Will these lights and tank work?

I am still debating on what tank to setup for my first reef tank. It seems like the more I read and research, the more confused I get! Also, everyone seems to have a different opinion...now I am asking for yours!

OK, here's my options. I would have loved to gone bigger, but I really don't want to break my budget of about $2000.

1) 70 Gallon - I believe the dimensions are 36L x 18D x 25H.

- I was liking this setup because the guy at the store said I could run 1 250w metal halide? But when I went to another store they said that I would have some dead zones and shadowing.

-I also don't mind putting T5s in there if it comes down to it. I don't think I am going to be doing and crazy SPSs or clams at first....but who knows down the road. Could I use T5s to do those too if I put them in the upper part of the tank?

2) 72 Gallon Bowfront

- I don't think I can use metal halides with this one and I am concerned that the depth is only 12 inches. I know a lot of people have this tank, so tell me if is good for all types of corals

3) 90 Gallon and 75 Gallon rectangle

- I originally wanted the 90, and still kinda do, but setup on this guy will almost double my budget. I am not sure good ways to keep a 90 gallon around $2000.


Components
I am also debating between a refugium or a filter with live rock only. Is a live rock only filter(in the sump) a good idea? Is it just as good as a refugium?

standard pump mag 7-12 depending on tank size, protein skimmer, 1 or two power heads, 70-100 lbs of live rock plus more in the sump maybe, sand and I need to get a chiller too.

So....a little help would be much appreciated!

Wayne

 

yeha, they would work, but you could supplement with T5HO's or Powercompacts, but if not, you could buy 2 150w halids and put one on the left and one on the right. that would be 300w total.............and if you supplement with T5HO or PC then you should have around 400w total.

 

with your budget i would watch craigslist for a steal of a tank then upgrade it. But thats just me.

 

What about the sump? Which is the better way to go? Live rock only or a standard refugium with algae? Someone told me that if you have live rock in your tank it doesn't make sense to put it in the sump too.

 

A few suggestions:

1) To me, the 70g tank does not make a lot of sense. It is very deep, and the deeper the tank, the more difficult (ie. expensive) it is to keep a reef tank. This is because you would likely require MH lighting.....which would be expensive to run, and require the use of a chiller (read expensive again....money that you could much better put to use to buy a good protein skimmer!).

2) A 72g bowfront would be beautiful, but frankly it is easier to work with a standard 75g rectangle (easier to fit lighting, and more space for your livestock.

Bottom line - of all your choices, I like the 75g rectangle best for you (the 90g is also good, but more expensive). See if you can find a used 75g tank and stand on Craig's List or Kijiji, or whatever other site you like. Because it is not that deep of a tank, you can light it with T5 HO lighting, and therefore avoid the necessity of a chiller!

3) Regarding your sump - make it as big as possible. You can make a DIY sump, as per the instructions on Melevsreef.com - Welcome!. I would highly recommend having an algae-filled refugium with a DSB (Deep sand bed), as this would greatly improve your filtration. Please do get a protein skimmer as well. Do you need to have liverock in your sump - no. But the more rock you have in your system, the better the biological filtration will be. So rather than filling your tank with rock (which impinges on your fish's swimming room) you can place the bulk of it in your sump if you want.

HTH

 

Do the rufugium for sure/ As far as the sump you have to decide if you want to store things in there. ie. Skimmer.heaters, fuge,GFO reactor. Your live rock has nothing to do with if you need a sump or not.

As far as your tank, I would say atleast two halide bulbs for that depth.

 

Well, I really like the 70 gallon and 2 150 halides would be ideal. When you talk about cost to run, are you referring to replacement bulbs and cost of the halides or electricity....or both?

If I put T5s in the 70 gallon, could I have SPS at the top or would they not do well?

wayne

 

Here's the thing - you are running a fairly small system with a 70g tank. I guess my point was that if you had a 75g tank that was 4' in length rather than 3', and was not as high, you could have more fish (since it is the length of the tank rather than its width that most influences your fish), and could run T5 rather than MH.

The cost of MH that I was referring to was both the cost of the fixture and the cost of the electricity to run it, and the cost of the chiller, and the cost of the electricity to run that.

If you used T5's on your 70g you could have SPS near the top, yes. But for the 75g you could have them wherever you wanted in the tank.

Ultimately you will chose what makes most sense to you and your sense of esthetics. But I feel that cost/effect ratio of the 75g is a bit better, that's all.

 

Got ya......and as far as the chiller is concerned. How do I know how big/little of one I will need for either the 70 or 75 gallon?

 

First a note on chillers:
A chiller is not mandatory to run if you have MH lighting...

Metal Halide lights certainly CAN raise the tank temperature a couple degrees... but that's no reason to run a chiller unless it gets too hot on a regular basis.

My 58g reef runs 2x 150w MH pendants over it and I don't run a chiller. My temps rarely break 82, usually in the 78-80 range. if I turn off my heaters and rely on just the lights for heat it'll get to about 76 on its own. It's in an air conditioned office held at about 72 degrees year round.

My tank is open top, external return pump, and vortech propeller pumps. I've done all I can to keep excess heat out of the water. When I first set up I have Koralia 3's, and the return pump was internal. That caused some problems... temps got up to 86 at the peak of the day, but the swing of 4-5 degrees was worse. moving heat sources outside the tank helped immensely.


Moving on.... tanks:

Bow Front tanks are great, so are rectangular....get what you want and can afford. I agree checking Craigs List is a good way to save a LOT of money on a tank. As for shape/size, all other things being equal you want a tank with the larger footprint rather than taller. More surface area on top means more gas exchange and natural cooling. 25" is deep... it's a pit washer for sure, and most fish don't care about depth, just that horizontal plane.

Lighting options:
Combo lighting, i.e. MH and T5, looks best. MH or T5 alone also look petty good. I prefer MH over T5 in a single type lighting situation, since you get more "shimmer" from a MH bulb... T5's have a very minimal shimmer, some people can't even see it. The general rule of thumb for MH spacing is 1 bulb per 24" tank width. Less than that and you will get dark spots. T5 supplemental lights will offset that problem, but you'll still have a light gradient. Check out the 2x150w Dual Galaxy ballast from Sunlight Supply, and their LumenMax pendant lights... great combo. Just that would be enough light for a 70-75, but added T5's would help.

If you're going just T5 get at LEAST 6 bulbs if you want to do SPS, and keep them in the upper third of the tank for best lighting. With MH you might find even the bottom of the tank is too bright for many corals and you'll need ledges and caves for a few....

As for heat, the higher up from the water the less a problem it is. I raised my lights from 10" to 12" and the temp dropped by 2 degrees. Too far tho and you'll be throwing light over the edge of the tank where it's wasted. And the open top tank is a big facotr as well... no greenhouse effect.

Liverock/Sump/Refugium

A large sump is a great place to hold more liverock. By putting it in the sump you give the fish in the DT more swimming space. For optimal filtration aim for 1.5-2# per gallon total in the system. Aquascape the DT the way you like, and any left over rock goes in the sump if it fits.... Liverock in a sump also provides a refugium of sorts as a breeding ground for pods, worms and other small inverts. A DSB/algae section and a lower flow in a proper refugium would be a good step up. Use the biggest sump/fuge you can fit under the tank. Again, a note on heat: an internal / submersible pump will add more heat to the system. A 100W water pump will function as an approximately 15-20w heater. It's not a lot, but it adds up. For that reason external pumps are usually better, but they have their own problems... mainly leaks and space. same applies to powerheads. A close loop circulation system or Vortech pumps will keep some heat out.