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Well my journey to the darkside has started with some sand and a some salt. This will be a 46g bowfront reef setup. I'm still probably a week away from getting the thing operational, but as you can see in the pic below there is already some water in the tank. You might be wondering why the tank is outside with water in it Reason being the tank has been out there every since I setup my 72g planted tank and I'm testing it to make sure the temp differences didn't damage the tank.

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My Scapes

So it goes...





Very nice to see your SW log has officially started. I look forward to seeing this progress. Do you have any initial layout schemes/ stocking ideas you want to share?

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Back in the saddle!

Nice to see a familiar "uh" name over here. It's kinda lonely so far, but than again its only been about 10 minutes since I posted the intro.

As far as stocking, I'm gona stick to my planted tank roots and lightly stock while going very big on Live Rock and Live Sand (deep bed) that should satisfy my desire to scape as well as give me a "wisteria" like biofilter.

I want it to be a complete reef, so I certainly want fish, inverts and crustys.

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I'm still deciding on fltration for the tank. I originally was going to use a eheim canister filter I had lying around, but after talking (Thanks Matty for answering the Flurry of PMs I sent you) and reading I've decided it probably wasn't worth the hassle. In addition to the live rock and a protein skimmer I'm deciding whether I should setup a sump or just go with the skimmer and a ton of live rock. I plan to use alot of rock probably 80 lbs or so maybe even more so I'm wondering if the rock, skimmer and a few powerheads will be enough for a low stocked tank. I was considering a small sump since I'm squeezed for space. Also the return tube has to climb about 7 feet to the top of the tank so I want to make sure whatever pump I use has enough flow and is quiet. Here's a pic of the sump I was considering.

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"...so I'm wondering if the rock, skimmer and a few powerheads will be enough for a low stocked tank."

Yep, though I like pumps more than powerheads. They provide a lot more water flow (which a lot of corals like), and are still pretty versatile. It's mostly personal preference though.

You could use that sump, purchase an aquarium for the job, or simply build your own. Buying a premade sump like that takes a lot of hassle out of the setting up process, but doesn't provide much room for equipment and doesn't allow for a seperate refugium. Again, it's personal preference what you want to go with. On my sixty-five gallon I use a twenty long tank for the sump/fuge. It works just fine, though I goofed on some of the plumbing stuff and am having trouble keeping one of the pumps and the overflow box quiet.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Thanks Sirbooks!

I wouldn't mind going the DIY route, but in this case I think I'll play it safe and buy a premade one. It needs to be quiet from the getgo since it's going in my bedroom.

That sump I pictured was very reasonable and it came with the overflow. I would have to buy a pump for the return. Do you know how much GPH I would need to push the water up 7 feet and still have good flow?

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It depends partly on how many gallons per hour your overflow box can handle. I started out with a Proclear overflow box, but I found out that the pump filled my aquarium way too quickly. I switched to a different (larger) box, and now it works out just fine. I like a lot of flow, and the current pump is giving me over 250 gph at five feet of head height. For seven feet of head, you would need a pump that does at least 500 gph to end up with 150 gph going into your tank. Exactly how much flow you want is up to you.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Hey tetratech, just spotted this thread and thought I'd offer my .02 on the pump. I use a mag drive pump on my tank and it so far has lived through quite a few offences. Twice while I was on vacation it has run dry, which is generally considered not good for pumps. It's still kickin' and hard too. They also can withstand the amount of head(height in feet pumped upwards) you want to put on it. 7 feet is very high, are you sure you need that much? 5-6 sounds a bit more reasonable. You want to be pretty accurate on this measurement. EDIT: sorry, come to think of it the bowfronts are pretty tall, you are probably right.

Anywho, here's a site that lists the magdrive models and if you scroll down has a chart for gph with certain amounts of head applied to the pump. I'd always go larger as they can slow down over time, and there are ways to divert flow back to the sump if it is too powerful for the overflow.

Oh, I'm not saying that there can be too much live rock, but 60 lbs or so would probably fill the tank up pretty well. As Books said, pumps are great for water flow, but usually require a closed loop to allow more flow than the overflow can handle, and that means drilling your tank. If that's an option I say go for it, otherwise 2-3 powerheads in addition to your return pump would move the water around really well.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Thanks Guys,

Glad I asked about the pump, because I didn't think about the limitations of the overflow. The Pro Clear 75 sump says it can handle up to 300gph and they recommend the CA/CAP1800 or CA/CAP2200 to drive the return. Obviously many pumps can do the job, unless space is an issue depending upon the size of the pump.

Thanks for the Mag Link Matty. I guess about 250gph back to the tank is a good mark to shoot for. With the LR the more the better, right? I understand you want to leave swimming space and keep the front and size clear for cleaning. If it was your setup guys and you were going to go big on live rock would you forget the sump and just go with the LR and Protein Skimmer?


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I know a mag drive will fit in that sump, so that isn't an issue there.

With a light fish load -which we haven't talked about what's going in there yet, any ideas?- 50 to 60 lbs of live rock(or more if you really want), lots of water movement, and a good protein skimmer, I think that would be a nice system without much of it's own hassle. With the sump you are going to get, the majority of it's function will be in the realm of asthetics, getting the heater, skimmer, and other stuff out of the main display, and adding water circulation so you won't need as many powerheads in the tank. Personally I think it's worth it for that alone. If you somehow turn a portion of that sump into a fuge, that would be a real nice addition and add some functionality to it. Also remember that sumps make topping off and dosing easier, because you don't have to worry about slowly putting things into the current of a powerhead in the main display. Even being careful can upset the sensitive corals near where you dose or top off. So I guess I'm for the sump.

You could if you wanted add a small pump, or a powerhead might work for the application, and a 2.5 or 5G tank above the sump and turn that into the fuge. Water would pump up into it and overflow somehow back into the sump. A 2.5 or 5 full of chaetomorpha would probably pull out some nutrients and house some good live foods. Just an idea there.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

OH I just had a beautiful idea. If you were going to take the bioballs out, you could turn that area into a fuge by sectioning it off with some acryllic. It would naturally recieve water and obviously overflow into the sump. No extra plumbing needed. That's a good idea....maybe I didn't want to share that...I could make millions....

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

OH I just had a beautiful idea. If you were going to take the bioballs out, you could turn that area into a fuge by sectioning it off with some acryllic. It would naturally recieve water and obviously overflow into the sump. No extra plumbing needed. That's a good idea....maybe I didn't want to share that...I could make millions....

Yep, first your waterfall and now this. Your definitely a DIY kinda guy. Thanks for the inovative thinking. So yeah I understand what your saying. I defintely don't want all that stuff hanging in the tank. Do you know if the coralife 65 skimmer would fit in the sump (Pro Clear 75) along with the mag pump? FYI - The tank is going up on a tall dresser about 5 feet high that's where the 7 feet comes in for the sump which would set on the floor. I could probably sit the sump up on a small table and save a few feet. One thing I noticed when comparing pre-made sumps is that the Megaflows have the intake going all the way down and then it flows back up and cascades into the media probably producing a quieter effect, while the proclear looks more like a traditional trickle-down probably making more noice. Am I correct? I guess the proclear intake could be lowered but that might reduce gas exchange?

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Actually if you were to make the bioball area a fuge, that would prevent the water from falling all that much initially, then put in a couple baffles on the way down to prevent the splashing noise from the fuge into the sump. Then if you cover the overflow box with something(I use cardboard) it should be relatively quiet. It will still be louder than a freshwater type setup, but you'll grow accustomed to it after a week or so. I can't hear my SW tank over the air conditioner, so i think that's pretty quiet, and I have the water just come splashing down into the sump. The megaflows are considered quieter because of the overflow style. They have a durso overflow which cancels out the sucking noise that HOB overflows have. You can DIY a durso to fit your HOB overflow if you think it's too noisy even when covered.

I'm pretty sure the protein skimmer will fit in the sump, but if not, it can hang off the side of it.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I'll be honest noise is going to be a big issue. My wife will take a glass cutter to my tanks if this new tank affects her sleep (It's going in the bedroom) This is a dump question but what if I cut power for say 4 hrs (11pm to 3am). Would that adversely affect anything? This way it will be quiet during bedtime.

My Scapes

Really my tank is pretty quiet. It's a bit of a trickling noise that I can't hear when I turn on the AC or the box fan. I definitely wouldn't cut the power every night. Most problems occur when you either turn off or turn on your tank. IMO the tank coming back on at 3am would for sure startle me enough to wake up. I know I could sleep through it. I'd actually find it comforting. And it's a constant trickle, easy to ignore.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

O.K. thanks Matty. I think I'm gonna go with the sump since it's something I wanted to play around with anyway.

Looking at the rest of the equipment I was planning to get.

Coralife 65 Skimmer
Coralife 9W UV
110W 50/50 CF (How limiting would this be. I was going to go coralife 192w but I have the 110w fixture I just need the reef bulbs)
Return Pump (Need a quiet one) Is the Mag quiet (Mag 5)
or should I go with the CA2200 or CA1800.


My Scapes

To be honest, I really only have experience with the mag drive pumps. Hopefully someone will be able to comment here on the noise issue. I don't find them to be loud, but I have nothing to compare them with. That's what we use at work and all we stock for large pumps.

With the light fixture at 110 watts you'd probably be limited to just sturdy soft corals. the 196 would let you do more.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

*demands update*

Anything at all happen with the salt project yet? Made a few descisions or bought some stuff, have some questions? There is just not enough activity on the darkside.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Anything at all happen with the salt project yet? Made a few descisions or bought some stuff, have some questions? There is just not enough activity on the darkside

Hey Matty,
Well I've had my finger on the fishnet for a long time about to place an order than I read something negative and get back on the fence.

I was already to start the tank off with a Bak Pak 2R, but heard alot of problems and noise issues. Then I was just going to go HOB and be diligent with cleaning, etc. but then I'll end up with the HOB and the PS and heater hanging on the back, so I don't think I want to do that.
Then I was leaning toward some kind of sump, but many of told me about their horror stories with overflows unless you buy a lifereef which is very pricy. So I'm not 100% sure yet. I'd like to do it the right way and could probably buy a 20g tank and build the damn think myself (looking at your thread, etc.), but then I saw this Berlin Sump with sock at marinedepot for $130, so I might just end up ordering the damn thing. There you have it.

My Scapes