Need help planning out a 75 Gallon

[skatezen]

Hopefully I will soon be the proud owner of a 75 gallon. Now can I get some advice on how to properly set this tank up. As far as drilling and water movement don't really want tunze as I want as much stuff outside the tank eliminating powerheads and all. I want it to be an SPS dominated tank. Here is what I was thinking...

75 gallon AGA w/stand
Built in overflow
2x 175w 10K XM (Current own)
2x 55w Actinic 03 (Currently own)
Velocity T4 return with educators
20 gallon long sump
Mag 7 or similar powerhead on a closed loop w/ SCWD (Currently own)
Euro-reef ES5-2 or ES5-3 skimmer.
110 Lbs rock (Currently own)
Ca reactor and/or Kalk reactor

Should I sell my current lighting setup and go with 2x250's either SE or DE?
Would 150 HQI's be an improvement over the 175's or not so much?

I'm very open to opinions and suggestions preferably those that are lower cost (I'm still unemployed.)

 

[Piscevore]

From my experience, the T4 is kinda crappy for small tanks. I'm currently using a T4 for my spraybars, which are also my returns. This pump is pushing the water through a SCWD, and up maybe 4 feet. I've got -plenty- of flow coming out of my spray bars, and tons of current, but at the expense of a LOT of heat and a ton of electricity consumption.

The pump puts a -lot- of heat into the water. Alarming amounts. It also uses quite a bit of electricity (140 watts). I am currently planning on redoing my pump setup to have a pair of smaller, cooler external pumps for a closed loop and a seperate return. I'm planning on using a Ocean motion squirt *zero flow restriction* to modulate 2 spray bars at the surface pointing sideways/down, and 2 spray bars near the sand pushing water up through the live rock. I bought black pvc and fittings so it will be invisible against my black backround and trim. I can get away with a much smaller pump for the closed loop and the return because I don't have to worry about the flow reduction of the scwd or as much head on either pump. I've been looking at a blue line for the return and something small and external for the closed loop. I haven't found the perfect closed loop pump yet. The second system means both pumps will work less hard, and need to push less water. The closed loop is creating the flow -in- the tank, and the seperate return line will be creating the circulation between tank/sump. Need to take the sump offline? No sweat, still have flow in the tank. Want to reduce flow in the tank at night, OK, but you still get a good flow from the tank to the sump. It makes a lot of sense to me to do it this way, not to mention if I run 2 60 watt pumps it will actually cost me -less- money.


As far as lighting, I say for sps in a 75gal HQI's are the way to go. You won't be as happy with the 175 Moguls. Even a SE 250 setup will get you better color and growth, but I'm a whore for the AB 10,000 HQI bulbs personally, and I don't even have them running yet. (Everytime I see them, I can't wait to change my bulbs). If you are concerned about money, don't buys a 300 dollar euro-reef, when you can build a bigger better skimmer for 1/2 the price
Ditto on Cal/Kalk reactors!

Spend the money on the lights.

 

[Lourdes]

I couldn't make up my mind for my 75 but I went with 2 250 de and t-5 had A Little trouble with the canopy but got one tall enough and I love it ..the lighting that you own now is it built in a canopy? I only run a RIO 2100 for a return now but once I hook up my scwd I will up grade to a bigger pump..are you going to put a refugium in the sump?

 

[dedfish]

Piscevore, do you think any of that heat is the result of running a non preasure rated pump through a scwd and a spraybar? Just curious.

skatezen, I'd think about plumbing the tank so that at some point it would be real easy to remove the SCWD, to clean or even replace later when you have more money to upgrade. Also I'd think about the t3 versus the t4 in this application, since educators require preasure to work. Here is a link to a site with some good info.

Cheers!

 

[skatezen]

Piscevore, thanks for the input. Sounds like a good idea. 2 pumps less electricity-love that!

Peacock79 Yes the lighting I own now is built in a canopy I built and is removable. Yes, refugium in the sump with cheato on reverse daylight cycle.

 

[skatezen]

Thanks dedfish, I was just at that site like 20 minutes ago right after I posted.

Also would the eductors be too much?

 

[Tstone]

skatezen
I would definitely go with 2 x 250 DE along with T-5 actinic. If you want to save some dough just add to the 2 x 55w you currently have.

For flow I would lose the SQWD. Just not enough flow for a 75g and SPS. If you don't want equip. in the tank get a Ocean Motion HD 4-way. I think the OM Squirt is to small also.
You might combine the eductors with the squirt. Never tried it but might be good.

I agree with Piscevore on most issues here.

All of the above does not take money into consideration. If money is the deciding factor then stay with what you got until you can afford to upgrade.

 

[Piscevore]

Marvin,

I'm torn on this point --> OM 4way or OM squirt.

The squirt is supposed to handle up to around 7-800 gallons per hour, and i'm thinking that isn't too shabby in -conjuction- with a return and overflow creating additional turnover. I can't really justify purchasing the 4 way for a 72 gallon tank. It feels like overkill. Eh, just money...

 

[Tstone]

Marvin,

Eh, just money...

I like the fact that the HD 4-way gives you any amount of flow. You can adjust it with valves or pump size.
If you upgrade to a bigger tank someday it gives you options.

I don't know the price differance off the top of my head but i think its worth it.

You would have to way your own personal financial situation and decide from there.

 

[jango]

125(squirt) 279(HD) I think the squirt can handle up to 1000gph, but Marvin is right if you think you might go with a bigger tank someday (who doesn't) the HD is the way to go it can handle all the flow you can pump at it...

 

[dedfish]

The squirt can handle 1200gph without a bypass valve.

 

[Piscevore]

1200gph is really a lot of water.

 

[jango]

1200gph is really a lot of water.

If it was in your 72 its still under 17x turnover. My 20g has just over 26x turnover and I still want more flow...

 

[skatezen]

good ideas...just a little bump

 

[nunofs]

My new setup is pretty close to what you're planning, except on the lighting... I went with T5s only, 6x54W... so far I have pretty good color on the few SPSs I have (blue-tipped acro, purple and orange digitata) and on all the LPSs.

Regarding circulation, I would switch the Mag and the T4 around: I have a T4 on a closed-loop with a OM squirt (btw, the T4 added about 3 to 4 degrees to my water) and have a Mag 9.5 (it's oversized, has to be dialed down a bit) on the return from the sump, which is a 20g long like yours.

Nuno

 

[skatezen]

Nunofs, how about a mag7 return? and T4 closed loop? Do you have over heating issues? What skimmer are you running?

 

[nunofs]

I think a Mag 7 would work very well for the return... the T4 on a closed-loop is what I have now, I'm happy with it (without the locline nozzles it's actually a bit too much flow for my sandbed, it was blowing the sand around... not sure if it's enough for a pure SPS tank, though).

Although the T4 added some heat to the tank, I removed the glass covers (which I was using before to reduce evaporation) after installing the T4 and I can still keep the tank at 82, so no overheating issues.

I'm using a Euro-Reef CS6-1 skimmer, and it does a great job. The 5-3 was too tall for my stand, so I decided to go with the 6-1.

Nuno

 

[skatezen]

Nuno,
Do you have the standard 28" AGA stand?

 

[nunofs]

Yes, it's a standard AGA pine stand... the 5-3 (which is 24" high) will fit in there, but that would leave very little room to clean the collection cup... besides, I also have a "DJ power strip" mounted just under the tank, inside the stand, which takes a couple of inches of useful vertical space... so I opted for the 6-1, which is 20" and 6" wide.

Nuno