- Joined
- Jul 15, 2019
- Messages
- 129
- Reaction score
- 40
Morning all. I've had fresh water tanks for a number of years and always admired saltwater. I lived near a guy who was in the business and set up tanks for the studios. He gave me a couple tanks for a set and wanted me to go with saltwater but at the time, mid 80s, my budget couldn't take the thought of flushing a dead $50 fish. I haven't had a tank for years but now things have changed and I'm thinking about taking the plunge so to speak. The den has sort of a set back that is approximately 53" wide and 23" deep. I've built a book case into the area with an area for the tank. The base is set on 2" x 4"s with 3/4" plywood and then additional 2" x 4"s support the shelf where the tank goes. I still have one of the acrylic tanks he gave me, it's 24" high, 36" long and 12" deep, I think that's somewhere around 55 gallons. It fits inside the area with room to spare. I've building a shelf 10" above the tank with a hinged front to access the tank. I was also going to use the bottom of that shelf to attach any lighting. There are outlets under the tank, where the filter, heater, air pump and any other items can be connected, and outlets above the top shelf with other things can be connected. I'll post photos later.
I've been reading up and it looks like my Marineland 530 canister isn't the best system for saltwater but it may work for a while. I'm looking at setting up a sump system and trying to understand the basics. If I'm reading correctly plumbing it directly into the tank is the way to go. It looks like it takes the water from the top of the tank through a pipe that goes through a bulkhead and down, via gravity, into the sump. I have some diagrams of sumps and should be able to locate a 20 long tank to use. I'm thinking plastic panels and silicone will be used for the compartments and bubble trap. Then a pump at the other end of the sump pumps the water up into the tank. So here are my questions:
1/ Where should the outflow and inflow lines go in the tank? I was thinking about using 1" pvc and drilling a hole on one side of the tank for the drain line and another hole in the opposite side for the return line.
2/ Is it absolutely necessary to use a protein skimmer in the sump?
3/ Is a 20 gallon sump sufficient for a 55 gallon tank?
4/ Where would I find info on lighting?
Any other suggestions or tips will be greatly appreciated.
Joe
I've been reading up and it looks like my Marineland 530 canister isn't the best system for saltwater but it may work for a while. I'm looking at setting up a sump system and trying to understand the basics. If I'm reading correctly plumbing it directly into the tank is the way to go. It looks like it takes the water from the top of the tank through a pipe that goes through a bulkhead and down, via gravity, into the sump. I have some diagrams of sumps and should be able to locate a 20 long tank to use. I'm thinking plastic panels and silicone will be used for the compartments and bubble trap. Then a pump at the other end of the sump pumps the water up into the tank. So here are my questions:
1/ Where should the outflow and inflow lines go in the tank? I was thinking about using 1" pvc and drilling a hole on one side of the tank for the drain line and another hole in the opposite side for the return line.
2/ Is it absolutely necessary to use a protein skimmer in the sump?
3/ Is a 20 gallon sump sufficient for a 55 gallon tank?
4/ Where would I find info on lighting?
Any other suggestions or tips will be greatly appreciated.
Joe