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advice on what else I need


turbo2oh

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So I'm finally starting up a reef tank again after a hiatus of probably 5 or 6 years. Even back then I only had a small 29g with HOB equipment. I've been lurking around and thinking about getting a tank for awhile and finally decided to purchase one from a fellow WAMAS member (Thanks Bob!)

 

Here's the setup I bought:

http://wamas.org/forums/topic/64991-fs-reef-savvy-60-gal-rimless24x24x24-cube/

 

I didn't get any of the rock/sand/livestock since I wasn't able to set it up immediately. Now that the room is painted and everything is cleaned up I think I'm good to go.

 

I'm starting completely from scratch so I'm trying to build a list of what else I need to get going and was hoping for a little assistance.

What I have:

- 60g cube with 1500gph glass holes overflow with two 1.5" spears gate valve and return plumbing with check valve

- acrylic sump (20x20x13)

- apex lite and eb8

- AI SOL blues and VDM

- Bubble Magnus NAC 3.5

- Vertex Zeo Reactor (I don't think I'll use this at least for now)

- deep blue stand (might end up building my own that is slightly wider)

 

Things I know I need/ Planning to get:

- return pump (Bob said he ran a mag 9.5 I believe, I've hear the eheim ones are quieter but a little priceir is that the consensus?)

- heater (2 150w?)

- RO/DI unit

- refractometer

- test kits

- addtl powerhead?

- tanks to hold fresh and salt water

- sand/salt/rocks

 

Any comments/suggestions would be great!

 

Thanks,

Phil

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Eheim or even DC pumps will be quieter, but are more expensive..

And 2 100 or 150 watt heaters will be good

Other than that, yep...everything else on your list

 

I prefer Salifert tests, my rodi is from air, water, ice who is a sponsor, my powerheads are the jebao wp25's and you could only need 1 depending on the return pump you choose..or maybe 2 wp10's..

Also, a ATO so that your not manually topping off everyday during the summer...I have an avast one that i love

Edited by smallreef
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- return pump:DC-4000 or DC-6000.  You can always ramp up the power if needed.  If you go with the DC-6000, you could also create a manifold so that you can use it to feed media reactors or some folks use this to generate more flow in the refugium section.  They are very quiet.  Eheim universal pumps are also good and reliable as well.  You'll need to a gate valve to control the flow though

- heater (2 150w?).  good

- RO/DI unit.. AWI, BRS, Aquamaxx, all good units.  You'll want a 75 or 100gph system.  better to go with a five stage

- refractometer.  Definitely got one.  Hydrometers are junk

- test kits.  Salifert & Red Sea .  if you're colorblind like me, than Hanna Checkers work well

- addtl powerhead?  what do you currently have now?  Jebao or MP10's would be nice for your system

- tanks to hold fresh and salt water.  Get a 16 or 20 gallon x-trall tank.  With their slim/tall shape, they make for great ATO water resevoirs

- sand/salt/rocks... lots of choices here

 

with the reservoir, assuming you're getting an ATO since i didn't see that on your list.  Stay away from the ones with the float valve... they are a nightmare waiting to happen (personal experience).  Avast Marine, AutoAqua, Innovative Marine and Tunzes are all really good ATOs on the market now.  Avast is a WAMAS sponsor as well and local.

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People here who have the DC pumps have some really good things to say, but the other option you mentioned was an Eheim. Eheim's biggest advantage is the long track record of reliability. So, which is more important to you...features or reliability? Personally, I'm looking at a sicce 3.0 on a 120g build...not quite tunze silence (which I've seen and like what I heard), but pretty much the same equipment under a different badge and I hope will be just as good.

 

Yeah, I'd get additional powerheads for in-display flow. Lots of options. What kind of coral do you want to keep and what kind of flow will they want/handle? MP10 ($$) or MP40 ($$$) for wider flow that is controllable bus has some sound...or tunze 6055/95 ($$) or wp10/25 ($) for narrower flow that is controllable with less sound.

 

If you're building a stand, think about leaving room for things you don't have now. That might include: ATO tank full of top-off water, dosing containers, skimmate locker, and vertical space if you want a skimmer auto-neck cleaner, etc

 

My 46g evaps about a gallon a day. I use a 2.5g water jug from grocery store with my ato and refill as needed.

 

Check out air-water-ice for RODI...they're a sponsor and we get a discount. Alternatively, hit craigslist and then replace the filter media and RO membrane.

 

I'm using red sea test kits and I like them...can purchase refills instead of just all new kits. not quite as fast as digital, but easier than most.

 

BTW - I have an extra refractomer and single switch ato...pm me if you want to talk about those

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Thanks for all the feedback, lots of great tips and options!! if I had the eheim universal pump couldn't I throttle the flow using the eb8 and apex lite? Would the 1260 be considered under/over powered with my overflow/tank size? I'll take a look at the waveline dc6000 as well.

 

The rest seems a little easier to select!

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Thanks for all the feedback, lots of great tips and options!! if I had the eheim universal pump couldn't I throttle the flow using the eb8 and apex lite? Would the 1260 be considered under/over powered with my overflow/tank size? I'll take a look at the waveline dc6000 as well.

 

The rest seems a little easier to select!

 

 

not sure where you're located, but if you are close to us, we have most if not all of the items in stock as well as on display so that you can see what they are and how they function.  and no, you cannot use the apex to dial the 1260 since it is not a DC pump.

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Thanks for all the feedback, lots of great tips and options!! if I had the eheim universal pump couldn't I throttle the flow using the eb8 and apex lite? Would the 1260 be considered under/over powered with my overflow/tank size?

 

The DC pumps are built to be controlled for speed. Most AC pumps (i.e. the eheim 1260) are not. You could turn the pump off via the eb8, but not sure how often you'd actually want to do that and I forgo controllable outlets with my current return pump.

 

You're overflow is rated up to 1500g, but I wouldn't put that much through it. My overflow is glassholes and the lower the flow the quieter they are...and, note, the lower the water level in the display (down towards the bottom of the teeth).

 

The Nac3.5 uses an atman 1100 pump. The skimmer may end up being undersized for your tank in the long run. I have an sca-302 on my 46g SPS and it uses an atman 2000. The atman 1100 pushes about 370gph if not drawing any air...so I would think any more sump turnover much beyond 250gph wouldn't be increasing the productivity of skimming filtration anyway. Determine the height between your return pump and the top of your display and use a head-loss calculator...then determine what gph is needed to stay roughly similar to your desired (system/bioload matched) skimmer pump's water draw. FInally, find a return pump that hits that desired gph at the head loss calc. Perhaps others wll have different opinions, but that's how I'd go about it.

Edited by matt
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