Info Needed: Looking to Start a FOWLR Saltwater Aquarium

[glb]

If the cabinet above can be totally opened you could mount the lights up there, but you'd need to leave room to get to the hang on equipment. Do you have any access on the other side of the wall behind the cabinet? If so, that would make things much easier.

 

[beaslbob]

I think that if you would do an in tank refugium the entire system would be in tank. (except for lights tho)
just a thought.
worth at most .02

 

[heathd.hd]

There's a ton of options. I just gave you my opinion. Honestly you can do anything you want from hang on back filters and skimmers. Bio pellets. No filtration and chemicals. You could just do 20% water changes every 3 days. But in my opinion if you do a sump a refugium and a nice skimmer right now you won't have to keep upgrading as you go. I guarantee you that if you do hang on back stuff you will be replacing them later with a sump. But like I said that my opinion and it's all up 2 you cause its your tank!

 

[glb]

As far as water damage, you are going to have spills whether you have a sump or not. Water changes, cleaning out a skimmer, moving stuff around in the tank, this will all be messy at times. I know some people paint their stands with marine paint to protect them. You could leave a sump area open when you're not there to cut down on humidity inside the cabinet. I don't have a sump or a skimmer because I have a 12g nano, but things still get wet. The best thing is to wipe up spills quickly. With equipment behind the tank you'll get water underneath them that will be hard to clean up. In the end you should do what makes sense to you. We're all just trying to point out things from our own trial and error. Good luck!

 

[redzfit]

Yes the jaebo pump gets the water from the sump up to your tank.
I really think you going to have less mess and water problems if you just go with the sump.
If you don't have a sump your going to have all kinds of junk hanging off the back of the tank. Than your getting saltwater creep off the back and leaks back there. Spills drips. Your not saving yourself honestly.
If you run a sump and a good skimmer there's no need for any type of mechanical filter.
Idk I'm just thinking your gonna make a custom tank to fit your space that's gonna look cool than your gonna put I bunch of junk in and hang junk off the back? Meh

I was thinking of putting black or blue backgrounds on the back and sides of the tank so if there was water dripped down the back I could see it. Plus I would see the cords the go behind the tank. I am ok having a filters systems, heaters and pump in the bank of the tank.
I do not know why I seem to like the fluval filter system so much.

I guess I need to look up a sump at least a little to see what it is about…..

There are hang on back skimmers but heated.hd is right. They take up room in the back and the skimmer cup will need to be cleaned often, which means it should be easily assessible.

I do not know anything about skimmers. I was hoping they were like the Fluval filter system where they go under the tank and run a plastic hose up the back.

This is why I am posting and asking so many questions……

I would go for the 29 as it will be almost a perfect fit. You could cut the bottom of your upper cabinet and mount the light inside the cabinet. It would be so clean if you were to go this route. The 29 is only 12" deep so the extra 8" behind would be more than enough to run a drain to a sump. There's a cabinet under the tank that would be perfect for a sump like a 20 long. Using a ghost overflow would save so much room and also be very clean looking. I just have a vision of your tank just sitting there alone with no equipment, lights etc.

I know you say you don't want a sump, but getting behind the tank to do maintenence will be a nightmare. If you're concerned about moisture you could always remove the doors to the cabinet below and have a display sump.

I think they can build the equipment into the back of the tank? I think if I go custom I can get more gallons but maybe 29 is the way to go?

If the cabinet above can be totally opened you could mount the lights up there, but you'd need to leave room to get to the hang on equipment. Do you have any access on the other side of the wall behind the cabinet? If so, that would make things much easier.

No access from the back of the cabinet but I have plenty of room from the top (over 12 inches).

I think that if you would do an in tank refugium the entire system would be in tank. (except for lights tho)
just a thought.
worth at most .02

Is that just for when fish get hurt?

There's a ton of options. I just gave you my opinion. Honestly you can do anything you want from hang on back filters and skimmers. Bio pellets. No filtration and chemicals. You could just do 20% water changes every 3 days. But in my opinion if you do a sump a refugium and a nice skimmer right now you won't have to keep upgrading as you go. I guarantee you that if you do hang on back stuff you will be replacing them later with a sump. But like I said that my opinion and it's all up 2 you cause its your tank!

See above quote….

As far as water damage, you are going to have spills whether you have a sump or not. Water changes, cleaning out a skimmer, moving stuff around in the tank, this will all be messy at times. I know some people paint their stands with marine paint to protect them. You could leave a sump area open when you're not there to cut down on humidity inside the cabinet. I don't have a sump or a skimmer because I have a 12g nano, but things still get wet. The best thing is to wipe up spills quickly. With equipment behind the tank you'll get water underneath them that will be hard to clean up. In the end you should do what makes sense to you. We're all just trying to point out things from our own trial and error. Good luck!

For the spills I think if I do backgrounds on the back and sides it will help the tank look super clean.

I am trying to have as little of trial and error as possible…..

 

[heathd.hd]

Your thinking freshwater with the canister filter stuff. Most people shy away from canister filters with saltwater.

 

[redzfit]

Your thinking freshwater with the canister filter stuff. Most people shy away from canister filters with saltwater.

But wouldn't a sump and the Fluval system just run a hose(s) up the back?

 

[heathd.hd]

Yes. Sump would be just an overflow in the tank. That drained to the bottom sump. Your filtration down there would be a skimmer and maybe some filter socks. There alot of other options you can put in the sump area also. A refugium, turf scrubber, bio pellets, . Plus some others. Canister filters have proven themselves to be traps for bad things and have not been highly used in saltwater for sometime.

 

[heathd.hd]

With that being said some people do still use them for fish only systems.

 

[beaslbob]

The in tank refugium is not for just when the fish get hurt but for continuous operation.
Just a simple partition like some egg crate ib the back 2" or so of the tank Between the partition and back glass you can grow chaeto or other macros and pods and the like.
The fish can be in front of that and will really enjoy the macros that poke through and the pods. Not to mention the low co2 high oxygen the macros crate plus the stability of the macros consuming ammonia firs then nitrates plus phospates as well.
my.02

 

[glb]

I was thinking of putting black or blue backgrounds on the back and sides of the tank so if there was water dripped down the back I could see it. Plus I would see the cords the go behind the tank. I am ok having a filters systems, heaters and pump in the bank of the tank.
I do not know why I seem to like the fluval filter system so much.

I guess I need to look up a sump at least a little to see what it is about…..


I do not know anything about skimmers. I was hoping they were like the Fluval filter system where they go under the tank and run a plastic hose up the back.

This is why I am posting and asking so many questions……


I think they can build the equipment into the back of the tank? I think if I go custom I can get more gallons but maybe 29 is the way to go?


No access from the back of the cabinet but I have plenty of room from the top (over 12 inches).


Is that just for when fish get hurt?


See above quote….

For the spills I think if I do backgrounds on the back and sides it will help the tank look super clean.

I am trying to have as little of trial and error as possible…..

You're very smart to ask all the questions ahead of time. It's so much easier to make changes before you actually setup the tank. If you got a 29g nano or biocube, the sump area would be in the back of the tank but inside instead of hanging on the back. I have that on my nano. As far as keeping things clean, this would be the best alternative if you didn't want a sump below. The compartments in the back can hold a skimmer, filtration media, heaters, etc. There's not a ton of room but it does give you that clean look you want. The back part of the tank is black plastic or glass, so wires wouldn't show. You can take the lid off and mount the lights above the tank if you like. That's what I did and it made maintenance much easier. IMO this would be a good setup for you based on what you're looking for. Another nice thing is that the aquarium comes with most everything you need to get started. There's not a lot of extra equipment to buy. You can always change out the lights, filtration media, etc later.

 

[redzfit]

Yes. Sump would be just an overflow in the tank. That drained to the bottom sump. Your filtration down there would be a skimmer and maybe some filter socks. There alot of other options you can put in the sump area also. A refugium, turf scrubber, bio pellets, . Plus some others. Canister filters have proven themselves to be traps for bad things and have not been highly used in saltwater for sometime.

With that being said some people do still use them for fish only systems.

Can you send me some links to sumps you recommend? It seems like I need to look into this.... It just seems like a lot of running water throughout those cabinets and that makes me nervous.....

The in tank refugium is not for just when the fish get hurt but for continuous operation.
Just a simple partition like some egg crate ib the back 2" or so of the tank Between the partition and back glass you can grow chaeto or other macros and pods and the like.
The fish can be in front of that and will really enjoy the macros that poke through and the pods. Not to mention the low co2 high oxygen the macros crate plus the stability of the macros consuming ammonia firs then nitrates plus phospates as well.
my.02

I have to look up what all that means haha

You're very smart to ask all the questions ahead of time. It's so much easier to make changes before you actually setup the tank. If you got a 29g nano or biocube, the sump area would be in the back of the tank but inside instead of hanging on the back. I have that on my nano. As far as keeping things clean, this would be the best alternative if you didn't want a sump below. The compartments in the back can hold a skimmer, filtration media, heaters, etc. There's not a ton of room but it does give you that clean look you want. The back part of the tank is black plastic or glass, so wires wouldn't show. You can take the lid off and mount the lights above the tank if you like. That's what I did and it made maintenance much easier. IMO this would be a good setup for you based on what you're looking for. Another nice thing is that the aquarium comes with most everything you need to get started. There's not a lot of extra equipment to buy. You can always change out the lights, filtration media, etc later.

I will look into the biocube....

 

[sawdonkey]

I agree with everyone else here. A sump would make this look pro style. Without having a sump, you'll have a heater and equipment all around and it will look like amateur hour. All you really need is a 20 gallon tank for a sump. Even a 10 gallon would do. Then just put your return pump, skimmer and heater in the sump. That cabinetry is absolutely perfect to do some thing cool! I think without a sump, you're going to miss the opportunity to make this look great. Your cabinets are modern with clean lines and your tank should be too. Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

 

[Rattooth]

You may consider having an experienced reefer help set up. Maybe a store or maintenance service ? You would pay up front for their setting everything up, but it might save money by not having to replace equipment , that you decide by trial and error was wrong choice. Pretty much everything could be automated if you decide to spend money that way. Replacement water from evaporation, mixing new salt water,etc. these reservoirs could even be in different room or garage. Including sump. ( My tanks are not that way at present, but I know some that are.)
The other savings would be from avoiding dead fish or corals. It can be expensive to have a year or so invested , and tank just starting to fill up with pretty corals, then a storm , or other disaster knocks power off just long enough to start a tragedy.( I have experienced that.)

 

[heathd.hd]

http://www.melevsreef.com/node/710

This is a decent read about sumps.

 

[redzfit]

Ok guys I am back again. I have uploaded two more pictures of my potential space. I kind of thought going to a sump system was going to be the only way. I think for what I have to work with a canister filter is they way to go….

 

[redzfit]

Lastly IF I did run a sump how many gallons would it be? The tank I am thinking about is about 43 gallons. So if I did a sump I would have the return hose from the sump to the tank and just a power head inside my tank?

 

[melypr1985]

A sump can be however big your lower cabinet is. I have attached pictures of what my old sump looked like and how it connected to the tank above it. You will have a box in the tank called the overflow. it will bring water down to the sump via a pipe or hose. The water will travel through the sump being cleaned by your macro algae, protein skimmer, filter socks (whatever you choose to keep down there) then will be pumped back into the tank via a return pump and hose or pipe. It's a very good way to keep your display nice and clean looking and really wont cause any more spillage than your water changes will cause anyway since you'll have to do those anyway no matter which method you use to filter. I hope these visuals help. The first picture is of my old tank before i added saltwater to it (test run). The second is of the sump with a refugium (macro algae), skimmer, Auto top off and return pump.
I custom built this sump out of acrylic. I put it together myself and had it cut to fit my stand perfectly.

 

[redzfit]

A sump can be however big your lower cabinet is. I have attached pictures of what my old sump looked like and how it connected to the tank above it. You will have a box in the tank called the overflow. it will bring water down to the sump via a pipe or hose. The water will travel through the sump being cleaned by your macro algae, protein skimmer, filter socks (whatever you choose to keep down there) then will be pumped back into the tank via a return pump and hose or pipe. It's a very good way to keep your display nice and clean looking and really wont cause any more spillage than your water changes will cause anyway since you'll have to do those anyway no matter which method you use to filter. I hope these visuals help. The first picture is of my old tank before i added saltwater to it (test run). The second is of the sump with a refugium (macro algae), skimmer, Auto top off and return pump.
I custom built this sump out of acrylic. I put it together myself and had it cut to fit my stand perfectly.

Thank you, I need to read more about sumps so I have a better idea of how they work and what goes in them….

 

[redzfit]

Hey guys I am back! I had given up on this for a while. I just purchased a saltwater setup yesterday and spent all day getting it setup with the help of my friend! I had found a 56 gallon column tank that almost fit perfectly in our cabinet space but it was about 3-4 inches to deep. So I ended up buying a 37 gallon bow front tank. It is not as many gallons as I wanted but fits the space perfectly and is a couple hundred pounds lighter than the 56 gallon setup. We mixed our own salt water because it was easier than buying 30+ gallons from the store and transporting it to the house.

I am running the fluval 306 canister filter witch fits down below perfect and makes no noise when the cabinet door is closed. For now I have basic LED lights that came with the setup that I most likely will upgraded in a couple weeks to add a soft coral or two.

We just did a 5 gallon water change because the water had to much salt and now I think it is almost perfect. I have a tester to monitor it, I might change out 2.5 more gallons but we will see. Hopefully I can start adding fish soon!