High Tide Aquatics

Many Questions for New Tank Setup and NOOB Reefer

Jeff Rehling

Jeff Rehling

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Hello all,

I've really appreciated the free advice from each of you. There's so much to dabble in it's hard to tell where to start. I bought an 80 gallon that wasn't drilled for overflow. Been fiddling and finally, after all the consistent advice, decided to sell it and get one either reef ready or do the drilling myself. I like the eclipse ESHOPPS medium overflow and have many questions...thanks in advance. Looking at 75-80 gallons

1. Built my own stand (photos to come). Paint or stain? Interior or exterior paint?

2. Can I/should I purchase a mat for the tank to sit on? I've seen some of the premium setups have those.

3. When I plump it, is there an easy way to plumb a hose bib thing for easier water changes than siphoning off the top, or how would you recommend that? Seems you could plumb it for a hose and just use the overflow or sump to change the water.

More to come. Thanks in advance.
 
1: Depends upon how nice it looks, if it's a good smooth oak plywood face, it's almost a crime to paint over that. But if's iffy stuff, then paint it, exterior paint. I would probably paint the interior though since that's less visible and more likely to have lots of humidity.

2. Depends upon the tank, if it's a glass tank with a rim don't put anything under it, the bottom pane is ok to float, if it's a flat bottom glass or acrylic tank, a thin sheet of foam insulation should be more than enough

3. Not quite sure what your overall goal is, if you want to just siphon with the pump shut off, or if you mean plumb the tank itself to be able to drain?
 
Tank mat, I think it is a good idea since your stand surface will never be perfect. My rimless tank which I sat on the countertop without mat have developed fractures around the edges where glass meet quartz.

For water change, you might want to take water from the display tank anyway so you have a chance to clean up the sand?
 
Im in san mateo. If you have any questioms regarding coral care or want to see my set up and talk tank feel free to come by.

Pm me for my address
 
bought a 75 gallon reef ready today. overflow and return drilled in the bottom. still have to paint the stand and start accumulating stuff. this is an expensive hobby! great experience at Aquatic Collection in San Lorenzo/Hayward. Carson did well by me.
 
Jeff Rehling said:
bought a 75 gallon reef ready today. overflow and return drilled in the bottom. still have to paint the stand and start accumulating stuff. this is an expensive hobby! great experience at Aquatic Collection in San Lorenzo/Hayward. Carson did well by me.
Click to expand...

Indeed this hobby is expensive. But think about it, you could be into sport car instead, that would be a lot more expensive...so I tell myself.
 
OK next question. Stand's build and about to paint it.

Bought my tank at Aquatic Collection in Hayward/San Lorenzo. Pretty dirty inside. Clean it with a cloth and vinegar? Painting the back today. Drilling the holes in the stand for overflow. One step closer!!!
 
Jeff Rehling said:
bought a 75 gallon reef ready today. overflow and return drilled in the bottom. still have to paint the stand and start accumulating stuff. this is an expensive hobby! great experience at Aquatic Collection in San Lorenzo/Hayward. Carson did well by me.
Click to expand...
Karson (with a K!) at AC is the best! Glad you went in this direction - can't go wrong with new and reef-ready and Karson!
 
Jeff Rehling said:
OK next question. Stand's build and about to paint it.

Bought my tank at Aquatic Collection in Hayward/San Lorenzo. Pretty dirty inside. Clean it with a cloth and vinegar? Painting the back today. Drilling the holes in the stand for overflow. One step closer!!!
Click to expand...

What kind of dirt is inside? Coralline build up or just dust?
 
+1 @vhuang. awesome guy and did a trade with him. speaking of dsa 105, I have one of those and like it a lot. since this has a overflow and sump, it's not bad. mine wasn't drilled but I did it myself and works great. cycling it now.
0a27f026620316d6d8097cb45f2e1305.jpg
 
Ok, back of tank painted. painting the stand today.

Sump question

Thinking of building my own from a 20L. seems there are few rules. thinking of first section for return.
Question 1: What's the skinny on the filter socks? Read an article last night condemning them. Needs to be cleaned every day...I thought they were essential.

Section 2: Skimmer with three baffle bubble trap feeding into refugium
Question 2: Could I/Should I have some rubble or porous rock in with the skimmer?

Section 3: Refugium

Section 4: Return area.

Question 4: Conventional wisdom puts the heater where? I was thinking in the return area?

Standing by for your wisdom
 
1) like almost everything, they are optional. It's just another part of your filtration system.

2) you can have extra rock in your sump for extra biological filtration but if you have enough on your tank then it's not needed. There are other options as well that aid in this. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/marinepure-ceramic-biomedia-plate.html

4) if the heater just uses its own thermostat then it doesn't really matter where you put it. If it uses a controller to turn it on and off then you'd want it to be in the same compartment as the probe.
 
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