schulzjp

Well my sump is completed and I have my base rock now. Not bad for DIY! I just need to finish curing the rock. Hopefully i can get the walls drywall one of these weekends so that I can set the tank up permanently.

Are you running 4 bulbs over your tank? What spectum are they? Also, it looks like your have your fuge before your skimmer? Is this the case? Nice progress by the way. That frogspawn is huge.

Thanks. Yes I built it using some designs I found on reef central for inspiration. I will be building a matchign canopy once I purchase my lights. I sealed the stand last night as well as painted the back of the tank black. Tonight I should be picking up a skimmer.

So I am finally in the process of setting up my 90 gallon. My current tank is a 20 gallon which I can finally upgrade from now that I am out of my apartment. So far I have built my stand and diy overflow which i have yet to test. So far I have bought two Koralia 4's and will be picking up an Octopus DNW-150 recirculating skimmer. My current plans are to go with 6 t5ho icecap retrofit kit for lighting. Planning on a 40 breeder for my sump. Looking forward to posting some updates.

Your latest FTS looks great! BTW, are you still using 4 T5s? Do you not have a fuge on your tank?

I have always replaced my t5's at 12 months and I plan to do the same if i over drive them on this new tank. How often do most replace MH bulbs? I was under the impression ever 6-9 months.

But how often would you need to replace a t5 bulb on a normal ballast verse being overdriven on a normal ballast? My understanding is that as long as you keep that bulb cool, you are fine. Also, how often do most of you replace your t5s and/or your MHs?

That brings up another point. If i go T5 route, good reflectors are a must (im choosing aquatinics over IC SLR's because aquatinics 2" width will allow me to fit 8 in my canopy). But if I go with MH, how nessecary is it for me to get the nice reflectors, i like the cost savings of the spider reflectors but i dont want to spend money on a upgrade later.

I am looking into lights for the 90 gallon I am setting up. I am use to t5 only lights, but I am considering MH for the first time. Here are the options I plan on going with: 8 x 54T5HO overdriven on IceCap ballast w/ aquatinic reflectors or 2 x 250W MH + 2 54T5HO for actinics For upfront costs, i can save around $200 going the MH route, and prices for bulbs seem to be about the same (unless i get radium MH bulbs, then MH will cost more). I plan on keeping SPS mostly and want a clam on the bottom. Does anyone have an opinion on which way to go? Also, how do I know which is a good MH ballast? I was looking here (http://www.aquacave.com/searchresult.aspx?CategoryID=438), and i dont know what the differnce would be based on ballast alone. The tank will be located in my basement which is always cool, so MH heat isnt a factor. I prefer t5's based on the flexibility of bulbs for spectrum (id like to run a 6k and 10K bulb the first year to promote growth).

Any sump pictures?

The 50 gallon sump tanks you mentioned, are they around the size of a 40 breeder (36"x18" foot print)? Will they be available today? EDIT: I went there today, these are tubs and not tanks.

Tank looks amazing! Great colors! Do you have any pics of the sump?

Are these red bugs flat worms? I cant view that link/pic from work. Try siphoning out as many as u can. If you can get a six line, he should take the rest out.

Does anyone have experience with these guys? I am considering an upgrade, and I would probably drill the tank myself. How are these overflow boxes? Price? Quality? Noise? http://www.glass-holes.com/main.sc

YGPM luceneck. Ive cleaned the whole out as best as i can. No luck with the aqualifter, although the powerhead can do it. For the night i've decided to turn the return pump off (my powerheads are prone to fall a little so i dont want to take the chance of the air tube disconnecting from the powerhead). I have a heater in the display and a seperate in the sump. This should work until i get a new aqualifter tomorrow.