Help I'm new! - Page 2

caseyjaydarling · 12-27-2007, 10:52 PM

I decided to go with a small tank because we live in an apartment and I don't know how long we'll be here....moving my 56 from Grand Forks to Bismarck was a real pain.. plus we have a baby who is 11.5 months old and she takes up most of my time and energy. I just wanted something to stay in the hobby. If we ever buy a house a few years from now, I will definately get a bigger tank. I've noticed most people on this forum have huge tanks!

Sndwave80 · 12-28-2007, 06:42 AM

I think everyone goes big as it makes it easier to maintain the system. I am in the process of putting a 58 RR together and a 40-breeder sump so I to like a smaller tank but the water volume will still be there. If you are interested in a acrylic tank I have one avail of sale $40.00 (18-20gal ???). I sold several to the guys in our area and they like them. They are drilled so they over flows and all the bulk heads so you could use a 20gal tank as the sump. Still keeping the size down but the water volume up, just a thought.

pogodzib · 12-28-2007, 08:42 AM

I use a 20L for my q-tank and think that it would make a nice reef tank if you really want to stay that small. The length is nice for a small tank and the width is wide enough for rock and coral placement since the tank height is low. I'd recommend staying away from MH over it since you'd probably run into heat issues, but I do know of someone that has a 250w (?) MH over a 20H tank and it work for him (although he has a sump) and you do have experience with reef tanks.

pogodzib · 12-28-2007, 08:43 AM

BTW - Why does a 20 gal tank seem so small for everyone these days? It wasn't that long ago when the anything over a 29 gal tank was huge.

Jrmass · 12-28-2007, 06:51 PM

I don't think there is anything wrong with running small tanks... Heck a friend of mine has been running a 2.5 gallon pico reef for 2 years now and has been doing it very successfully. Just takes a bit more effort to maintain water parameters. Although I personally feel that I have to put more time into my current setup than I did with my 70 gallon I setup a while back. Although I still don't have the kinks worked out of this setup as I'm still lacking a ATO (Auto Top Off) which would solve A LOT of my issues.

Hopefully you'll be able to attend the next meeting as we are always happy to welcome new members to our areas club.

Jason

[WDT]TardFarmer · 12-28-2007, 06:53 PM

I have a Nanocube 12DX that has been running for 1 1/2 years now. It is still doing great!

caseyjaydarling · 12-28-2007, 11:13 PM

sndwave 80--what are the dimensions of your acrylic tanks? got any pics?
i guess one reason i was gonna go sumpless is because of our daughter. i would have to have an enclosed stand (probably more expensive) otherwise she would be drinking saltwater every 20 minutes.

Jrmass · 12-29-2007, 03:11 AM

It doesn't really take much to build a stand with some Hinged doors on it. Just an option so that you don't sell yourself short.

Sndwave80 · 12-29-2007, 08:33 AM

Used- Sea Clear acrylic tanks- [24”L x 15”Wx 12”H (about 20gal)] w/ Bulk Heads. NO Cracks or Leaks. Minor Scratches: $40.00ea

Here is the link to where I have listed for sale on TRT:

http://thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102722

Sndwave80 · 12-29-2007, 02:30 PM

I still have the 26 Bow Front if you are interested too. Talked to my wife and she is willing to let it go for $75.00 (Tank, Stand, Hood w/ light). You can see pics in the other link as well. Offer good till Jan 4th, 2008! You mentioned you would have to build a stand and didn't know if you wanted to deal with that. Here is another possible solution.

caseyjaydarling · 12-29-2007, 11:13 PM

that might be a good option for me. can i come check out the tanks sometime? i live in holmen.

Sndwave80 · 12-30-2007, 01:11 PM

PM Sent

Afish4u · 12-31-2007, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pogodzib

BTW - Why does a 20 gal tank seem so small for everyone these days? It wasn't that long ago when the anything over a 29 gal tank was huge.

THe perfect reason. Everyone has seen your tank lol... ok to the average person 20 - 30 still sounds like alot. But I already feel that my 72 is small and that was before I set it up a few months ago...... There are only a few people I can blame for that.... EVERYONE that has a bigger tank.

Afish4u · 12-31-2007, 08:00 PM

Jason Have you considered makeing your own ATO???

schneijt · 12-31-2007, 09:44 PM

I looked all over the internet for ATO systems and DIY top-off projects and everything... I tried peristaltic pumps and spent a lot of money before someone finally convinced me to get the Tunze Osmolator system. I know that spending around $200 for the Osmolator sounds ridiculous, but it's one of the best investments I've made in my tank. The optical sensor is incredibly reliable and sensitive to TINY changes in water level. My sump is 30" by 12", and I can take out about 12oz of water and then the Tunze kicks in the pump and tops off the water I took out. I can't even see a water level change in the sump taking out so little water, but the Osmolator senses it and replaces the water. It's incredible how consistent my sump level and specific gravity have become. Also, the pumps cost $20 to replace. I don't run my Osmolator pump in kalk or anything like that, so I trust mine will last a long time; still, it's nice to know my next pump will only cost $20 if I ever need to buy it.

Also, the Osmolator has a float switch that is mounted upside down. This is used to sound an alarm if the water level in the sump should get too high. If my return pump should ever fail for some reason, my sump level would rise and the alarm would let me know that the pump had stopped.

I use my Osmolator through a kalk reactor, which guarantees that I will never overdose kalk unless there is some sort of leak in my tank or other reason why lots of water gets out of the system. So, it makes kalk dosing really easy.

I could keep going about all the reasons I love my Osmolator, but my point with this post is that I spent a lot of money and time trying to get an ATO for really cheap. I ended up with water on the floor a couple times, and I wish I had just bought the Osmolator the first time. It really makes life easy for me. Is it 100% guaranteed to be trouble-free? No, of course not. But I feel it's much more reliable and makes a tank much more stable than any other system on the market. It's not cheap, but I think it's the best ATO product out there on the market.

If you do want to try a DIY top-off system, make sure it has redundancy. Float valves can stick open, etc... So make sure you understand what potential problems are, and then work to reduce the chances of them happening as much as possible.

Sorry for my thesis-long post, but I've had bad experiences with "cheap solutions" and DIY projects. Nothing in this hobby ever seems to be cheap, and I think that trying to take the cheap approach or DIY to save some money with something as important as water replenishment in a reef ecosystem is a calculated risk that could be avoided by buying an ATO system from a company known for quality and reliability.

-Joe