help with 110 depth build (1 Viewer)

[Guest]

i just aquired a 110g depth tank, stand and hood with around 100 pounds of dead what was once live rock. its got an overflow setup already but no plumbing and way to small a sump. i want to do this right the first time. my current setup is a 55 reef without a sump. i really dont know where to start on this plumbing wise or what kind of flow requirments are for a tank this size. so anyone with a similar tank would like to chime in it would be greatly appreciated. it has a single hole in the bottom of the overflow and that is all. thanks and bring on the info.

 

[Guest]

oh .... this is going to be an sps lps tank.

 

[bdblkta1]

use the 55 as a sump/refugium and just get a nice eheim/ocean runner pump for a return. unless your doing a closed loop you will want to get a few large powerheads for a tank that size with sps, a vortech or two or some of the large tunze pumps.

 

[cliner]

Whatever you do, TAKE YOUR TIME! Research several options. It is much easier to set up what you want versus modifying later. A decent size sump with appropriate sections for other uses( skimmer, return pump, overflow drains, possibly a refugium area) a quality skimmer sized for your volume of system, not the tank. Explore all your options.

 

[RR-MAN]

oh .... this is going to be an sps lps tank.

What are the tank dimensions (LXWXH)?

 

[Guest]

48 long by 24 deep and 24 tall

 

[Hanson77]

I used a Mag 9.5 first and then an Eheim 1262 and it was plenty of flow from a 30G sump.

 

[Guest]

i have a thirty gallon tank doing nothing that would make a good sump....im not sure if my 55 would fit, it would be tight. plus that would put me housing livestock in buckets while i built the sump out of the 55g. sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Guest]

Yeah you need to let the dead rock cycle for a couple of weeks, i'd forget about using the 55 as a sump.

 

[reesetricted]

I didn't see anyone mention this, and I don't mean to point out the obvious, but your overflow... You are going to need a bulkhead that will water tight that hole. With a PVC durso style tube extending up into the overflow. Just search for durso on google or somewhere. It this sounds elementary, forgive me, otherwise, you're welcome. It just sounded like you needed some basic, specific info too. With a single hole... Depending on the size(I assume it's 2" or >) don't go overboard with you return pump. I'd say a mag 9 is a great place to start.

 

[Guest]

the rock is basically now base rock. its been outside for quite some time. its completely bleached out. i know i should still err on the side of caution. so when setting up the new tank i want to use all my sand and rock from my 55. my sand bed is too deep for my 55 but would be the perfect amount for the 110. so correct me if im wrong but shouldnt the transfer basically consist of: set up new tank stand and sump, add new water and new base rock aquired from tanks previous owner, monitor for any amonia spike or sign of a cycle,(should be none if rock is totally dead correct?) (can there be a cycle if nothing is dying in the tank?you have to have some source of amonia right?)once tank is stable, remove coral to buckets with old tank water, place rock from my 55 into the 110, catch fish and others now that there is no where to hide and place into buckets w old tank water. transfer mh lighting.take sand from 55 and put into 110, turn on canister filter that will no longer be used to speed up water clarification due to adding sand.(canister filter is only being used in my current setup for running carbon and a little mechanical filtration)throw canister filter in dumpster. re acclimate livestock and place in 110. enjoy easier but larger h20 changes. also cheers to adding an auto top off system. someone please say that this is correct.

 

[Guest]

can i go with a little larger pump and ball valve it to meet my overflow capabilities?

 

[Guest]

if i scrape the coraline off the glass on my 55 should i try to catch it to add to the new tank and rocks? or just let it do its own thing?

 

[Guest]

thought about putting mangroves in the overflow, skimmer in first section of the sump, a DSB in the second, and bubble trap then return. do these sound like good ideas?gonna build the sump out of the thirty gallon i have avaliable to me.

 

[reesetricted]

I'd say skimmer first, that way the particulates have the least chance of settling... Then mangroves, then whatever. Catching coraline scrapings and sprinkling then us an excellent way to jump start growth on base rocks. Going larger on the pump and ball valving it will just create more heat/stress on the pump and the larger pump will consume more electricity. Lastly. The dead rock us likely to have dead stuff on and in it. Once submerged this organic matter will rot, creating the ammonia... and a cycle. What I would suggest is to setup the tank with some sort or light, the dead rock and about half the live rock on top. This will seed the base rock with bacteria and expedite the nitrogen cycle. Give it at least two weeks(mb more-tests will tell) before you add livestock. Just my 2€

 

[reesetricted]

Forgive the random typos, the iPhone isn't the easiest thing to type on.

 

[flexrac]

My tank is setup with 2 1" drains and 2 3/4" returns.
the returns are on a tee coming from the return pump. the drains are individually plumbed to the sump. and as mentioned, you deff will need bulkheads for those holes. skim first in your sump, that way you can grow pods, incase you decide to add a mandarin down the line.

 

[Guest]

tank has bulkhead and standpipe already plumbed into the overflow.

 

[Guest]

will the mini cycle from the move hurt my sps and lps or is it on a small enough scale not to worry about? could i sale all this rock i aquired from the previous owner and buy fully cured rock from a member breaking down a tank to avoid a cycle? could i boil out the old rock to clean it completely also to avoid this mini cycle?

 

[reesetricted]

Even if you boil the rock you are still going to have a mini cycle while the base rock is colonized by bacteria. I have setup a tank using my old dead rock and adding LR on top. Still had nitrite after 1.5 weeks. After 2 weeks I only had nitrate. You probably dont want to take the chance of exposing your sps/lps to ammonia or nitrite. In this hobby, I have found that patience is a virtue and impetuosity is a sin.... Just my experience.