ZsWithTheFishes
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2018
- Messages
- 146
- Reaction score
- 166
The situation: I went out to buy a tank - just a simple 200+ gallon to upgrade a discus build in progress. I called home to discuss the delivery schedule (discuss DISCUS), and the spouse hinted toward what turned out to be a bomb dropping idea: maybe I should set up a reef tank instead, and wouldn't that be nice for a for a centerpiece aquarium. Not wanting to let this opportunity slip, I ended up with a 220 gallon reef-ready tank. The discus are just going to have to live with the 75 g :-)
Background: I have a basic knowledge of fish keeping - I have 14 tanks (I rarely let an opportunity slip ) that range from freshwater to brackish to Marine. I keep a few softies in one of my very new 75 g setups but I wouldn't really call it a committed reef setup; it's more like something representative of the knowledge I had on reef keeping before technology made it all obsolete... tap water for WCs, there's no sump ... I did buy a pretty sweet hob skimmer but that was going to be the extent of my dealings in that part of the hobby.
Back to the topic on hand - I want to do this right. I want to make this a running thread on the trials and tribulations of jumping in 220 gallons too deep. Right now I'm looking for suggestions on sump size, equipment, etc. One thing I do have going for me is that because this was going to be a discus tank, the plumbing for an RO system to a reserve tank underneath the main is already in place.
Right now I'm working on a stand.
2 questions:
- Does anyone know how far how far from the edge of the tank the holes are drilled in a marineland cornerflo 220? The original design for the stand was a typical tank stand design, with four by fours supporting the corners. This will probably obsure the holes in the corners, but I haven't found any specs online for that aspect of the tank.
- how big of a sump? The tank is 72" long so my first thought was a 75g, which should leave room for a reserve tank as well. Research has led me to conflicting accounts on whether the extra depth is worth it or whether a 40b would be better. Maybe I should design my own acrylic sump? Maybe there's one for purchase that would be cheaper than a DIY?
Background: I have a basic knowledge of fish keeping - I have 14 tanks (I rarely let an opportunity slip ) that range from freshwater to brackish to Marine. I keep a few softies in one of my very new 75 g setups but I wouldn't really call it a committed reef setup; it's more like something representative of the knowledge I had on reef keeping before technology made it all obsolete... tap water for WCs, there's no sump ... I did buy a pretty sweet hob skimmer but that was going to be the extent of my dealings in that part of the hobby.
Back to the topic on hand - I want to do this right. I want to make this a running thread on the trials and tribulations of jumping in 220 gallons too deep. Right now I'm looking for suggestions on sump size, equipment, etc. One thing I do have going for me is that because this was going to be a discus tank, the plumbing for an RO system to a reserve tank underneath the main is already in place.
Right now I'm working on a stand.
2 questions:
- Does anyone know how far how far from the edge of the tank the holes are drilled in a marineland cornerflo 220? The original design for the stand was a typical tank stand design, with four by fours supporting the corners. This will probably obsure the holes in the corners, but I haven't found any specs online for that aspect of the tank.
- how big of a sump? The tank is 72" long so my first thought was a 75g, which should leave room for a reserve tank as well. Research has led me to conflicting accounts on whether the extra depth is worth it or whether a 40b would be better. Maybe I should design my own acrylic sump? Maybe there's one for purchase that would be cheaper than a DIY?
