S
steven
Guest
hey my name is steve.. i recently bought a 210 gallon reef ready oceanic (72 x 24 x 29). the tank and stand are built into a wall and only the front of the tank is visibile. I had trouble uploading the picture so im going to make a video on youtube to show you guys the layout. i have no prior experience in marine fish keeping but have several years experience with fresh water fish. I want to keep LPS and soft corals along with small fishes. I have read mulptiple articles on reef keeping but still dont know how to physically set up the tank. My friend told me to check out this website and I'm hoping that somebody out there that has experience could help me out. Id like to set up the tank myself and not pay an aquarium company. Not only would i save alot of money but it would be so much more rewarding to have created my own work of art. Heres what im thinking.. For the oveflow boxes (2 overflow boxes with 2 three and one fourth diameter holes) i was thinking about making all 4 holes into drains and return the water over the sides of the tank with locline piping (somehow) via a powerful external pump (but how powerful). I was thinking that if I made all 4 holes into drains that this would not only provide a sufficient turnover rate but also a great current from the drains and there would be enough water comming from the returns to create strong currents without the need for powerheads. Once again i have never done this before and this was just what i thought of. what to use for a sump, how should it be constructed and what should go into the sump.. Do i need a refugium? i would also like to have a auto top off valve in the sump and dont know how to go about doing that. how to maintain water chemistry.. are calcium reactors necessary?, etc. For the lighting, i was thinking of using three 250 watt 20000 K metal halide bulbs that are each in their own reflector. my main concern is the temperature that these bulbs produce. since the ceiling is low the stand couldnt be built any higher. the top of the tank is only 18 inches away from the ceiling. This would only leave for a space of about 8 inches from the bulbs to the top of the tank. I thought that if I did this maybe i could mount fans on the wall between the lights and the waters surface. I wasnt planning on using covers to reduce heat and there would be less glass to clean.. are there any benefits of more oxygen at the waters surface?. how much live rock should i use in the tank/sump? are there any books that you guys recommend? any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Steve
