planning a 75 reef

uk0387 · 01-24-2003, 12:09 PM

hi,

i am planning a 75 gllon reef tank, that will hopfully be setup late summer.

i would like to ask you guys a couple of question.

1-what skimmer would you go with,i have it down to 3(i think)

-Aqua c-ev-180
-My reef creations-mr1 or mr2
-Euro reef cs6-2

2.what return pump would you use?(iwaki, mag, ect)

3.i would like to do a sea-swirl, but how many and what size?

-1/5, 3/4 or 1"

4.i am planning to keep sps and clams, i want to keep some lps but mainly sps, what lighting?

-2 250watt retro fit 10k with 2 100watt actinic vhos

or just halides?

-wheres the best place to buy them, aquaticlight.com, reeffanatic.com, hellolight.com , ect

4. how does a calcium reactor work, and should i use one?

i am in no rush to get this tank up and running, i want to do this right, i am 16 and if i do this wrong by buying that wrong equipment and have to buy this again it will be a pain.

i am thinking of just putting a 30 gallon in the stand, and i should have room for a reactor or something.

i have a local guy who says that he will build my tank and stand, and he knows what he is doing, so the canopy should be 12" high right?

thanx for you r help

Rick O · 01-24-2003, 12:48 PM

Hi Chris and welcome to The Reef Tank. I'll give you my opinion.

1) The three skimmers you have on your list are all very good. I would choose the Myreef but you will be ok with any of them.

2) If your sump is going to be in the stand then I would choose a submersable. Space is going to be a premium. Mags are good pumps. I have no experience with Iwaki.

3) Closed loop. Someone besides me would be better to advise on this.

4) Since it looks like you're sparing no expense so far how bout (2) 250 watt 10,000K double end HQI with actinics.

I don't think that particular setup is listed on their site but AquaticCo will make whatever you want.

IMO, JM.02

uk0387 · 01-24-2003, 01:45 PM

that was a quick response, thanx.

that metal halide system that you said sounds pretty good.

with what i am getting how much do oyu thing it is going to cost me, the tank and stand i will already have, so leave that ouit o f the price.

thanx for the response

Rick O · 01-24-2003, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by uk0387
that was a quick response, thanx.

that metal halide system that you said sounds pretty good.

with what i am getting how much do oyu thing it is going to cost me, the tank and stand i will already have, so leave that ouit o f the price.

thanx for the response

Good question. But it's impossible for me to say. A reef tank can be fairly basic or very sophisticated. It all depends on how you want to do it. I know people that have very nice tanks on a shoestring budget and I know people that have spent a fortune on their tanks. All in all it's a fairly expensive hobby. I haven't kept receipts and probably wouldn't want to know how much I've spent but's it's very rewarding to me so it's worth it.

hooked · 01-24-2003, 02:51 PM

Hello and WELCOME to TRT..

I have a 90g mostly a FOWLER system with a few shrooms. I have over a thousand dollars in my system and I just run 2 48" NO bulbs. This is my breakdown.

tank,stand,canopy,lights $500
2 emperor 400s 90
remora skimmer 220
3 power heads 60
60 pounds of LR 300

I would like to upgrade my lighting to be able to house some corals but at the moment the budget isn't going to work

uk0387 · 01-24-2003, 02:58 PM

i have to agree with you thee, about the "fairly expensive hobby"

i have worked at a LFS for a bout 8 monhs know, and i would bet that i have given my work back 100 more then i have made there.lol.

the skimmer would be about-400?
lighting-700
sump-60
seaswirl-200
return pump-130

tank-200
stand and canopy-200

this is what i have come up with, and thats with out livestock or calcium reactor.

how much, give or take a couple100 , how much do you think that you have spent on your tank, excluding livestokc,

thanx for all your help.

Rick O · 01-24-2003, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by uk0387
how much, give or take a couple100 , how much do you think that you have spent on your tank, excluding livestokc,

thanx for all your help.

I don't think I could get within a couple thousand.

Seriously though I've been at it for over ten years so I've been aquiring things all along. The beginning is definately the hardest if you're on a budget. All your money goes towards equipment and you have nothing to look at.

Don't forget all the LR, substrate, salt, RO water, test kits, etc. There's more to buy than you can think of in the beginning.

uk0387 · 01-24-2003, 03:54 PM

since i work at my LFS, i get FREE already mixed s/w, my substare is cheap, and thelive rock i will get from my othr two tanks, so i am just looking at equipment and coral, oh and fish.

uk0387 · 01-24-2003, 10:55 PM

can any of you guyz go through the "closed loop" system.

i have no idea what it is, well i have an idea but i just cant picture it.

Rick thanx for everything

i have looked at the aquaticco website, and they have some nice ligths, but would 2-16" 250s and maybe power compacts be better then the reeffanatic.com halide and vho system?

uk0387 · 01-25-2003, 03:40 PM

afternoon guyz

Rick O · 01-25-2003, 03:54 PM

Chris there's several recent threads on closed loops. If you do a search you should find a lot of stuff.

This should get you started: http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/fo...=10&forumid=65

uk0387 · 01-25-2003, 05:28 PM

i did a search and found alot of stuff on the closed loop.

this should do for when i come hoem tonight(if i do.lol.)

rick yet again you keep coming up to prove that trt is the best out there.

it looks like i am going to go with the myreef.com--mr-1 skimmer.

thanx guyz