Well, moving the thread down to this discussion group ( from the intro group) as it is a start up.



This is the 2nd day since set up. Its a 30 gal acrilic cube. It has a 150 watt (14k) HQI MH and a Moon light. Filtration is not ideal, but I am working with what I got. Love to have a wet/dry, but not gonna happen right now. I got a 30gal wet/dry refugium for the larger tank once I decide to set that one back up, but different topic.

Next pay day will see more live rock in the tank. Substrate is 20#s of fuji pink and 15#s of live sand. Hoping to go this route for cycling instead of putting a damsel in and then fishing it back out when I am ready to add to it. I dont want the damsel... LOL.

I plan to mainly do corals...soft, a few lps, and sps. I am pretty dilligent on checking my levels. I might put a clam or two in, but I gonna wait to see on the calcium demand on the corals I place in there first. I am pretty much gaonna treat this as a nano even though its 30gal.

Picture with the moonlight on. What are yall thoughts on leaving the moonlight on all night long? I think the picture makes it seem a lot brighter than what it really is.

Looking good Thrillin, just curious on how come you wish to use a wet/dry over the sump with fuge?

I leave my moonlights on all nite, well actually all the time I need better timer set ups for them.

skinz78 wrote:Looking good Thrillin, just curious on how come you wish to use a wet/dry over the sump with fuge?

I leave my moonlights on all nite, well actually all the time I need better timer set ups for them.

No doubt fuge is better. Nothing beats macros to help filter out Nitrates. However, this tank has neither For now it just has a back pack filter ( I am a shamed to say). The sump I have with fuge is saved for my larger tank when I decide to get that thing running again. Not sure if I want to set that up in my apartment. Smaller tank seems ideal for now.

Would you be interested in building your own DIY sump? They are really simple to do and looks aren't important either.

We can help with guideance on it and I think you may find it to cost about half as much as a wet/dry to purchase.

skinz78 wrote:Would you be interested in building your own DIY sump? They are really simple to do and looks aren't important either.

We can help with guideance on it and I think you may find it to cost about half as much as a wet/dry to purchase.

Yes I would...I cant stand the micro bubbles from the back pack filter and I know its gonna do a heck of lot more for my tank that filter. Price and space are issues. I can get over the price by doing it over time, but dont think I can get around the space issue. Post up suggestions or message me.

What are the dimensions of the space you have to work with?

Is it under your tank in the stand?

Is your tank made of acryllic or glass?

skinz78 wrote:What are the dimensions of the space you have to work with?

Is it under your tank in the stand?

Is your tank made of acryllic or glass?

The tank is Acryllic. In the stand I have a 19" x 18.5" inside foot print. It is 19" from the bottom to the shelf, but the shelf is removable and can free up all the way to 40" from bottom to top.

How do you feel about drilling your tank? Acryllic drills extremely easy.

If you feel kinda sketchy on the idea of drilling we can get you set up with an over flow box idea too?

That foot print is kinda small for a sump, let me think on it and maybe see what others have to say.

skinz78 wrote:If you feel kinda sketchy on the idea of drilling we can get you set up with an over flow box idea too?

That foot print is kinda small for a sump, let me think on it and maybe see what others have to say.

An over flow box will not work...not with the way this guy built the top. I would have to cut a gap out of the acryllic. Also, the way the light stand is configured will not allow the idea for an overflow box. Drill is a possibility, but as you said, foot print is small.

Ok well, drilling and adding a few bulk heads shouldn't be a big deal if you are up to it. You would need a bulkhead in the bottom of the tank for the drain/overflow and one near the bottom or top which ever you preferr for the return. I recommend the bottom because you can hide all the plumbing under your rocks.

skinz78 wrote:Ok well, drilling and adding a few bulk heads shouldn't be a big deal if you are up to it. You would need a bulkhead in the bottom of the tank for the drain/overflow and one near the bottom or top which ever you preferr for the return. I recommend the bottom because you can hide all the plumbing under your rocks.

That part doesnt bother me, but the sump size does. I have never done in work with acryllic, so building one from scratch may be out of the question. Using a glass tank as a shell and gluing everything inside is a possibility, but finding a glass tank small enough is a challenge. Got any ideas?

Yeah, my sump is a regular 29g glass tank with glass baffles siliconed in.

Lets see what some others say on possible tank sizes, it is getting too late and my brain is sleepy. LOL I will chime back in tomorrow.

I dont think you are going to find a glass tank that will fit under the tank. Acrylic isn't that hard to work with. If you can cut or get it cut smooth and straight then it welds up pretty easily. Making one yourself is the only way you are going to get something to fit those dimensions.

Been watching the temperature in the tank for the las couple of days. Its ranging from 76.0F to 80.9F. I dug up an old heater and adjust it to 78F to keep the water temps from dropping below 78F at night. So far so good...gonna continue to watch it. Love to maintain 78F to 80F