Hi Folks.
Hey, in 6.5 months I will be able to get my 300g out of long-term storage and begin what I have dreamt of for years....a large
marine aquarium. As some of you may remember, my previous experience was with fresh water cichlids. Since I am starting over, I really only have the large acrylic tank and a custom stand/hood.....no other peripheries.
So at this point I am drawing and planning what to buy and how to engineer the whole thing. Yes, I am anal. But I want to do it right....you know: measure twice, cut once, that sort of philosophy.
I know everything depends on what I ultimately want in the tank. Right now I am planning on starting with FOWLR, but I want to set up for the eventuality of growing into a full-fledged reef tank. It's inevitable.
So with all that given, here are my plans and questions:
I plan to drill 6 holes into the back of my tank, spread in two rows of 3, evenly across the back. This are for the circulation pump...3 in, 3 out. For a 300g, what size circ pump would I need? Any sort of nozzle/deflectors/directors for the water going back in?
From the overflow box, which I will have to build, I will split the outflow between a 'fuge and a
protein skimmer (which itself discharges into the 'fuge as well). I plan to have an old 100g glass tank as my 'fuge. What size skimmer do I need? Am I putting it in the right spot?
For the main pump, taking water from the 'fuge back into the top of the display tank, what size pump will I need? Also, I now understand that I need to plumb a small line into the overflow box from the mainpump return, right at the nozzle to provide a vacuum break in the event of a catastrophe. Does this make sense?
In the 'fuge, I plan to split the tank into 3 sections, the middle and largest portion (90% of the tank) being a DSB w/LR and culurpa and whatever else. Both end sections being baffled/walled off from the middle for both water into and discharge from the 'fuge, plus heater, etc.... Does this make sense and will it work?
I have toyed with the idea of DSP in the display tank, primarily because I wanted jawfish and other burrowers, but I may shy away from that and just use enough sand to hide the LR supports. What do you think of that?
Are 3 inlets from the circ pump enough, in addition to the 2 on top from the main pump? That makes 5 sources of waterflow: 2 onto the surface and 3 into the middle of the water column. Is this about right?
I plan to have auto water inlet via a float valve into the 'fuge. My question about this is 1) how low or high to set the valve, and from what source is best.....I'm not a big fan of RO as it is very wasteful....but neither do I want to schlep water from my LFS. Ideas?
I also plan to have a calc drip of some sort into the 'fuge. Is this the right place for it?
I know next to nothing about lights, but my current hood is not ventilated and probably not high enogh for with the light requirements I think I will need. Ideas?
Lastly, what type of automated controller systems do you recommend for such a set up?
(I know I have more questions, but this should keep you busy for a while. Thank you in advance.)
Mike
"A BRW Original"
