Need direction for new 210g salt water tank.

[khpdog]

I am in the process of setting up a new 210g drilled salt water tank. Initially I will have fish with live rock. In the future I hope to add some corals. I have been doing much research and came up with some questions.

1) Refugium/sump combo buy it or build it myslef?
2) How much turnover do I need inside the tank?
3) Should I use powerheads or a closed loop system?
4) Should I use 1 or 2 return pumps and what size (the tank has an overflow in each corner)
5) How many times should the tank cycle through the refugium per hour?
6) Protein skimmer yes or no.
7) What are the proven/trusted brands in the fish tank community for all equipment listed.
8) Am I missing anything?

Thanks in advance.

 

[sweetpickles7]

Welcome to the forum! Ill help knock down a few of your questoins. Yea you should get powerheads and protein skimmer. Everybody likes to use karola powerheads. It doesnt matter you can buy a sump or just make one, its up to you.

 

[SALTY WATERS]

Welcome

1) Refugium/sump combo buy it or build it myslef?
If your handy it's cheaper to build yourself. Easiest way is to buy a tank and just make your own baffels with acrylic and silicone them in. But are you using an external return pump or internal... do you want an auto top off unit hooked up? if so you will need to also have those drilled

2) How much turnover do I need inside the tank?
Depends on what corals you plan on having... my opinion is 30-50/hr of low pressure high volume circulation inside the display tank. (You can make low flow sheltered area's for specific corals by stratigically placing your LR)

3) Should I use powerheads or a closed loop system?
Closed loop systems are cleaner looking and create less heat in the system
on the down side it also means more drilled holes and more potential for leaks and as well if not designed correct you may still need powerheads to avoid deadspots.

4) Should I use 1 or 2 return pumps and what size (the tank has an overflow in each corner)
One pump providing apprx 10 times total system water volume turn over per hour would be sufficient.

5) How many times should the tank cycle through the refugium per hour?
Run one drain into the refugium and one into the skimmer section turn over is going to be same as above

6) Protein skimmer yes or no.
Definitely a yes

7) What are the proven/trusted brands in the fish tank community for all equipment listed.
PT Skimmer - Euro reef RS 100 would be good for your system
Power Heads - The hydor Korilias are good, Seio, Tunze
Return pump- Go with a mag drive as they draw less power as well you need to decide if you want to go external or internal pump?

8) Am I missing anything?
You can be missing alot of things... that depends on now in depth you want to get?

 

[khpdog]

Thank you for the education.

Just so I understand: Assuming that I went with 30 /hr circulation inside the tank and the tank is 210g, does that mean my combined powerhead flow would be 6300 gph inside the tank.

 

[SALTY WATERS]

You also include your return pump circulation into that equation as well.

First determin your total system water volume (Display tank + sump tank - Sand volume - Live Rock volume= ?) then get a return pump that would cycle that volume apprx 10x/hr. You then want to increase your display tank flow with the powerheads to bring it up to your desired flow rate.

 

[khpdog]

I am beginning to understand a little more clearly now. I am still unsure of what the volume would actually be. Is there a calculator out there or would you be able to explain how to come up with the total volume.

The things I know so far:
1) I plan on having a 75g refugium
2) 210lbs of live rock
3) The suggested amount of sand.
4) 210g tank

How do you figure/convert this into total volume?
Thanks Again

 

[TRe]

unless your going with an all sps tank IMO 30/hr turn over rate is on the high side... i only have 22/gph turn over and theres definitly spots with excess flow but none with too little flow if that helps... id go with a few good powerheads ie. koralia,tunze,vortech or even a few modded mj1200's.... on skimmer as suggested euroreef is pretty reputable also asm g4 would be good if you wanna get higher end deltec is IMO top of the line.... make sure what ever sump u use you have room to get in and out to clean the collection cup and top off and stuff that was one of my mistakes i went with as big a tank i could fit but now im limted besuase of it

 

[khpdog]

Since you have already encountered the access problem. How much room would you suggest above the sump tank for easy access. I am building my tank in the wall with a home built stand and I can make it as high as I want.

 

[TRe]

before u build the stand i would first decide on what skimmer to be sure you leave enough room.... i have about 7" clearance which is exactly enough but i had to go with a differant skimmer than i had origanally wanted just because of space issues.... another thing unless you stand back u gotta kinda bend over to look at parts of the tank so consider that aswell

 

[Lotus]

...but then again, if it's high, you may need a step ladder to get into the tank fully and get your hand to the bottom. You also need clearance above the tank for putting in rock and doing maintenance in the tank.

Are you building a room behind the tank, or is it going to be viewable from both sides? If there's a lot of space behind, the height for a skimmer won't be an issue if the sump and skimmer don't have to be under the tank.

 

[TRe]

this is very true you can alway setup a 20g next to the main sump for any skimmer you want... my next tank/stand will defintly be a little higher than normal and standing on a step to reach the bottom is something i would sacrafise to not have to bend over to look and belive me your guna do alot of looking.... its the perfect excuse for me to upgrade to the 265g ive been looking at

 

[Lorna]

one thing you haven't addressed is lighting?

oh and welcome to the site we are a pretty friendly bunch and love the planning, all the suggestions given are great ones. Equipment always depends on the depth of the pocketbook also....

 

[SALTY WATERS]

I am beginning to understand a little more clearly now. I am still unsure of what the volume would actually be. Is there a calculator out there or would you be able to explain how to come up with the total volume.

The things I know so far:
1) I plan on having a 75g refugium
2) 210lbs of live rock
3) The suggested amount of sand.
4) 210g tank

How do you figure/convert this into total volume?
Thanks Again

Here is a link for a volume calculator to give you an approximate water volume
Aquarium System Volume Calculator