BryanM
7500 Club Member
No obstructions in tank for waterflow.
Alright, help me decide. INT or EXT
Kiiyo
Active Member
I have the INM 50 Lagoon.
Great tank...but.
1st chamber Floss roller..also sticks out about 6" above tank.
2nd Media or Chaeto - its one or the other
Lg middle area pumps, probs, heaters, ato, doser lines..its crowded.
4th protein skimmer - limited what you can use.
5th chamber UV.
If I had to do it again..I would have sump.
Easy access, better options for equipment, space to clean, more media options, more water for stability, frag spot in sump, more area for chaeto..the list goes on. Way too many advantages. Cost is nearly the same for what you spend on reactors etc.
Also one last comment. The 50 Lagoon is 30" long.... if I had to do it again - I would go to a 48" long tank. That extra 18" goes pardon the pun a long way in building aquascape my sticks are jammed in...when they grow..its gonna be a harder time working in the tank.
Great tank...but.
1st chamber Floss roller..also sticks out about 6" above tank.
2nd Media or Chaeto - its one or the other
Lg middle area pumps, probs, heaters, ato, doser lines..its crowded.
4th protein skimmer - limited what you can use.
5th chamber UV.
If I had to do it again..I would have sump.
Easy access, better options for equipment, space to clean, more media options, more water for stability, frag spot in sump, more area for chaeto..the list goes on. Way too many advantages. Cost is nearly the same for what you spend on reactors etc.
Also one last comment. The 50 Lagoon is 30" long.... if I had to do it again - I would go to a 48" long tank. That extra 18" goes pardon the pun a long way in building aquascape my sticks are jammed in...when they grow..its gonna be a harder time working in the tank.
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Kiiyo
Active Member
I agree with the opinion to change to get a 4 foot tank if I was able to redo. Not only for the ability to allow coral to grow out more, but because your options for fish doesn't change much from say a 29G. Most common algae eating fish typically need at least 3ft. While the 6" between the 50 lagoon and a true 3ft tank isn't crazy, I try to avoid stocking fish that are borderline too big into smaller tanks.
Also I'd never do a tank again without a sump, complete game changer.
Sdbuehler1
Active Member
I think it really depends on the size of the tank. On tanks <= 48 inches , I would go EXT assuming you have enough room to place the tank a few extra inches off the wall to be able reach behind it. On tanks greater than 48 inches I would go with INT unless you have a utility room or access wall behind the tank. You will not be able to reach the plumbing if it ever requires maintenance.
Almost everyone starts with an internal overflow on their first tank or two, but many seasoned reefers eventually move to external overflows when they can. In my circle, the reasons are pretty consistent.
- Flow is a big one. Advanced reefers tend to obsess over dialing in flow, getting it behind the rockwork, and creating real currents throughout the tank. With an internal overflow, that tower becomes a major obstruction and makes it much harder to fine tune circulation.
- Depth is another factor. A tank may be marketed as 24 inches front to back, but once you place a 6 inch overflow box inside, the usable aquascaping space often feels closer to 18 inches. This is especially noticeable on tanks under 36 inches wide.
- While most people like the idea of a tank sitting flush against the wall, many experienced reefers care more about what the tank looks like from the inside than from the outside.
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This is bigger than you originally planned, but I love these dimensions for an LPS or mixed reef tank. Transforms the animal behavior from pacing back and forth to a more natural 3D swim path. The added depth combined with the right scape makes for something really unique and fun.
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X-37B
Fight The Good Fight
I have both the ext, 50, ext 112, and an ext 170.This is bigger than you originally planned, but I love these dimensions for an LPS or mixed reef tank. Transforms the animal behavior from pacing back and forth to a more natural 3D swim path. The added depth combined with the right scape makes for something really unique and fun.
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If the 112 fits your space go for it.
It's a great size and IM makes nice complete systems.
I liked the old Red Sea Max tanks that had an interesting hybrid. A coast to coast external overflow that also sat flush with the wall. Kinda like a plumbed AIO.
I think they poofed because no one wanted all the "max gear" you had to buy with it. This was pre leak Armageddon...
I think they poofed because no one wanted all the "max gear" you had to buy with it. This was pre leak Armageddon...
One of the other most important things to remember as well... measure out the Height, Width and Length of were it is going to be on its stand by the documents and figure in space behind tank as well.
Last thing you want is a tank too high, that maintenance is a pain when your tank is up to your arm pit when you reach to the back of the tank from the center rock or not at some point if your hands are in the tank you don't want to be on a short ladder or tippy toes. I did a deep tank once regretted it every week when it came to maintenance of corals, etc. You will drop something or knock something over and don't want to struggle trying to reach it.
Last thing you want is a tank too high, that maintenance is a pain when your tank is up to your arm pit when you reach to the back of the tank from the center rock or not at some point if your hands are in the tank you don't want to be on a short ladder or tippy toes. I did a deep tank once regretted it every week when it came to maintenance of corals, etc. You will drop something or knock something over and don't want to struggle trying to reach it.
1ocean
5000 Club Member
just had a 96x36x23 tank made with a internal over flow along the entire left panel of the tank.
will have three 1 1/2 inch over flow drain pipes and will allow me to have 3 chambers in the overflow box area. the middle one for the three drain pipes. the other two for felt and bio balls
the internal over flow box is 36x6x23
will have three 1 1/2 inch over flow drain pipes and will allow me to have 3 chambers in the overflow box area. the middle one for the three drain pipes. the other two for felt and bio balls
the internal over flow box is 36x6x23
Don't use Bio Balls as in plastic. Use the new Bio Spere type media sort of like sporax but they don't leech unwanted chemical like the old Sporax did. BRS has them..they work great and allot of surface area without any chemicals entering the water, I have them in one of my chambers. The poly labs has rectangles but I think the round media is better for flow and surface area.
Sdbuehler1
Active Member
If they offer that as an option it could work. I have my ext100 about 7 inches off the wall and it’s still hard to reach back there. Any longer than an 18 inch reach is tough.
The space from the wall to the tank should not be reason to pick one over the other. My tank is 4.5 inches from the wall with an internal overflow. I want to have room for pumps, lights, anything I may need to run. I found external to be noisier and in a tank of 7ft wide with no rear access, internal is the only way, if I have deal with a leak it will be a nightmare.
Some companies make big internal overflow which is a shame. I found waterbox to be a good compromise.
Some companies make big internal overflow which is a shame. I found waterbox to be a good compromise.
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