need some PC lights, a DSB, and then macro algae I guess. what exactly do you put in a fuge? Maybe I shouldnt start out with one since Im just a beginner, but I wanna run skimmerless so i think this would help the system out A LOT. Is there possiby a lifesaving article out there that tells how to set up a fuge and what it really does??
As Im writing this out, the thought of how uch this is gonna cost is starting to haunt me... Any ideas on how to cut costs would be greatly appreciated... Sorry or the long post, but I wanna do this right the first time And sorry for all the typos I probably made too
First, I want to have a 10g fuge under the tank (Its very convenient because I have a 10g tank laying around) but this means that Im goingto have to get my tank (whisch will be a 20L when I get it) drilled. I dont know ANYTHING about how the plumbing between the tank and sump/fuge works. How do you coordinate the downward flow of the water with the water being pumped up? And where do you drill the holes? Do I have to ad a whole overflow to the tank? I hope not, becaasue 20g is small enough without taking away more space. I dont know anything really about how the plumbing works, you dont really find anything about it in the articles and books. ANd I know this probably sounds stupidd, but what exactly is a bulkhead? and how do I build (or buy) a small overflow box for the corner of te tank. And the whole gph thing just has me more confused... I need help!!!
And for lighting, I was thinking of just using a 175W retrofit MH with a 20k XM bulb. Even thouhg the light may be a little bluer and darker than I would have liked, it takes away the need for actininc supplementation, which would complicate thing even more. The wiring and plumbing of the reef are what Im really ignorant about, I know enough about how to run the reef itself. Does anyone have any experience with just a 20k MH and could someone possibly link to a atnk with a 20K bulb just so I can see te overall look. It is ok to keep SPS with this kind of light, right? Just montipora and maybe acropora near the top of the tank of course. Im thinkning possibly of jut using a 250 watt bulb becasue its not really that much morem oney than the 175, but Im not sure if Id need it.
And as for LR, Im thinking of using etropicals cribbean uncured LR, becasue its cheap and I can use it to cycle the tank. I know people usually avoid caribbean LR and go for the pacific, so should I just pay more for some nice cured Fiji LR? I jsut think it would be sheaper and more interesting to try the caribbean rock. But since it is uncured, would hitchhickers be a problem
Do they have Mantis shrimp in the caribbean? I hope not!!!
And one more thing, I promise that's it!, how would I go about setting up te refugium. I know Ill need some PC lights, a DSB, and then macro algae I guess. what exactly do you put in a fuge? Maybe I shouldnt start out with one since Im just a beginner, but I wanna run skimmerless so i think this would help the system out A LOT. Is there possiby a lifesaving article out there that tells how to set up a fuge and what it really does??
As Im writing this out, the thought of how uch this is gonna cost is starting to haunt me... Any ideas on how to cut costs would be greatly appreciated... Sorry or the long post, but I wanna do this right the first time And sorry for all the typos I probably made too