Newbie looking for opinions

[nano]

Hi everyone,

New to the site and recently got excited about the idea of reef keeping. My cute beta fish managed to get himself stuck under a little rock and suffocated. So sad. I eventually went to the local pet store to look for another one. Well, they moved the betas down to the tropical fish area (they used to be upstairs in the front, so I'd never really gone downstairs to see all the tropical fish). Well, once I started watching all those marine fish and corals, I was captivated. I've been doing research for a few weeks now and I have a few ideas to vet with the experts...

Here's my current plan:

Tank will be a Mr. Aqua Serene 12g long - picked this up at Manhattan Aquariums.
It'll be on a credenza that has space for a 10g fuge/sump, which I'm putting in a regular cheap Aqueon 10g that was $10 at Petland.




I'm planning to drill the tank on the left side (which I'm a little nervous about, but we'll cross that bridge later).

I'm trying to keep this as clean as possible, so my initial plan for the tank is to have 2 bulkheads - 1" drain and 1/" return from the sump which will be roughly 2 feet below the tank. Connection will go through a hole cut into the back of the credenza

As far as the ideas for the inhabitants... I'd like to start with a clown and anemone and maybe some of the clean-up crew shrimp/snails. Later I'd like to add a mandarin and some coral. Eventually, perhaps another 1-2 fish. I don't want it too crowded, and I don't want the bio load to be unreasonably high for the modest tank volume.

For the sump, I was thinking of starting with some poly filter or a sock at the inflow, then some space for a possible future little skimmer, followed by room for a block of MarinePure, and then a section for some chaetomorpha and hopefully a nice little copepod colony over live sand, finishing up with a section for the return pump.

What? That sounds like too many sections... Now here's my big question for the sump. Since my tank will only connect at one end, and to keep all the plumbing cleaner, I thought maybe a sump/fuge can have both the inflow and return pump on one end with the water flowing in a U using an acrylic center divider.

Has anyone ever done anything like this? I haven't been able to find any designs along these lines, so I'm not sure if it's just a new idea, or so stupid that nobody has ever posted anything like it.



Sorry for the primitive drawing, but I didn't have a scanner to import my sketches. I may need to enlarge the pump section by an inch, depending on which model I end up selecting. But given my current dimensions, that allows roughly 2.25 gallons for the chaeto section and another 1.75 for the MarinePure area. Not sure if this is all broken up too small - perhaps it would be better to combine those two into one 4 gallon bay? Total estimated volume of the sump will probably be 6.5-7 gallons.

Also, as I don't intend to put a skimmer in from the start - any recommendations on how best to use that space in the meantime?

Anyway, hoping for some feedback on whether or not that sump design makes sense. I'm thinking of going for about 200gph of flow, which may sound like a lot for a 12g tank, but since it's so long, I figure the water turnover may not be as efficient coming from one end - especially on the right side of the tank. Also, I'm hoping to avoid powerheads (again, trying to keep it clean up top) and get enough flow from the return pump through a flow accelerator (perhaps a spinner/wave type).


Thanks in advance!

 

[fredro]

2 things. For your first tank, i would suggest a little bigger than a 12g. Also. Keep it simple, there's a lot going on in that sump design. Realistically, 3 chambers, intake w sock and nano skimmer, refugium in the middle, few baffles then a return pump in last chamber.

Just my 2 cents. Good Luck!

 

[duromega]

welcome to the site!
looks like you been researching

#1 make sure that little tank can be drilled , I mean make sure is not tempered glass

#2 like fedro said your sump looks too fancy keep it simple and later you will understand why .. section 1 : drain , filter sock , skimmer , section 2: refugium : then return to display tank

#3 if you planning to get an anemone wait for your tank to be fully cycled, anemones are very delicate creatures and needs good lighting and good water chemistry

#4 you don't need 1" for return for a 12G tank 1/2" is fine

if you need advice here we have a lot of great reefers that will be more than happy to help you.
if you need advice with equipment let us know.

enjoy your stay.

 

[nano]

Thanks for the info, fredro and duromega.

Sorry, that seems to be a typo - I meant to have a 1/2" return. And yes, tank packaging specifically says 'non-tempered glass all panels'

Do you think that a simpler sump design as you identified could still be configured in some type of a u-turn in order to keep the plumbing in and out on one side of the tank? If I can do that, there will be a lot more usable space in that cabinet.

If the skimmer can be in the same section as the sock, that might make things a lot easier, but again - if I don't have a skimmer to start, is there any recommendation on what to do with that space?

And regarding lighting - I've been eying the Current USA Orbit Marine - seems like 36" will fit perfectly across the length, and that price looks unbeatable for 24h programmable daylight/actinic LED with remote (this will be in a bedroom)

 

[fredro]

Okay...

The sump thing, I don't think the U idea is gonna be very effective or easy to accomplish. If it was my sump and the two pipes had to be on the same side, I would have the return pump on the same side as the side you want the plumbing, with a straight pipe going up to the tank, that way you cut down on flow loss from any elbows or extra fittings. Then for the other side, I would run the pipe from the overflow, down, next to the return pump, until it gets to the top of the tank. Then take 2 45 degree adapters to make a smoother turn, then run it horizontal, parallel to the top of the tank, until it got to the other side of the tank, and dump a couple fitting, into a filter sock. This way the fittings will be on the intake line, the one without pressure, and not effect the pumps efficiency. It sounds more complicated to write out, than it would look if you actually layed it out. As for the light, IMO ( I can't stress enough that this is just my opinion) if you're planning on keeping/growing anything more than some fish n softies (Zoas, Xenia and a few mushrooms), then I think you will find this light to not be enough. The controller is a nice feature, but the light is a little sub par. I am a big advocate of buying the right piece of equipment for now AND the future, if you can afford it, because if you cut corners, you're just going to eventually be buying a light twice. Again, just my opinion and it may suffice for your needs, but if you're planning on keeping it simple and nasic (which tend to not be the case in this hobby), then maybe you can go with the Currebt Orbit. Depending of your light budget and type preference (led, T5, CF or Halide) if you're set in a certain one, there are a few viable options out there and likely a good USED fixture from the marketplace will possibly work best for your needs, present and future, without blowing your budget out of the water. Just remember that the stuff that you skimp on now, you're gonna be buying twice before it's over.

 

[Mom2jayden]

Like other said, maybe only 2 sections max for sump. Also, if you've never kept salt water fishes before I wouldn't jump into manderins and anemones. You will be doing a lot of learning about lights, keeping water stable ect.