Hi reefers! New to the forum and reefing. I am in the planning stage for a 90+-g in wall build in a basement area we are renovating (adding bar, bathroom and bedroom to existing media room). Would love input and reactions as I go.
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Awesome, what are you planning on housing in your 90? Are you going to have a “sump room” since it’s built in? Welcome to R2R btw!Hi reefers! New to the forum and reefing. I am in the planning stage for a 90+-g in wall build in a basement area we are renovating (adding bar, bathroom and bedroom to existing media room). Would love input and reactions as I go.
Awesome, what are you planning on housing in your 90? Are you going to have a “sump room” since it’s built in? Welcome to R2R btw!
I don’t have a hard and fast plan although I want fish sand based critters, and soft corals for sure. I have been reading and trying to acquire knowledge on YouTube, etc. I also understand the requirement to take this slow. My focus is a healthy, sustainable environment vs specific species.Awesome, what are you planning on housing in your 90? Are you going to have a “sump room” since it’s built in? Welcome to R2R btw!
Thanks for the advice. Bean animal advice appreciated. I want to use our LFS but the couple times I have gone to get help it has been a struggle.External overflow is where most of the hobby has moved to now. A slim overflow in the tank drilled through the back that goes to a larger box outside the tank. Makes the most sense imo. Use a bean animal (triple drain) for a very quiet and reliable drain.
Those dimensions look good to me. If you can go deeper you won't regret it.
Ordering through a LFS helps support them. They also usually have a good relationship with a tank builder is they are not doing it themselves. That said there are also plenty of good websites you can order custom tanks from.
I am good with standard dimensions as long as they are close to what I noted earlier. I am a little nervous to get too deep as my arm reach is 21-22 but again, not sure how often I will need to reach to the bottom of the tank. Given that the DT will be in wall and on a corner (left side of DT) I am thinking that the overflow should be towards the opposite end but maybe not since it will be behind the wall.I agree with count krunk. Depends what you are looking for. If you want standard dimensions and don't care about internal vs external overflow, etc, then a standard tank through LFS would be a good option. This would help support local business during tough times as well. If you want non standard dimensions, specific external overflow and ability to choose side and location of returns, then custom would be a good option. It's about figuring out what you want.
Nothing wrong with having it at one end. This is how my new setup will be. Just make sure whichever overflow you use fits the end dimensions and gives you adequate tank volume turnover. The old rule of thumb used to be 10x the tank volume of turnover. But you can also achieve this with about 5x turnover per hour with using a series of powerheads keeping the water in the tank moving around as well. With 90 gallons try to hit around a true 500 gallons per hour turnover rate. You can use dc pumps which are energy efficient and you can vary the output speed. Eco-tech for example makes nice pumps. They also offer battery backups in case a power outage happens your tank stays online. No circulation can start to have negative effects in as little as a few hours.I am good with standard dimensions as long as they are close to what I noted earlier. I am a little nervous to get too deep as my arm reach is 21-22 but again, not sure how often I will need to reach to the bottom of the tank. Given that the DT will be in wall and on a corner (left side of DT) I am thinking that the overflow should be towards the opposite end but maybe not since it will be behind the wall.
Thanks Rob. I have looked at other equipment but felt that I needed to make a tank decision first. I appreciate the Bashsea recommendation too and will check them out. Also I find the LFS’s in the region tend to carry one maybe two brands of sump, PS, lights, etc.I agree about the above mentioned bean animal setup. Since you have the room behind the display tank. Also, I am all for supporting local businesses. Keeping that in mind there are some great alternatives online. Bulkreefsupply.com is a great source for equipment and plumbing supplies. Any ideas on equipment choices? I highly recommend checking out Bashsea.com for sumps, skimmers, bio-reactors, and media reactors. Lighting choices are abundant.
Thanks. I was thinking that battery back up would be a smart move too thanks for confriming.Nothing wrong with having it at one end. This is how my new setup will be. Just make sure whichever overflow you use fits the end dimensions and gives you adequate tank volume turnover. The old rule of thumb used to be 10x the tank volume of turnover. But you can also achieve this with about 5x turnover per hour with using a series of powerheads keeping the water in the tank moving around as well. With 90 gallons try to hit around a true 500 gallons per hour turnover rate. You can use dc pumps which are energy efficient and you can vary the output speed. Eco-tech for example makes nice pumps. They also offer battery backups in case a power outage happens your tank stays online. No circulation can start to have negative effects in as little as a few hours.
Even more so when you get more valuable items in the tank.Thanks. I was thinking that battery back up would be a smart move too thanks for confriming.
Hows your water where you live?Looking for advice on RODI set ups. I want to instal one for my 90g build. Any factors to consider? Recommendations?
I guess I should also ask you how much water do you plan on storing? Premixed saltwater and clean ro/di for top off? It is always nice to have a fair amount of premixed salt on hand. Whether it be for setting up an auto water change system using dosing pumps or if you have to do a big water change in an emergency situation to get a crashing tank back into shape. All things to consider. Im designing my new system now. Will have auto water change running at a rate of 3-5 gallons per day plus whatever I need for top off after evaporation. I have 2 Norwesco 150 gallon tanks. One stores ro/di. The other is premixed salt. My total system volume will be close to 375 gallons. Auto water change will run schedule at 6 days per week. When the premix tank nears empty the fresh water will pump into the salt tank so I can mix and stir it with a pump for 24 hours to stabilize before the water change cycle picks back up. In the meantime, the fresh ro/di container will refill. Which also fills a 5 gallon auto top container under the display tank. I use a 7 stage ro/di system from bulk reef supply with. Booster pump. I have the incoming pressure set to about 85 psi. My incoming TDS varies from about 140-160. At times you can smell the chlorine in the water here in Florida when they treat the supply. You'll want to make sure you get filters that really take care of that issue because that is bad for the tank. Anyway... enough of my long winded diatribe. Good luck with the build looking forward to seeing some pictures as you progress. Keep asking questions. We are all here to steer you in the right direction. If you get a chance check out my build thread. RobW's 274.3 gallon build in the members tanks section.Hows your water where you live?