newbi to SW PLEASE HELP!!!

[jceli728]

Hello everyone, i have been reading alot in this forum, but i have so few questions, i just purchased a 72 gallon bow front, and want to setup my first SW tank. I just want to start with live rock and some cheap fishes till i get the hang of maintaning the tank. but i don't know if i should go with a fluval 404, or with a wet/dry system. eventually i would like to start a reef tank and want to get a filter system that would let me upgrade. also the bid part is that i don't want anything to be hanging in the back of the tank since i want to put the tank as close to the wall as i can, just have enought space for the hoses.

please advise me what kind of filter should i use so i could keep everything well hidden unter the stand. i have found this wet/dry with a protein skimer and a refugium all in one. please tell me if this is a good way to go insted of a fluval and if this is a good system?
here is the link to the system
http://www.aquauniverse.com/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,1094/option,com_phpshop/Itemid,31/

thank you all for taking the time to read this and giving me some help. i will post pics of the progress of my tank.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

If you want a protein skimmer not hanging on the back, I think the only way to do that is with a refugium or sump... so I'd say that's probably best in your case. You can also stick the heater in there, so you minimize the stuff in the display tank. A 72 is a nice size to start with, I wish I had more room in my SW tank.

 

[aresgod]

well that is a sump so you would have to have pipes hanging of the back..unless your tank is drilled, which I assume it isnt. I would go with the sump and definetly not the fluval, it will be much more versatile if you decide to upgrade.

 

[KahluaZzZ]

ya forget the fluval. In the link you posted, the skimmer looks pretty much like the Pacific Coast and coralife skimmers, wich are efficient and cheap.
A sump is a great ally against nitrates, along with a wet/dry.
Sump can be a pain to build properly, and the price is honest considering what CPR and other companies are asking for. Now in this deal, an overflow box is NOT included...this is usually costly for nothing..http://www.marinedepot.com/imd/saltwateraquariumsupplies/Aquarium-Overflow-Box.jpg
Now you're tank is empty and you should consider drilling it, because overflows are hazardous, ugly, and often noisy. Once your tank is set, it's too late to drill.
Another warning : do not buy SEACLONE skimmers, even if the LFS guy tells ya it's fine for a 72 . ( a 10g maybe )

 

[jceli728]

tank you for feed back, i guess i'm not going to go with the fluval. what questions now are: where can i take do get my tank drilled? can a tempered glass be drilled? what are the advantages of having the thank drill besides having the plumbing underneath the tank? is a refugium necesary? or can i just go with a wet/dry mega flow system?

 

[KahluaZzZ]

Some hardware stores do it, and glaziers. Better go with the glazier.
Advantages : no air blocking overflow, less noise when using proper equipment, no ugly basket, always the same level of water in the main tank ( evaporated will affect the sump only ), a huge flowrate that some overflows might have problems with. Since my tank isn't drilled and got poor results with DIY overflows, i decided to drill a 10g sump, an placed it next to my tank, but higher so i don't need an overflow ( and since i drilled, 'better lose a 10g than a 55 ) but having a sump standing there isn't really cute.
The refugium isn't necessary, but will help. You can go with the mega flow but it's always better to have a good amount of space for plants, they really keep the nitrates down naturally..you could put algaes in your main tank, but don't buy tangs or herbs.. they're gone with those fishies.

 

[KahluaZzZ]

i mean ..the system mentionned got a place for plants, but not a lot

 

[wayne]

As you have decided to go with a live rock system you can rely on that for your flitration, along with a protein skimmer, and then you don't need a wetdry at all.
Then the box under the tank becomes a sump/refugium and you can use that for nitrate removal with plants or a sandbed. the big problem of wetdrys by the way is that they produce nitrate very efficiently and the nitrate builds up and becomes more of a problem than in freshwater.
Good call drilling the tap rather than messing around with overflow boxes.

Keep reading - planning - I think you're well on the way to a good plan.

 

[KahluaZzZ]

yep i wrote something's wrong. Wayne's right. Wet/Dry = nitrates. Anaerobic bacteria prefers live rock and deep sand bed ( altough deep sand beds may contain 2 much detritus ) where there's less oxygen

 

[jceli728]

thanks again for the info, i spent most of my night searching for a drawing or something showing how and where to drill in the tank. i just thought it will be a good idea to take with me to where i'm going to get it drill incase they have never done anyhting like that. Is there such thing as a kit for this? does the tank have to be drilled in one spot or one hole in each of its rear sides? how big should the holes be?

 

[wayne]

If I was you I'd head on down the petstore and see how there tanks are drilled and how overflows work before you start drilling. FWIW I would rather retrodrill the back than the bottom panel.
Or look on the websites for tankmakers. This is not easy to explain without a picture

 

[jceli728]

thank you guys for all the help, i have decided to return the tank that i have now for a drilled tank that comes with the overflow built in. now i need help with my refugium. would like to make my own to save a couple of bucks. i have founds some links in how to make one but have not been really helpful. I will apreciate if anybody can provide me with a good link. i also want to know what protein skimer should i get? and what pump for the return water?

 

[KahluaZzZ]

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/SystemPIX/DIY fuge wwm.jpg

Well..if you wanna save bucks..i can assure you that coralife skimmers do the job..but they can be tricky. In this forum, a lot of people seems to like the Remora skimmers..there's a Remora Pro for bigger tanks powered with a MAG 3 pump. I think some people in this forum work in fishstores and have experienced a couple of skimmers.
Anyways, for your sump/fuge..there's also the cheap version : a big 8 $ rubbermaid, sand bed, couple of rocks, algaes ( i really like the chaetomorpha ), a skimmer hanged-on and a return pump.

 

[aresgod]

thats a nice little diagram, i prefer the remoras or the urchins(remora designed for insump). I have used turboflotors as well but they need to be in a sump.

 

[jceli728]

i have a few plans for my sump/refugium. i was looking for a DIY skimmer and found this site http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman/skimmer101.htm it seen to very interesting. please give me ur feed back on what you think about that.

 

[KahluaZzZ]

i think building one is good for someone who has already some experience with skimmers and is good with tools. A good skimmer is very important, so building one may take some time, and possibly you will not have the wanted results ( leaks or efficiency ). It's a big gamble and i think people who build skimmers should already have another one, for backup purposes...