new tank

[mseepman]

Interesting...I've always used bagged "live sand" in my tank startups and as yet, I've never gone through the cycle or diatom bloom that I've always seen with tanks using the other sands.

I will be building a new tank in my new house soon and if I go with a sand bottom, it will for sure include mostly live sand.

Just my 2 cents though.

By the way, what did you decide to use as a pump to circulate water through the chiller. I know the local LFS uses a Mag drive but they are hideously loud and warm. On top of that, they had to restrict the flow because the mag was too big. I recommend you looking at ordering something like a Rio from J&L as they are quiet and small. An eheim would be even better but more expensive.

[globaldesigns]

You will love that tank, that is what I started out with before going to my custom build... I loved that JBJ, but gave it up for the wifes sake, too bad I didn't know you then, I gave it up about 4 months ago for $800. That was for the full setup, chiller, coral, rock, livestock, skimmers, filters, UV, etc. THE WHOLE WORKS...

Have fun with it, you will love that setup.

[makana]

mseepman
I did get the combo at the LFS. I've always liked the JBJ cubes but this was the first time I saw a kit that I felt was complete. And getting the chiller for $200 was hard to pass up. I haven't bought a pump yet for the chiller. The LFS has a mag 350 I think and the 250 is pretty much the appropriate flow rate at the head height. I didn't realize that they were loud and hot though.

Any suggestions on a better pump? I was considering a maxijet 1200.

NuraNori
In the 10g I went with sugar sand and seeded it with live rock. If I go with that route again would you recommend aragonite over sugar sand?

globaldesigns
That really sucks. I will probably have double that invested by the time I am done with this one. I looked around locally for quite a while but deals don't come by that often and when they do the are usually long gone by the time I find out.

The reason I was thinking of adding sand, rock, and water from the old tank was that I thought maybe on a biological level the transition could be made more like a large water change than an actual tank change for the inhabitants.

[mseepman]

The MJ1200 has no head pressure, you would probably not be able to make it work for you.

I think a Rio or an eheim seems to be best.

[LeeR]

http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/tz...+1073.020.html

awsome pump

[mseepman]

+1, this is also an excellent suggestion as a pump. I hear they are really quiet and have very few problems.

[makana]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to try and figure out if it has the right flow at the head hieght it will have. I could restrict the output if need be but I'd rather not have to.