How big can I go while keeping the same light?

[OCDP]

D'oh haha.. your right, a tank might help huh. Also added a couple buckets to the list. I am sure I'll need 'em.

I am using an AquaC Remora right now . I am very pleased with it. I planned no keeping it as I am not going any bigger than 50g anyways.. should do me alright eh?

I know I really should do the whole sump thing, but like I mentioned I am a light sleeper heh. My next tank.. which I know there will be one, will definitely have a sump and fuge. But that's for a tank that's not in my bedroom. Althgouh I may make a modded AC500 fuge, not sure yet.

I'll be okay with adding all my current live rock, then I only plan on buying a few more pounds, so I am sure what I have right now will do and I can slowly add from there. Maybe I'll add only a couple to begin with if I do.

[TheReefGeek]

The remora will work great for you.

As for your change-over plans they were good, if you replcae the sand, keep some of the old stuff to seed it with.

[OCDP]

Cool.. I figured the Remora would be okay.

Thanks for the reminder, I would have just ended up throwing it all out.

I will call over to some places and get quotes on tanks.

Anyone know a good place in Calgary to buy stands? I just need something simple really...

[snaggle]

just a thought why not get a tank that is 24L x 24W x 16H that would make you tank the size of 2 20L if the light is penitrating good to ends of the tank now the a 24 x 24 is not out of reach.

Brad

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Well it's good to see that you're trying to do your research before jumping into the upgrade.

An AC500 HOB fuge is a good idea, but you'll probably find the noise level a bit high unless you keep the tank topped up all the time. The waterfall effect can be quite loud if it drops even a couple of inches. If you add a piece of plastic to the outflow, then the water can slide down instead of drop.

I would save some of the old sand as is, wash out the rest thoroughly & add new sand if you need more. You can then add the old sand to seed the washed & new sand.

As for a 36" by 18" tank, you're probably looking at a 45g tank. However, many of these tanks have a black plastic support down the middle (both my 3 feet 65g tanks do). If you cut these on a new tank, it nulls the warranty. If its a used tank, cut away & get a piece of glass the same size to silicone in its place as a less light-blocking replacement support.

If you can get one or two large pieces of LR, that should be enough & they will also make good bases for your aquascape.

To save money, you can DIY a stand easily out of 2 by 4s. These may not be fancy but if done properly, they are very functional & sturdy. My stand for a 160g cost less than $80 & its roughly 82" long, 22" deep & 42" tall. You should be able to do it for $20-30 worth of wood & screws.

As for current, 2 Seio 620s should be fine, if positioned properly, especially with the return from the skimmer as well. I have a single Seio1500 on each 65g & that's plenty of flow. You can hold off on this purchase & see if its necessary later.

My 150w MH (Aqualight Pro) are not powerful enough for the 24" depth of the 65g tanks. However, most of my corals are on the LR structures & closer to the surface light.

If the new tank is going into the same place then you are going to have to set it up right away. I just moved my 2 65g tanks, although I let one sit running without corals or fish for a week due to a slight nitrite spike (may have been a contaminated test tube tho). It's usually better to set it up, test the water after a while & then put in the corals when everything tests fine. That being said, with your old LR going into the new tank, the risks are smaller that things will go wrong. Make lots of extra sw ahead of time & think of this as a massive water change. Have some prime available in case of a small ammonia spike. Save the old water to rinse off the crud on your LR, then you won't have any die-off from using fw.

Sorry for the essay.

Anthony

[TheReefGeek]

Wood must be cheaper in BC

My 36x18 Hagen didn't have any support down the middle, just depends on the manufacturer and the thickness of the glass they use maybe?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Perfecto tanks have the supports.

HomeDepot or Rona's have 2 by 4s for very cheap around here (Lower Mainland). I figure a stand 3' by 3' by 18" wide would need 2@12' & 1@8' or 4@8'. I usually buy a scrap piece of plywood from them as well to put on top of the stand.

Like I said, I've built 2 3' stands for about $30 each & 2 2' stands for about $20 & 2 6'+ stands for about $80 each. Now if I wanted to make them pretty & add doors, etc, then it would be a whole lot more expensive.

[TheReefGeek]

I would add in a piece of the pink styrofoam between the tank and the stand.

[OCDP]

Wow thank you very much Anthony.. your post was kind of what I was looking for.

I like the idea of converting the AC500 to a fuge, and you're right.. I would be easily annoyed by the trickling, so that extra plastic idea is great... thank you! I'll definitely do that when I set it up.

I am undecided if I am going to do the 36" long.. I need to visualize it in my room first, and make sure my lights would still work for this. I have a feeling I won't be going 36" long though.. I would hope there is no brace in the middle as thought would seriously cause problems in terms of the light.... but if the tank is only 40g (ish) there may not be one, correct?

As for LR, I do have quite a bit, and I don't think I'd need much more myself either.. so base rocks may be a good idea.

I know I could do a DIY stand, it's just a hassle IMO (but saves lots of cash) I would definitely want it to look somewhat decent, as it's in my room so I dont' want it to be an eye sore. I am positive me and my dad could build something... it's just that it would end up taking so long (he's a perfectionist)

And as for the transfer, it should be somewhat easy and smooth if I do it right from the start... thanks a bunch for going into detail. It helps a lot....

Thanks again

[OCDP]

Oh yeah, and if I did do a DIY stand I would have to have doors.. so what bumps the price? Is it just the hinges and knobs and what not?

My dad has a hmm what's that tool... makes nice designs on the edges of your wood... I just had it .... starts with R ??? errrr So I could fancy it up with that.. he also has a butt load of stains and lacquers as well...

Maybe DIY is the way to go....?