First build - needing advice

[gridley]

My wife and I have decided to make the switch to a salt water aquarium after more than 20 years of freshwater. We purchased a used 110 gal tank with stand, sump and canopy. I am just completing the refinishing of the stand. I am reading about placing rigid styrofom insulation under the tank. What are the benefits of that?

A second question. The canopy we have has three T5 bulbs in it. Is that enough for a reef aquarium?

Thanks

[Mandosh]

If the tank has trim, you won't need the insulation. That only applies to rimless tanks where it helps to distribute the weight evenly.

Lighting recommendations will depend on what coral you are planning on keeping. Chances are though, three bulbs won't be enough.

[wmcinnes]

Originally Posted by Mandosh

Lighting recommendations will depend on what coral you are planning on keeping. Chances are though, three bulbs won't be enough.

+1

[Myka]

Check the watts on the bulbs to see if they are NO (normal output) or HO (high output). 36" T5HO bulbs will be 39 watts, 48" T5HO bulbs will be 54 watts, and 72" T5HO bulbs will be 80 watts. What are the dimensions of your tank?

If your tank has a plastic frame on the bottom that holds the bottom pane of glass off the stand then you don't need to use the sytrofoam. Styrofoam is recommended for tanks with no trim though. However, provided you use suitable styrofoam, it does no harm to use it even if your tank has trim. I use it under all my tanks - trimmed or trimless. Buy the right stuff though, it has to be dense styrofoam, not the type where you can see the little balls of styrofoam melted together.

[gridley]

Thanks for the replies. My tank is 48" by 18" and 26" high. It has a plastic trim around the bottom, so I guess that answers the question about the need for styrofoam - though from what I understand, styrofoam is never a bad idea.

The lights are only 36" long and interestingly there is no indication of wattage on them. I am guessing that there are the bulbs that originally came with the tank. I'm beginning to think that I may have to add the building of a new canopy to my "to do" list in order to accomodate additional lighting.

[Myka]

Considering the depth of your tank, you would need stronger lighting than a tank that is say, 18" deep. What brand is the fixture? That may give an indication of watts. You will definitely need to know this before buying bulbs for it. Maybe you can contact the person that had the tank before you.

Considering the bulbs are only 36" and there are only 3 of them, I would suggest you look at replacing the lights in the near future. In the long run, it will just work better. I would suggest you look for a 6 bulb 48" T5HO fixture which would do fairly well for LPS and softie corals although not too many would thrive at the bottom of the tank. Another option which would penetrate the depth of the tank better would be halides in which case I would suggest two 150 watt halides supplemented with two 48" T5HO bulbs. The T5s would run for 12 hour a day or so where the halides would run for 6-8 hours.

[gridley]

Thank you very much for your help.

[subman]

My advice is listen to Myka lol. She knows her stuff as well as anyone I've encountered

The only advice I have is... Enjoy it and be patient. Take things at least twice as slowly as freshwater and ask lots of questions on this forum. Most people on here are very knowledgeable and will go out of their way to help.

Good luck and have fun!

*Also do a tank journal and share your experiences. I have finally started one and its a great way to share and get new ideas. It's been very rewarding*