Hi everyone. I've been lurking on this forum and others for quite a while, anticipating setting up a reef tank. We (my wife and I) already have a 90 gallon Mbuna cichlid tank, and a 55 gallon planted community tank (running co2 and 2 110w VHOs) that are well established, and running great. We've been wanting to do a smaller reef tank for a long time, but didn't want to rush into it. After about six months of reading a lot of good info (and a LOT of confusing info), I think we're ready to to give it a shot. We bought a 29 gallon tank and stand from a friend of ours for a great price, and this is what I was planning on doing for the setup:
29 gallon tank. back drilled for overflow (1" hole maybe)
10 gallon homemade refugium in stand
Coralife super skimmer 65 gallon version (or other, recommended skimmer)
Mag5 pump to return sump water to tank
Closed loop SCWD powered by Mag7 (Or two SCWDs [one high one low] powered by a MD18 I have lying around)
250W 14,000K HQI with cold cathode night lighting
2" sandbed and 38-44lbs live rock in main tank
5"-6" sandbed in refugium with chaetomorpha and liverock rubble
Heater will be in the refugium, with fans in canopy, and over fuge
Once everything got up and running, and cycled, the plan was to add a cleanup crew of various snails, crabs, shrimp, and stars. Once everything has been running for a while, we'll decide on livestock, but we planned on having softies, sps, maxima clam, an anenome, black and white percula clown, and possibly a watcman or other gobie.
Any and all advice is welcome and wanted. I know that the MD18 would probably be too much flow for the tank, but I was thinking of using two SCWDs. One having it's two outlets near the top of the tank, and one having spray bar-like outlets going horizontally across the tank, behind the live rock. The upper outlets would create a more directed, powerful current. Where the lower, spray bars would make more gentle current to get water everywhere, all around the live rock. I figured the MD18 would probably just move too much water for the tank, but since I had it lying around, I figured I'd ask. If a Mag7 is enough flow, I'll be glad to stick with that, I just tend to overdo things.
So please, tell me, what do you think.
--Danny
29 gallon tank. back drilled for overflow (1" hole maybe)
10 gallon homemade refugium in stand
Coralife super skimmer 65 gallon version (or other, recommended skimmer)
Mag5 pump to return sump water to tank
Closed loop SCWD powered by Mag7 (Or two SCWDs [one high one low] powered by a MD18 I have lying around)
250W 14,000K HQI with cold cathode night lighting
2" sandbed and 38-44lbs live rock in main tank
5"-6" sandbed in refugium with chaetomorpha and liverock rubble
Heater will be in the refugium, with fans in canopy, and over fuge
Once everything got up and running, and cycled, the plan was to add a cleanup crew of various snails, crabs, shrimp, and stars. Once everything has been running for a while, we'll decide on livestock, but we planned on having softies, sps, maxima clam, an anenome, black and white percula clown, and possibly a watcman or other gobie.
Any and all advice is welcome and wanted. I know that the MD18 would probably be too much flow for the tank, but I was thinking of using two SCWDs. One having it's two outlets near the top of the tank, and one having spray bar-like outlets going horizontally across the tank, behind the live rock. The upper outlets would create a more directed, powerful current. Where the lower, spray bars would make more gentle current to get water everywhere, all around the live rock. I figured the MD18 would probably just move too much water for the tank, but since I had it lying around, I figured I'd ask. If a Mag7 is enough flow, I'll be glad to stick with that, I just tend to overdo things.
So please, tell me, what do you think.
--Danny
:mrgreen: