Just wanted to say Hi. Setting up a saltwater aquarium for the first time. It was my Christmas (and I think birthday) gift.
Starting with FOWLR but want to move on to reef. We ordered a 75 gal RR from Aquarium Center in NJ. It should be in on the 15th. Unfortunately that means I won’t have water in the tank my birthday which was the goal. In the process of sketching out a plan for sump/filter. That and figuring out what else we need.
Haven’t really thought too much about the type of fish yet. Getting a clown fish for my son. OK he’s 2 so it is really for us but he likes the “fishies”
imo, the best and easiest way to plan a sump is to make it out of a glass aquarium…silicon in some glass baffles and you are good to go! Just want to think about how big of a sump you can fit in your stand, the bigger the better. Are you using a stand that comes with the tank or doing something different?
Glad you found us. Post if you have any questions at all that we might be able to help you with.
Probably a good idea to wait about 3-4 weeks before adding any animals. During that time you can plan which animals you’d like to add and in what order.
imo, the best and easiest way to plan a sump is to make it out of a glass aquarium...silicon in some glass baffles and you are good to go!
+1 The only way to go IMO. Sounds MUCH more complicated than it is. You can get all the glass cut to the size you need for around $5 at lowes. Add a tube of silicone for $5 and your good to go. Dont worry if its not pretty, they rarely are!!
That’s the beautiful thing about a sump/fuge. They’re UGLY. that’s why we hide them in closets and under stands.
some things to consider:
get the biggest tank / container that will fit under your stand (or where ever you plan to put it)
make sure the silicone you choose (type 1 or 2 guys help me out here I can’t remember) does not have a “mold inhibitor” in it. that type of silicone is not safe in a fish tank.
get the best light you can afford now - it will save you the headache and expense of upgrading in 2 months.
most importantly - have fun with it. this is a great hobby which will bring years of enjoyment and education.
Don’t ever hesitate to ask for help, many of us are around on these boards most of the day, and we all like to share our knowledge (by nature we are all show offs in this hobby YahoO)
And finally :Welcome) to the club, the boards, and a brand new addiction
Eh…the mold inhibitor is an urban legend just like using silica sand. Any silicone will work, but GE I or II window and door is probably your best bet. Its the kitchen and bath that have the mold inhibitor.
its been so long I can’t remember what kind of silicon i used to do my baffles. I will add this here in case i forget down the road…get an auto top off, the single best piece of equipment that I ever added on one of my tanks.
The one thing I can say is you will very quickly go from FOWLR wanting a reef tank to needing a reef tank. As someone else said, get the good lights and build it as a reef tank because it won’t be long until your FOWLR is a reef tank.
Good luck, this is a very addicting and fun hobby. (and expensive)
I just built my first fuge and i can offer a few pointers
100% silicon is 100% silicon
For the baffles- i went to the Lowes in middletown and got them cut for free. pay a little extra and get the thick stuff. Have them cut a quarter inche less than inside measurement.
Lighting- the closer to white light the better for growing. Soft light is bad and white light is good. I bought my fuge light for $10 add a clip and GTG
Check out www.Melevsreef.com for some leisurely reading (Jon gave me that tip)
welcome to the forum! My perrenial sugestion on sump baffles is use 1/4 inch acrylic panels instead of glass. it will save you lots of stitches and a trip to the ER when the day comes you decide to change the arangement of baffles. glass doesnt pry out very well. it cracks with very sharp edges. plexi is more forgiving. silicone glues both of them very well for that application. I would go with plexi. and like the other post sugests, cut it a little under sized. the silicon takes up the slack and allows for the tank walls bowing out a little bit from water head preasure. the silcone acts like an adheasive and an ‘O’ Ring.