Post by BriMc on Feb 18, 2014 18:02:58 GMT -5
After four years of deciding what to do for a new set up I settled on a 65 gallon Reef ready tank with a AGA standard solid wood stand. I ended up picking up a custom made sump from a member of BRS that tightly fit the dimensions of the stand. When my Sedra crapped out on my euro reef I decided to purchase a Bubble Magus NAC6A, Upon trying to install the skimmer in the sump I found that it would not fit under the stand. For the past few years, yes few years I heed and hawed about having a taller stand built. Finally I decided it is time to stop playing around and do a real build.
Here are some of the specs of the new system. Keeping with the 65 gallon tank and stand the system will be plumbed through the floor and into the laundry room. I started building a shelf to support the custom sump which is 34" x 17 x 18, a second drilled glass tank painted black for a dark cryptic zone ( it will be gravity feed from the main tank at a high volume, low flow and flow into the skimmer area of the sump), two external pumps (Pan Worlds), a calcium reactor. and a chiller. One pump will be used for the return and the second will be an auxiliary pump for feeding the chiller and any other reactors I may need. The skimmer will remain the NAC6A for the time being which has an internal upgraded pump. The Calcium reactor is a knop c reactor which has its own pump also. Lighting, I have been on the fence about lighting but I am going to stick to my guns for the time being. I visited a friend who has two of the Reef breeders eco LED fixtures on his tank and I fell in love with them. I acquired a brand new Current USA Nova extreme fixture that I always wanted which has two 150w Metal halides, 4 39 watt t-5 lamps, and 18 blue and white leds so I am sticking with the extream.
The things I am deciding on for this set up is whether to have a shallow sand bed in the main tank and a deep sand bed in the sump, have a deep sand bed in the main tank and a refugium in the sump, or have a bare bottom tank and a deep sand bed on one side of the sump and a refugium on the other side. One thing is a definite is all rock will be raised off either the tank floor or substrate for circulation using large diameter, solid, clear, 3 inch rods. Any thoughts???
