New 75 / old 120 Questions (long)

[beyondhelp]

You may have seen this elsewhere on the internet but...

Ok here goes, I got a 75 tempered tank for free, I have a 120 fowlr/ dsb and I have created a master plan that should solve problems and be fun at the same time....

Goals:
Configure 75 for reef with metal halide lights /dsb to support easy to keep corals (softies etc) now and maybe clams one day.

Convert 120 from canister to sump filtration to better support high waste producing fish. (Snowflake eel, puffer..)

Plan:
Build stand/hood/sump/skimmer for 75, setup completely add sand and water, move most of lr from 120 to 75.

Remove existing filter from 120, install sump and skimmer, add base rock to make up for missing lr, seed new dsb with some sand from 120’s dsb hope wife is still around to see results. Money is an object but I got a bonus so I have a little room for adjustment, I don't want to go crazy though.

The questions I have are:
Are the pumps I have chosen adequate? I have the mag-12 I can move to the 75 and then replace with a mag-18 if absolutely necessary but I have heard various theories. I don’t want to have to throttle back the pump on the 75 unless necessary. But, I have no real life experience with sump/overflow setups. Is anyone 100% positive that 500w of mh is necessary? I'd like to keep my electric bill under 300/mo (at $239.00 now)

Long range plan: To add actinic supplement as needed and to build a moveable cart with canisters and separate pump for portable spot filtration on either tank. (I.E. after changing rocks etc.)

Parts I Have:
Unused:
75 gallon glass tempered tank (18.5x47.5x21)
lifereef overflow
3” fans and power supply

In use:
Mag-12 pump
Hagen 402 powerhead
Hagen 802 powerhead
120 gallon fowlr w/dsb
Lifegard 4 canister filter + UV Sterilizer with old bulb and heater module

Equipment to buy:
75 gallon
Stand and hood $100.00? Home Depot
2x175w mh light kits from www.aquaticlight.com w/4300k bulbs (upgrade to 6500k later) diy reflectors $165.00
OR
2x250w mh light kits from www.aquaticlight.com w/4300k bulbs (upgrade to 6500k later) diy reflectors $207.00
4 3” fans free
30 gallon Rubbermaid sump $10.00 Wal-Mart
Mag-9.5 www.marinedepot.com $69.95 + shipping
Snailman 4” skimmer diy Home Depot $25.00
Tetra-Tec DW-24 2 outlet air pump $16.99
Diy airstones $5.00

120 gallon
Amiracle overflow box www.aquacorals.com $43.00+ shipping
Rubbermaid Sump $10.00
Snailman 4” skimmer
Tetra-Tec DW-24 2 outlet air pump $16.99
Diy airstones $5.00

 

[Anonymous]

i think you are gonna break the bank.
if the budget is this tight i suggest doing one tank with the thoought of adding anither later.
i am presently putting together a stand for my 90g which has the same footprint of your 75g and planned on it costing $60. the first trip out was $90 and i returned to the store last night and spent another $10 in finish products and have yet to buy stain.

i think focusing only on one tank will allow you to do at least one correctly.
i think you need the mag 18 if you are gonna keep SPS type corals and i would also do the 250w MH with good bulbs from the start. if you put those yellow ones in i think you will have algae woes.

it is my experience that skimping on things will only add to frustration later. take the time to plan where everthing goes and make provisions for what you don't have yet (for example, if you plan on a calcium reactor later, make sure you add a shelf for it now).
it is impossible to for see it all but a little planning goes a long way.

have you considered using one tank as a main and the other as a sump? this would be cheaper than what you are proposing and would really add stability to the one system that i think you should solely focus on. you could have a really cool refugium.

all of these are my opinions!

:mrgreen:

 

[beyondhelp]

Excellent opinions. I didn't want to make the original post too long but here are a few more factors that might help my plan make sense...

the 120 has been up for 2 years and is doing well on its own. Plenty of lr, a 6" dsb and ok lights, it isn't a very big expense right now. I think I am going to leave it as is for now and focus on the new tank. The big tank has non reef safe starfish, burgundy clown and a 25" snowflake eel now. My wife wants a puffer and I wanted to get a skimmer on it at some point down the road. (6 mos?)

After looking at the bulb selections etc... I am going to go with the 250w bulbs and I may get 10,000k for the exact reasons you mentioned. Someone has pointed me toward a dual 250 ballast (pfo)/reflector retro kit without bulbs that will work better. Still shopping.

I already had a 20 gallon nano that was doing well with a really nice Toadstool (Sarcophyton alcyonidae) and a few button polyps but my cats managed to dump a vase on the tank from 6 feet away and the resulting mess wiped the tank out. I got the 75 in a trade for the bare 20 tank and stand.

The total plan may take a few months but the results will hopefully be worth it. There's room in the budget to do it right, I just didin't want to weed through posts that suggest buying a $1000.00 hood and a $700.00 skimmer. Like the saying goes, only bad things happen fast in this hobby.

I am just hoping to get the equipment sorted out now. Thanks for sharing your opinions, It has made me rethink a few things.