sand/salt/etc
 

Hi
I going to be setting up a rr tank in the near future what are some suggestions on type or brand of sand /salt to use and any other idea's on size of sump( I want to have all in the sump) or pump i should get for a 72 bow tank. I see lots are using the mag or quiet one brand . any do's or don't wold be helpful please and thanks .

From my experience and reading, you want to cycle your tank at least 10-15 times per hour. So you need a pump that does 700 - 1000 gph at a 4' head height. I've had problems with the impeller cover on the mag pumps sticking although there are a lot of people out there who have had no problems. I am putting on one of the new rio hyperflow pumps on my new tank in October; they are quiet and are better than the origanal rio's. The size of pump you need is a 14HF or a 17HF. Whatever you do make sure that the fittings coming off the pump will fit standard PVC fittings.

As for salt type, go with Formula or Seachem. Avoid Instant Ocean unless you are doing a fish only. They cheap out on there carbonates and give you mainly bicarbonate, you will most likely have pH problems and odd growth patterns with long term use.

Use aragonite not crushed coral as it is basicaly the same stuff but aragonite is not destructive to the environment. Unless you go with live sand all aragonite is the same no matter which brand you go with. Saltwater connection brand is the cheapest that I have seen locally by about $4-6 per 30lbs bag.

For sump size, I have always been told that you want the volume to be 1/3 the volume of your main tank (24 gallon in your case). If you want a refuge you need larger to accomadate the water volume that will be drained by a power outage. Keep in mind that on a 72 bow you cannot go wider than about a 12" wide sump because your stand curves in at the edges. I avoided this by using two small tanks that were drilled on the sides and connected them with a pipe. It is similar to what Aquarium Illusions is using on their new frag tank.

To be sure of sump size as far as equipment goes, go to a store that sells your brand of pump, skimmer and other toys and put all of the equip inside of it to see if it fits. I did this at AI and chose to connect 2 10gallon sumps (one a refuge) a G1 skimmer (rated to 100 gallons) and a rio 17HF pump.

Good luck
Rick

:eek: Where you buying this sand for $4 a bag??

The bag is not $4, the bag is $4 cheaper than most other brands. And that is at AI

Oh my bad... :redface:
Went back and read the sentence again. I guess I miss that little by word. :mrgreen:
Thanks for the great info though...
What area of the city are you in??

In the west end close to WEM for now. I am moving close to AI in October though. Still trying to figure out the best way to move 2 reefs, a fresh and a coral farm without losses. A topic for another thread I suppose.

cool, I live near AI. High Park Area... :cool:

Sounds like a great excuss for a rubbermaid/bucket/moving/fish party/meeting to me :razz:

-Richer

I second that party to richer


mike

I could help...

I'll let you guys know when the moving date gets closer

Thanx
Rick

Did you want the return pump to be submersible as well? I think there are many more choices for external pumps (often with much better ratings at that height) than submersibles.

If you want a Mag Pump with ~1000GPH @ 4' Headpressure (assuming there are no elbows and tees and whatnot), I would suggest getting at least a Mag 12. You might also want a couple of powerheads within the tank to really stir things up.

Good luck!