lighting and sump

[knothole]

the tank i bought came with 2 96w pc lights. it is 62 gallon and 24 inches from top to bottom. want to have a reef and fish tank at some point. i know from reading that mh lighting is the best and what i need to add for the reef. my question is can i just add things to the top of the lr until i buy the mh then move it around or is it best for all life in the aquarium to not be moved around after being in one place for say 6 months or so? and how do you setup the depth in a sump? does the speed of the overflow and strength of the return pump determine the depth? ball valves on the overflow seem like they could cause small flood or overspill from overflow. ball valve on return seems like it might cause undue strain on return pump and cut down on the life of the pump?

 

[dustin_P74]

first off, you dont have to have mh lighting, you could every easily get more lighting from t-5 bulbs then you could from mh and it would not only be cheaper in bulb costs but also in electricity costs. and i would add any corals to the tank that require high amounts of light until you have the lighting you want over then tank. also speed of the water through the sump is determined by how much water per hour the overflows can handle

 

[yote]

+1 Dustin

 

[daugherty]

+2 dustin

 

[simpleman]

Also you can adjust the level in the sump by adjusting the surface skimmer box of the overflow (assuming you have an overflow box)

 

[Bifferwine]

Also, instead of putting a ball valve on the return line, I prefer to plumb a "T" into it, with ball valves on both branches. One branch goes back to the sump, the other goes to the display tank. Then, instead of closing off the valve and putting back pressure on the pump, you simply redirect some of the flow back into the sump. This way you can control how much water goes to the display without the potential of damaging your pump as much.

 

[reeffreak]

I'm not sure there is much of a cost difference between MH vs. T5 in both bulb replacement and electricity consumption.You will definitely have less heat issues with T5.If that isn't a concern than either lighting will allow you to keep all corals if you get a T5-HO fixture/retro with individual reflectors plus 5 or more banks of bulbs.

 

[knothole]

ok thanks for the info. run a tin the sump, adjust the surface skimmer for depth, and t5's so i don't have to worry about getting a chiller...

 

[ZOOT098]

1 other thing to keep in mind is to leave your sump empty enough to handle the water that will drain from your tank when the power goes out or when you shut the pump off for a water change

this is very important because the power will go off at some point, and you dont want to have to shop vac 6 or 8 gallons of water off your floor

 

[fishsticks]

+3 dustin