lighting and pump question (1 Viewer)

[lamarmustangs]

Im about to start my build on a 120 48x30x18tall For lighting i am planning on doing an adjustable aluminum rack with 8 T5s but im not sure i want to do mixed reef with LPS and SPS I know i can get the PAR i need since it is a shallow tank but how many t5s would you do?

Also on my past tanks i have used an iwaki as a return which is a pressure rated pump. will i run into issues if i use a flow rated pump like the snapper?

 

[chriskb3]

I have very little experience with T5's so I'll leave that to someone else.

Return pumps however, I have gone through quite a few of. Unless you are driving a beckett skimmer, or pumping up from a basement, I really think that pressure rated pumps are way overkill. Need a little more info on your setup though. What would your head height be from your sump to display, how big is your sump, how big is your skimmer...

If you are only using this pump to return water from your sump, then you only really need to match the throughput of your skimmer. Any more flow is just a waste of energy. If you want a big return pump for more flow in your display, well powerheads are much better suited for this task, while using a lot less energy.

For reference, on my 180g display tank. I started out with an Iwaki 70 (monster/pressure rated pump), realized it was WAY too much, downgraded to an Iwaki 40 (flow rated 1200gph) and after a time realized it was still too much flow through my sump. Now I'm using an Eheim 1262, the ~6-700 gph flowing through my sump matches my skimmers output. My tank temp runs MUCH cooler now, and no more external pump noise for me.

 

[lamarmustangs]

Ok the information I can provide that I have been thinking about so far is such:
Tank 48longx30wideX18tall is currently undrilled with no overflows etc it is a fresh start. I am planning on doing a standard overflow on the rear wall. 2’wide x4”deep. I am also going with a smooth edge instead of teeth so I get maximum skimmage to catch exploring critters I will block the overflow cavity with egg crate as I have seen in other builds on RC inside I am thinking about doing two hoffer buster (off of reef central) pipes to take the water below. I am also planning on plumbing one large return up on top of the tank that will split 2 returns at the rear of the tank and 2 at the front to help distribute the clean water and create some flow.
The stand I am planning on building high 45”-50” before you say I need a stool, I am taller than sasquatch 6’7” so that means the rim of the tank will sit about 63-68 off of the floor. And I don’t think I will run into any issues with maintenance etc with my height and condor sized arms. Canopy will be tall not sure how tall yet but our living room has 12 ft ceilings so I am going to bring it up some.
Lighting will most likely be the sunlight supply 8x54w T5 fixture I think that should be enough light and PAR to grow just about anything and it will also allow me to meet my wife’s requirement that everything must fit inside the stand. I am planning on mounting the fixture on the retractable mounts that sunlight supply sells so that when I need to access the reef I can just simply move the light up and out of the way.
Sump and fuge I am not sure on the size however a member has 2 sumps that I am planning on customizing to fit the system one will be a dedicated fuge in its entirety so it can fill itself with a community of pods living happily in macro-algae. I am planning on sending one overflow pipe to the fuge and one to the sump. Where the water will be skimmed and at a later date when a calcium reactor is added the water will be treated etc then sent through a bubble trap of some sort and finally sent to the return pump area, where it will meet the water that flows out from the fuge and pumped back to display.
Return pump: I can go internal pump or external im not really sure which one I want to use here I believe they both have their pro’s and con’s associated with each for instance if using a mag drive I wont need a heater since they are heat factories and with an external pump you run into issues at times with noise and vibration.
Heat: 250w stealth heater in the sump. Broken a glass one before smelled horrible and was hell to clean up I will never go glass again after using a stealth in my last setup.
Skimmer: I had a lot of luck with my CSS125 on my last tank and I wouldn’t hesitate using the 220 in this setup. I have been looking at ASM G2 and G3s and like what I see there as well. as a Highschool teacher I don’t have the money for a nog making deltec but would like some economical life sustaining performance.
Flow. I have run a closed loop on a past tank that I tried to plum a OM 4way into. I must say it was a plumbing investment. I helped lowes meet their quarterly sales in the plumbing department. I like the clean look that you get from a closed loop and if I were to install one I would power with a dart. But I’m still not sure. I love the wave motion that you can get with some oscillation.
I would go bare bottom but I love sand bottoms. I went DSB on my last setup and liked it but on this one I don’t have the tank depth for it so I think I will end up going crushed coral instead of fine sand so that I can keep it on the bottom if I get some good flow going.
Im not sure on total lbs of LR yet somewhere around 130-150 I suppose some of which will be in the fuge or sump.
I think that is all that I have brainstormed right now questions and comments and suggestions are welcome.

 

[tas5tas]

8 T5's will be plenty on that size tank. The reflectors are 2.5" wide so 8 would be 20".....just put an inch between each one and your set. That will allow for better cooling anyways. You'll be able to grow sps in the sand on a 18" tall tank.

 

[lamarmustangs]

i was thinking about getting the fixture which i believe is 19 in wide? or do you suggest going retro i can build an Al rack if needed.

 

[tas5tas]

I would go retro...it's less expensive. That's what I just did. My new setup will be here friday. The same setup in a fixture and without overdiven bulbs would have cost me $150 more. When it was all said and done, I saved myself $300 b/c I already had on Icecap 660. BTW.....Marine Depot has Icecap 660's on sale right now for $119 and they only charge 6.95 shipping for orders under $175 and free shipping for orders over $175...so 2 Icecap 660's and the shipping is free.

 

[Reefaddict79]

where does it show the sale price?

 

[tas5tas]

Sorry....the sale ended yesterday. I had to call to find out what happened to it. It was good for the month of June only.

 

[lamarmustangs]

yea i saw the 660s last week before we got the tank. we are putting in new floors this summer so it is gonna be a slow build so maybe i can pick up some used. I went and looked at the TEK fixtures today at the LFS and yea retro is the way to go because the fixture is so narrow. did you buy the reflectors separate?