Please help - Last minute tank purchase advice needed!

[Anonymous]

Hi All,

I'm about to buy my tank and have a couple last-minute questions. I've searched this site and the web over and over until my brain has overflowed with information and I'm thinking about this stuff in my sleep!

My tank will be a semi-reef setup, fish and hardy invertabrates, including mushrooms and maybe soft corals eventually. I am trying to figure out two things:

1. 100 gallon vs 125 gallon. The 100 is 60x18x20, and the 125 is 60x18x24.

- I like the additional height in the 125; I would like one or two small shoals of fish (in addition to a few others), and it'll give them space at the top to swim around.
- The acrylic is thicker on the 125, so there's less distortion.
- But my reef buddy says that his 100 is far easier to clean and work with than a 125,
and that I'll be cursing every time I have to stretch my arm in up to the shoulder to clean algae or do other work.
- My lighting plans are two 250w MH pendants with 12000K bulbs. With the 100 I think this will work great, especially since I will not have stony corals. But will it be too little for a 125?

2. Single vs. double corner overflow, and overflow size.

- With either the 100 or the 125, can I have a single corner overflow, as opposed to dual overflows or one large center overflow? The center overflow would get in the way of my rock design. I would use a Sea Swirl return on the right side of the tank, with a corner overflow on the left.

- Would a single corner overflow and Sea Swirl return result in dead spots in the tank where water doesn't get to the filter?

- The 6" overflow looks huge to me and takes up a lot of tank space. Is there any reason I can't get a 5" (or even smaller) overflow, especially if I got dual corner overflows? I don't want it to be so small I can't put a standpipe in there to quiet the waterfall noise (i.e., reaching inside to work on it).

I'm sorry this is so long - once I've bought the tank I'm pretty much stuck with it and I want to be as informed as possible.

Thanks once again to the best site on the web for any helpful advice!!

Best regards,

John

 

[Anonymous]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote

I'm about to buy my tank and have a couple last-minute questions. I've searched this site and the web over and over until my brain has overflowed with information and I'm thinking about this stuff in my sleep!

Well, that is what the hobby is all about, you get obsessed, it takes over you life and all you money

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote

My tank will be a semi-reef setup, fish and hardy invertabrates, including mushrooms and maybe soft corals eventually. I am trying to figure out two things:

As soon and you plonk some inverts in there, including corals then it is really a reef. Though you can have long arguments on what a reef is, fish only etc. In the end it don't matter anyway .....

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote

1. 100 gallon vs 125 gallon. The 100 is 60x18x20, and the 125 is 60x18x24.

Front to back depth of the tank is much more important than height. This is what gives the tank a more natural look. The deeper it is the better the reef structure will look. Personally I think that only 18" is far too shallow to build even a half decent reef structure. Since you are going to this size I would see if you can get the dimensions swapped, i.e. 60" x 24" x 18"

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>But my reef buddy says that his 100 is far easier to clean and work with than a 125,
and that I'll be cursing every time I have to stretch my arm in up to the shoulder to clean algae or do other work.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Very true. If you have short arms then you may find it difficult to reach the bottom of a 2' deep tank. If you have a deep sand bed then this problem is reduced. But remember that you have to have the ability to reach the back bottom part of the tank too .... most people only tend to think about the front until they drop something at the back of the tank

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote

My lighting plans are two 250w MH pendants with 12000K bulbs. With the 100 I think this will work great, especially since I will not have stony corals. But will it be too little for a 125?

With what you are proposing to keep this will be fine.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote

With either the 100 or the 125, can I have a single corner overflow, as opposed to dual overflows or one large center overflow? The center overflow would get in the way of my rock design. I would use a Sea Swirl return on the right side of the tank, with a corner overflow on the left.

You can put the overflows where ever you want to, and as many or less as you like. Just have to make sure that they will be able to handle the flowrate you want to put through them.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote

Would a single corner overflow and Sea Swirl return result in dead spots in the tank where water doesn't get to the filter?

In a tank that size you want more than one outlet in the system. Water movement is very important, and it is very difficult to have too much. You will have to put in several ciculation pumps.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote

The 6" overflow looks huge to me and takes up a lot of tank space. Is there any reason I can't get a 5" (or even smaller) overflow, especially if I got dual corner overflows? I don't want it to be so small I can't put a standpipe in there to quiet the waterfall noise (i.e., reaching inside to work on it).

Can't really help you on this one as I have never seen how they do overflows in the US.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote

I'm sorry this is so long - once I've bought the tank I'm pretty much stuck with it and I want to be as informed as possible.

Especially with the overflow sizing, do you think in the future you will be adding surge devices? If so, then you have to think on whether they will be able to handle that surge, and have the water level within the tank so that it doesn't overflow. This is a problem I have with my tank, overflow is placed too high so I can't really use any significant surges.

Hope this is of some assistance.

------------------
reefs.org
OZ REEF Marine Park
Don't worry, you will know when I am speaking as a reefs.org representative rather than a fellow hobbyist

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much for your thoughts, DBW. I can see where a wide tank is better than a taller one, for fish comfort as well as surface area. I want to have a trio of schooling bannerfish and was thinking they might swim up top, over the rocks. But I will consider your comments.

How do I know if my corner overflow will handle the turnover I want? (about 1000 GPH)

Anyone else who has opinions on my post, I'd really like to hear your comments!

Best regards,

John

P.S. DBW, if you're the Caretaker of OZ REEF, thanks for a great, great site!

 

[Anonymous]

Not a problem.

The front to back depth is more for the look of the tank, more than anything else (in my mind anyway). Surface area should not really be that much of a consideration, until you go to stupid depths i.e. 3' on a narrow tank. You should have lots of water movement, so the surface water will be constantly in motion and exchanging with the bulk water.

Anyway, fit it to what ever you have in mind, cause I don't know the full details of what you want to do. Just giving you some pointers.

For the overflow I can't really help you out much there. I have only ever had one, and it only handles about 500gph. Would never have one so small again, it is a pain. If only I knew when I purchased the tank

Best idea is to have a look at the ones on tanks and the sort of flowrate they are rated for. I believe you can do some calculations on it, to get an estimate, John Rice did them for his monster tank he is currently putting together.

Yep, that would be me, glad you find my site helpful.

Hope this is of some assistance.

------------------
reefs.org
OZ REEF Marine Park
Don't worry, you will know when I am speaking as a reefs.org representative rather than a fellow hobbyist

 

[Anonymous]

JMach,

If overflow bother you then may be a drilled tank is better. I saw tank with 2 dirlled bulkhead fitting for overflow and it work just fine and takes up less space. 250 is overkill for mushroom, make sure you acclimulate them slowly. wit 250 you can pretty much keep anything you want including sps.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Sohal. My tank will be drilled; I should have said "prefilter" instead of "overflow." I will definitely acclimate my mushrooms slowly.

DBW wrote:
> Anyway, fit it to what ever you have in
> mind, cause I don't know the full details
> of what you want to do. Just giving you
> some pointers.

DBW, your comments are very much appreciated. When I said I would consider them, I meant I will *really* consider them.

Best,

John