220 g saltwater conversion - ?

R

ReelNorth

Reefing newb
Hey all

I have a 220g tank that I am going to drill and plumb (looked at overflow boxes, but riskier). Sump will be a 75 g DIY.

I have been looking at a FOWLR tank, but then I wander over to reefs.....

I know that the standard lighting I have on my african freshwater tank (the 220 which will be converted) is fine for a FOWLR tank, but nowhere near close for a reef

What lighting would be recommended for soft corals in this tank -

dimensions 72 x 24 x 30 high

Thanks
 
It is very expensive to buy lights for a reef tank that size. I used to have a 240. My lights cost $1800 new. Too bad you are in Ontario -- I've been trying to sell them!

Those lights were an all in one MH/T5 combo fixture. It will be cheaper for you to either DIY your own lights (some people here have done it and I'm sure will chime in), or buy several MH pendants to hang above the tank.

That is a very difficult tank, cost wise, to get started with a reef. If money is not an object, then it will make a stunning reef tank. But if you are on a budget, you will spend less money just buying a smaller setup for a reef -- stick with a tank that is 48" long. Anything longer than 48", and you are going to pay a premium for lights.
 
I am starting to notice. I think what I may do is drill it, get the skimmer, ro machine, live rock etc, and a 320 w T5 system.

I think with the live rock added in, I will do FOWLR tank for a few years, until LED comes down. Hydro prices are absolutely outrageous here.

Believe me - I saw your lights - they look awesome. And so did that 240.
 
Hahaha! Thanks! Those lights are hardcore. I can't find a buyer for them though. They're pretty specific. Almost too much light for a lot of people, it seems.

If you do FOWLR for a while and save up money to buy lights for a reef, that would work great. A lot of people do that because frankly, this is a very expensive hobby, and most of us don't have the cash to just buy everything we need or want in the beginning. It has taken me years to put together the equipment for the tank I'm running now.
 
Ya, definitely for a true hardcore reefer. That was a smokin tank, but I would think you had to sell some of your liver to pay the hydro :^:

I am looking around for good species for FOWLR. I dont really have much of an idea, I just hear dont get a lionfish ;)
 
If I remembered correctly,you are the same person who posted a similar dillema in another thread.I'm not sure,I have alzheimer.

Be very,very sure that the boredom in freshwater doesn't follow you in just keeping a FOWLR system.I can tell you to many of us have had regrets-not going big enough,buying inferior products,etc..So what if you have to wait a little longer.Do what you want and not regret it later.If you only want to keep soft and LPS corals then the 6' Nova Pro(T5-HO) fixture will work good.You definitely have the size tank many of us only dream about.

I also recommend the Lifereef overflow boxes,considered the best and safest overflow boxes in the hobby.A little more but well worth it,IMO.
 
Yes,the skimmers are great and I tried many,many skimmers.Octopus also make some great skimmers,maybe cheaper too.

In the DIY section you should find many threads on drilling your tank,if you don't want to use an overflow box.
 
I found a shop that will do it for 25 bucks a hole, sounds reasonable to me. I will get the plumbing and ball valves from them. They have skimmers also that run upwards of a grand, but I think something in the 700 range would do, right?
 
I got my Octopus skimmer for my 240 for $600 I think, but it was a recirculating skimmer, so I had to buy two pumps for it. The pumps were 1/3 of the overall cost, and the $600 included the pumps.
 
sweet. by doing the sump myself, and not using all live rock, and if I get away with 500 or so for a skimmer, I saved 1500 bucks today.

You guys are awesome. I have almost all my big malawi haps sold off. Next goes 2 of the canisters, I will keep one and dump the media into the sump as a "just in case backup if something happens to the sump pumps or something
 

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