Well i decided to take the leap.

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T

tjfish

Candiru
MFK Member
Oct 26, 2011
392
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KC missouri
I have decided that i want to try my hand at a saltwater setup.
I am slowly working on accumulating all that i need so its a ways off yet, but im working toward it and needing some advice and im sure will need more along the way. I have kept freshwater most of my life so am not new to fishkeeping by any means, however i am new to marine, so please forgive any "dumb" questions i have lol.
This setup will be a 65 gallon (36"Lx24"Tx18"D) on a wooden cabinet stand that I got for free the other day, I was planning on doing it in a 20 gallon i have but this is better obviously. I am planning to start out with just live rock and a couple small fish and eventually down the road add corals and maybe a couple crabs or shrimp or something.
Im in no rush on this project so im taking my time and it will probably be a while before it even sees any water cuz i want to do it right rather than fast.
I have been doing some research on filtration options and it seems that sump is the way to go for SW, therefor im heavily leaning that direction. If I do make it a sump setup, the sump and overflows will be DIY which i have done some research on as well. I have several tanks laying around that range from 5-20 gallons that i could choose from for the sump. So i am curious what size would be ideal for the 65 gallon and would still fit inside the stand? i havent tried it yet but im almost positive i could fit the 20gal under there.
I have also read alot of research stating that a refugium is beneficial so i would like to include that in the sump, and if possible would like to setup the skimmer to be in the sump as well.
I have seen alot of people with DIY skimmers while i was looking around online and would like to give that a try as well cuz it would save me money obviously. Im pretty handy around the shop so im very confident i can do a DIY skimmer if i had a layout of a design someone else has made to get me started so if any of you can help in that arena i would greatly appreciated.
Anyway thats what i got going so far and i welcome any and all comments/direction on this project that anyone can provide.
 
This is SO similar to what I'll be setting up when I have the money, even down to the 65 on a wooden cabinet stand that you got for free. Pretty much the only difference is that I'm not planning on coral cause I'm doing some coral eaters in the tank and I can also save a little on lightning that way.
For the sump, I would do the largest tank you can. There's no real ideal size, but I wouldn't go less than 20 (I'm planning on a 29 for mine). What are your plans for lighting? Are you just doing soft corals, or any stonies?
 
I would do at least a 20 gallon for the sump; anything smaller will probably be unable to handle the excess influx of water in the event of a power outage.

Plan on getting at least 65 lbs. of live rock as well as plenty of snails and dwarf blue leg hermit crabs; the snails and crabs will form your clean-up crew, and the rock serves as a home for the beneficial bacteria that makes up your main biological filtration.
 
@ryan. Im planning on lots of rock in this tank, but hadnt thought about hermits. will look into that as well. From what you guys are sayin it looks like im probably goin with a 20g sump. will it make a difference if i use a long vs tall 20 gallon? im thinking the long will be nice so i have more horizontal space for different compartments of the sump.
@Andy. I havent settled on lighting for sure yet, and no idea on the corals i will be doing, they will be coming quite a ways down the road, i just want to go ahead and set up with the right lighitng for them up front. I know alot of people on here have their opinions on odyssea lighting, but im thinking of giving it a shot since i have read quite a few reviews on them and they seem to have fixed alot of issues with their units. Im not looking to get into any MH lighting or anything like that, so i may be limited on what coral i can eventually, but i just cant justify MH on my budget.
 
I would pass on the DIY skimmer as a rookie in saltwater. The refugium in a sump that small is also gonna be tough, dont forget your skimmer and return pump will also be in there. For lighting Id suggest led or even T5 to start. For your clean up crew, I cant find a better deal then www.keyscritters.com. They have great prices and great critter crews. For your sump, the biggest you can use is a must. Lots of equipment goes in it. In the future you might need to plumb auto top offs, phosban reactors, calcium reactors etc... all needs some part of the sump. PM me if you need help or want specific advice. My reef is over 10 years old. Ive learned lots the hard way. Good Luck.
 
I am definately looking into t5 and t5 HO lighting, the brand i mentioned has them for really reasonable prices. They also offer LED but they're led lights dont seem like they would keep up with the T5s. Once the tank is eventally set up i will check out that site for the clean up crew.
 
Try fishneedit.com for your lights if you're going for MH or T5/T5HO; they're a little more than the Odyssea lights, but they're a big step above them for quality. Actually, I'm pretty sure that FLESHY got either his MH and/or T5HOs from them and said that they were pretty good.

As for your sump, I would use the 20 high rather than the 20 long in order to ensure that you have enough space to prevent flooding in the case of a power outage; in a 20 long, you'd end up with some pretty low water levels if you factored in that space. If you can fit it, get a 29 gallon or a 40 breeder; if not, stick with the 20 high.
 
hmm. well i have approximately 33 1/2"x16" of space under my stand, so im thinking a 30 gallon sump will not fit. looks like im stuck with a 20 gallon
 
I think the 20 gallon is gonna be the way to go to fit in this stand. Im going to experiment with both the 20, and the 20 long once i build the overflows. I want to use the long if possible to give more room for a refugium but i will have to try it and kill the power to simulate power outtage to make sure it doesnt overflow.
 
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