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for filtration on a 125 gal megaflow, i should use two sumps right?, one for each overflow, left and right? and a rotein skimmer on each side? or is that overkill? do i only need one sump?

Nick
"Impossumable- unable to play dead"

You dont have to make one on each side, you could just do one large sump. That way you just need one (stronger) return pump whereas two (weaker) ones. (I think?) You'll save on pipes and plumbing by doing it this way.

I'm totally imagining this, but I think it'd be cool to have the sump tank set up like this:

-Divided in three sections
-Sections 1 and 3=sumps w/ equipment and whatnot
-Middle section (2)=refugium (macroalgaes and whatnot)

You dont NEED two skimmers, but if you're going to have a heavily stocked tank, the more the better. You could just splurge on one really big really nice one.

Enough of my crazy thoughts. :%)

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

haha ive seen you answer alot of questios and you seem to be quite the help, i dont know what im going to do quite yet, but i have another question while your here. but about the sumps, i might get 2 sumps one for each side, and two skimmers. thats what i had in mind.

i want to keep clowns with annen., but would it be safe to keep a few tangs with the annen. because i know tangs and inverts dont mix. whats your take?

-nick

Last edited by swiftshark88 at 14-Aug-2005 09:34

Nick
"Impossumable- unable to play dead"

I honestly dont know which would be better, I only have one overflow on my tank so I never really thought about that. Are you plumbing down to a basement or staying underneath the tank/stand?

As long as the lights are strong enough on this tank, you will be fine with keeping anenomes, and your clownfish will love you for it!

Tangs are fine to keep too. There's lots of different ones available in the trade today. Most of them get sort of large though, but a 125 will allow you to keep most of them. They're great for algae control too. When the diatom algae collects on the front glass, you can see the tangs go up and "kiss" it sometimes.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

im keeping the sumps directly under the stand, i just was worried about the tangs killing the annen., if its safe then im happy. this is my first saltwater tank, so ive been researching for a while now. taking it nice and slow. ive been reading up on how to cure live rock. thanks for your imput, if i have any other questions, hopefully i can turn to you for help. thanks a ton!

-nick

Nick
"Impossumable- unable to play dead"

That's the way to do it! There's an old saying, that "In a reef tank, only bad things happen quickly."

It's better to take a long time to set up and learn then waste your money, b/c mistakes are pricey on this side of the hobby. Better to do it right the first time, and never skimp out on equipment or anything. Learn from others mistakes, as well as your own, and share all your experiences, b/c that's the only way we'll continue to grow and learn about this hobby.

Pick up some good books to read, I've got a few that I swear by nowadays! Have you read the articles on this site as well as the ones on RC? They'll help you out a lot, I promise.

I've never read of tangs not being compatible with anenomes, but it is always good to get another opinion b/c I may be wrong. Were there specific tangs you were looking at or no?

Hope I'm helping. Best of luck!

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

do you have any tips on lighting?

Nick
"Impossumable- unable to play dead"

Yes. I have two words for you.

metaL HALIDE



Lets you keep anything you want. Srongest lighting available to us nowadays. That way, even if you venture into keeping SPS and clams, you wont have to upgrade.

How much are you willing to spend on lights?

You might want to consider some sort of PC's or something for supplemental color as well. And moonlights for nighttime viewing. All together it makes one great show, and you can imitate dusk and dawn. It's pretty darn cool.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

this tank is a gift to me so its expenses paid
i dont want to over do it though, i dont know much about lighting, i take it they are expensive, but ill get the bright colors that i want and the light i need to have inverts. it all depends.

what kind of lights are moon lights? what kind of light does that give off?

also at the my lfs i noticed that they had a blue light on the back wall of the tank, almost looked like a neon blue light that made things have a nice blue color and made the colors very bright, do you have any idea what kind of light this was, it was submerged in the water.

as for the metal halides, ill have to do some reading and talking to the guys at the lfs, they know their stuff. from what ive seen on the interenet, they have completly different fixtures and stuff dont they?

you are an amazing help ! thanks a million

Nick
"Impossumable- unable to play dead"

this tank is a gift to me so its expenses paid
i dont want to over do it though, i dont know much about lighting, i take it they are expensive, but ill get the bright colors that i want and the light i need to have inverts. it all depends.

Lucky!

If you want the light to have inverts, MH is the way to go, b/c you will be able to keep anything you want with it, I promise. It gives the best PAR and LUX ratings if used correctly, and there's lots of different bulb combos to go with so you get the perfect color combo.

what kind of lights are moon lights? what kind of light does that give off?

Moonlights are exactly what they sound. Lights that go on at nighttime to imitate lunar cycles. They're blue, but cast shadows mainly, they aren't bright. You keep them on only at nighttimer usually.

also at the my lfs i noticed that they had a blue light on the back wall of the tank, almost looked like a neon blue light that made things have a nice blue color and made the colors very bright, do you have any idea what kind of light this was, it was submerged in the water.

There's lots of things that will achieve this effect. I dont think it was the moonlight I talked about above, but it could just be actinic 03 (blue) bulbs, or blue T5 bulbs, lots of things really. Those all hang above the tank though, I guess it could be LED moonlight if it was actually in the tank.

as for the metal halides, ill have to do some reading and talking to the guys at the lfs, they know their stuff. from what ive seen on the interenet, they have completly different fixtures and stuff dont they?

The guys at the LFS usually dont know their stuff...so good luck with that. Nothing against your LFS, just that I know I'm the only person who can "speak" reef at the LFS I work at, so I know they aren't always reliable. You'll find tons more stuff online, more things then you could ever seen in an LFS. Sometimes they might be able to special order the things you see online though. It's always good to ask and find out where you can get the best price in this expensive hobby. Usually the best prices are online if you cant get things from a wholesale dealer.

you are an amazing help ! thanks a million

Dont mention it.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

no i know i can trust my lfs, they're family run for 42 years, great place, looks shabby from the outside, great on the inside.

i guess ill end up going with the MH, i dont really need to worry about lighting all that much until i get the tank set up and the live rock curating.

youve been more help than i can ask for!

Nick
"Impossumable- unable to play dead"

with MH what is a low price for a set? and do they all have to be ceiling mounted? depending on price i may not take that route, i might just get some flourescents that are strong enough to raise inverts.

Nick
"Impossumable- unable to play dead"

you can get Power Compact lighting, im am getting a 14000k bulb thats rated at 130 watts but puts out as much as 250w metal Halide, but as ferret sed, if your going to keep LPS and clams MH are the way to go.



rabbit

The pricing completely depends.

You can get independent pendents, which usually run for a couple hundred each, or pay for a more "strip" like fixture that has them built in.

They can be mounted from the ceiling, from the wall, or be propped up right on the tank (most commonly like the Orbit fixtures).

I think you'll be really interested in keeping clams once you get more into this hobby, which is one of the reasons I'm trying to get you hooked on halides. They're just better for your investment in the long run.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

but puts out as much as 250w metal Halide,

There is no way a PC, VHO, or HO bulb could ever come close to putting out the intensity that a 250w halide does...

i ment to say the amount of light or something like that not the intensity.