How big can I go while keeping the same light?

OCDP · #1 03-08-2006, 04:55 PM

Heh, that'd look pretty sweet behind the bed. But that would be far too inconvinient for me. I am actually the lightest sleeper ... I sleep with ear plugs in because the sound of the Seios at night keep me up. lol... it's that bad.

Anywhoo... I am thinking now . I am sure I could make 36" work... the width may be an issue though as well, I think I need to measure my room up before I can set anything in stone... heh

TheReefGeek · #2 03-08-2006, 05:09 PM

Make it work, YAY!

Your flame will thank you.

PM me if you are interested in a 3ft hood and 2x250w 20K PFO MH setup. Or 2x400w if you want to go with a taller tank. I know you wanted to use your 150 HQI, but maybe we can work something out or you can sell it. I also have a basic black stand for a 36x18" footprint tank.

OCDP · #3 03-08-2006, 05:17 PM

2x250w over a 50g (ish) tank? Sounds like overkill lol... no?

Thanks for all the offers , wow.. that's awesome. I'd like to make this work... but as I mentioned, I wanted to do this without spending a fortune.. as I know I can do an upgrade without spending a wack of cash...

I'll PM you so we can discuss some of the options.... ?

Thanks.
Scott

TheReefGeek · #4 03-08-2006, 05:23 PM

2x250 is what I ran on my 3ft 50g. I'm surprised I didn't get a call from the cops about a grow op

It was a lot of light! But 3ft is right between needing 1 MH or 2 MH, so I opted for 2.

Try out your 150 HQI in the middle and see what it looks like, you can always upgrade later if you dont think it is enough light. Or like I said earlier, keep most of your corals in the middle 2 feet, and use some NO fluorescents to brighten up the ends if you think they are too dim.

OCDP · #5 03-08-2006, 06:24 PM

Well... I think I am going to try this:

Figure out the size tank I am going to get, and figure out how much room I have to work with.

Keep the light I have... making sure I don't get a deep tank. Test it out, keeping most corals underneath the bulb. I'll make sure the tank will be suitable for a 150w either way though. I really don't want to have to ugprade lights again.

I think in the end, I'll still end up with a cubish tank, anything is better than what I currently have.. I'll try to use more length than anything...

Just seems like the more I get into this, the more I'm confused in the end. haha.. and basically I wanted to do this all without upgrading a ton of stuff and going flat broke. I know I can do it... but I just want to make sure I do it right.

Also, I wanted to ask. When the day comes that I need to setup the tank... I'll have to do it all at once, seeing as it's in my bedroom. How does one go about this? Remove all corals and rock, placing them in a bin... then removing the fish, then the sand. Correct? From there.. I would clean the living hell out of the rocks and sand, placing them into the new tank in the old ones place. Would this cause any problems??? I will also be adding to the current amount of Live Rock I have.

Basically in the end all's I have to purchase is: (please let me know if I am forgetting things, I am sure I will)

- The tank!
- A Stand.
- Few more pounds of Live Rock (depending on what size tank I choose)
- More sand (I might just buy a brand new bag and use that instead, toss the old out)
- Bigger, better heater
- Couple more buckets.
- Possibly another Seio. I am using two 620's right now and doubt that will be sufficient for a bigger tank.

What else have I forgotten?

I know I have lots of questions/concerns, but I am going to address each of them so I do this right from the start. I feel as if I didn't get into this hobby properly in the first place. I want this to go smooth...

Thanks for bearing with me all.

Scott

TheReefGeek · #6 03-08-2006, 06:31 PM

You dont have a tank on your list.

What are you currently using for a skimmer? It may or may not suit a larger tank.

If you are upgrading, I always recommend a drilled tank with sump, and a closed loop if you can.

Dont add too much live rock at once, or the die off might spike your tank, add is slowly if you add live.

OCDP · #7 03-08-2006, 06:40 PM

D'oh haha.. your right, a tank might help huh. Also added a couple buckets to the list. I am sure I'll need 'em.

I am using an AquaC Remora right now . I am very pleased with it. I planned no keeping it as I am not going any bigger than 50g anyways.. should do me alright eh?

I know I really should do the whole sump thing, but like I mentioned I am a light sleeper heh. My next tank.. which I know there will be one, will definitely have a sump and fuge. But that's for a tank that's not in my bedroom. Althgouh I may make a modded AC500 fuge, not sure yet.

I'll be okay with adding all my current live rock, then I only plan on buying a few more pounds, so I am sure what I have right now will do and I can slowly add from there. Maybe I'll add only a couple to begin with if I do.

snaggle · #8 03-08-2006, 06:59 PM

just a thought why not get a tank that is 24L x 24W x 16H that would make you tank the size of 2 20L if the light is penitrating good to ends of the tank now the a 24 x 24 is not out of reach.

Brad

Johnny Reefer · #9 03-09-2006, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

Dont add too much live rock at once, or the die off might spike your tank, add is slowly if you add live.

Die off of what? The live rock? Why would this happen? Personally, I don't think it will, IMHO. I would put your Live Rock all back in the new tank at once. There is nothing better for cycling your tank than LR, IMHO. Heck, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that you won't even get a cycle that way. I would also add more than just a few lbs, but you could wait on that. Try to match pound/gallon what you have in the 20, eventually, IMHO.

As for "cleaning the living hell out of it" (live rock)....why? IMHO, just swish each piece in some tank water from the 20 in a bucket and Bob's your uncle.

Speaking of tankwater from the 20....try to save as much of this as possible for the new tank so you are not going with 100% new mixed SW.

As for the tank plans and the lighting....it seems a common trend to me, with most reefers, that one upgrade leads to another. My point being that once you get the new tank going, are you sure you won't want to upgrade your lighting? IMHO, I would research lighting now also, with the idea that an upgrade here just might cross your mind later. No? This way, maybe you will avoid some grief on lighting decisions if you've planned and purchased the appropriate tank.

That's great that you are upgrading. Now you will have a QT tank with the 20g!

Good luck and cheers,

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #10 03-08-2006, 07:08 PM

Well it's good to see that you're trying to do your research before jumping into the upgrade.

An AC500 HOB fuge is a good idea, but you'll probably find the noise level a bit high unless you keep the tank topped up all the time. The waterfall effect can be quite loud if it drops even a couple of inches. If you add a piece of plastic to the outflow, then the water can slide down instead of drop.

I would save some of the old sand as is, wash out the rest thoroughly & add new sand if you need more. You can then add the old sand to seed the washed & new sand.

As for a 36" by 18" tank, you're probably looking at a 45g tank. However, many of these tanks have a black plastic support down the middle (both my 3 feet 65g tanks do). If you cut these on a new tank, it nulls the warranty. If its a used tank, cut away & get a piece of glass the same size to silicone in its place as a less light-blocking replacement support.

If you can get one or two large pieces of LR, that should be enough & they will also make good bases for your aquascape.

To save money, you can DIY a stand easily out of 2 by 4s. These may not be fancy but if done properly, they are very functional & sturdy. My stand for a 160g cost less than $80 & its roughly 82" long, 22" deep & 42" tall. You should be able to do it for $20-30 worth of wood & screws.

As for current, 2 Seio 620s should be fine, if positioned properly, especially with the return from the skimmer as well. I have a single Seio1500 on each 65g & that's plenty of flow. You can hold off on this purchase & see if its necessary later.

My 150w MH (Aqualight Pro) are not powerful enough for the 24" depth of the 65g tanks. However, most of my corals are on the LR structures & closer to the surface light.

If the new tank is going into the same place then you are going to have to set it up right away. I just moved my 2 65g tanks, although I let one sit running without corals or fish for a week due to a slight nitrite spike (may have been a contaminated test tube tho). It's usually better to set it up, test the water after a while & then put in the corals when everything tests fine. That being said, with your old LR going into the new tank, the risks are smaller that things will go wrong. Make lots of extra sw ahead of time & think of this as a massive water change. Have some prime available in case of a small ammonia spike. Save the old water to rinse off the crud on your LR, then you won't have any die-off from using fw.

Sorry for the essay.

Anthony