New-New tank uses

[RyanG]

Ok guys and gals help me make up my mind. I bought a 55 gallon tank to use as a sump last weekend for 30 bucks nothing special just a typical sump tank. I was offered a 90 gallon drilled tank(2 backwall holes for 1" bulkheads so 1.5" holes I think) for 50 bucks which is an offer that I can not refuse. So do I want to use the 90 for a sump using the bulkheads for either a remote fuge/DSB or reactors of some sort. OR should I just pick it up and store it until Im ready for a new project? I really have my hands full with the 180 right now and dont have the resources to set them both up so thats definately not an option. WHATS A GUY TO DO?

 

[RyanG]

Heres a pic of the 90

 

[RyanG]

Anyone? I even posted pics for bribery! What do you think about a frag tank or a moray tank somewhere way down the line?

 

[lightcs4]

I love the idea of a frag tank (would love to do this myself one of these days). How tall is the tank? You might be able to go from your DT to this one for frags, then to your 55 gal for sump if you have the room.

The idea of a DSB / fuge sounds good too.

Decisions, decisions ...

 

[Bifferwine]

I wouldn't waste a drilled tank as a sump. I'd set it up as its own tank when you get the chance.

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

frag tank definetely

 

[Doc]

Use the 90 for a predator tank with corals. Get a zebra moray and a white-eyed moray eel, a lionfish and a Niger trigger or pink-tail trigger. You can keep all of those critters with corals and it would look sweet (just no shrimp - they would get eaten!)

-Doc

 

[daugherty]

i would plum them both your 180 and that 90 to your 55 gal sump. run them all as one system. one for mostly corals since a 90 is cheaper to light than a 180. and you will still have god water volume to help keep things stable.

 

[fatman]

Probably closed loop circulation holes as they are in the middle of the tanks depth not at the top of tank. If they were for overflows they would be one holes diameter down from the top edge of the glass so as to be used to skim the top surface of water with back wall overflow box or 90 degree pipe fittingswith opening turned upward to skim from top of water. A ninety would make a good sump for the 180 but you would have to build a custom stand due to its height, and it being the same width as the 180. The holes by themselves would not contribute to much for a display tank as you would still need to drill more holes for a overflow and returns, unless you want an over the back over flow and over the back returns (eck, eck), excuse be I got something stuck in my throat for a moment there. I would be glad to write you through drilling the necessary holes for a back wall overflow and return system. Hole saws, play dough, water and 3/8" or larger variable speed drill. Cost about thirty dollars, with shipping, if you already have the drill. And the play dough just takes salt, flower, oil, and a little cream off Tartar spice. Hole saws will last through drilling (grinding) about 25 holes each.

 

[yote]

I'd go with the 180 as a reef,and the 90 a predator tank.

 

[Altohombre]

I'd use the 55 as a sump and donate the 90 to me. That's what I would do at least.

 

[hibye]

i say 55 octopus,90 reef,180 spredator tank wit stingrays and stuff im not exactly sure what is compatible with stingrays though./?

 

[RyanG]

Probably closed loop circulation holes as they are in the middle of the tanks depth not at the top of tank. If they were for overflows they would be one holes diameter down from the top edge of the glass so as to be used to skim the top surface of water with back wall overflow box or 90 degree pipe fittingswith opening turned upward to skim from top of water. A ninety would make a good sump for the 180 but you would have to build a custom stand due to its height, and it being the same width as the 180. The holes by themselves would not contribute to much for a display tank as you would still need to drill more holes for a overflow and returns, unless you want an over the back over flow and over the back returns (eck, eck), excuse be I got something stuck in my throat for a moment there. I would be glad to write you through drilling the necessary holes for a back wall overflow and return system. Hole saws, play dough, water and 3/8" or larger variable speed drill. Cost about thirty dollars, with shipping, if you already have the drill. And the play dough just takes salt, flower, oil, and a little cream off Tartar spice. Hole saws will last through drilling (grinding) about 25 holes each.

Im actually leaning towards doing this tank as an ultra high flow SPS only tank or a moray tank. Its a little deeper than I would like to go for a frag tank. I was looking at glass-holes.com last night actually. I noticed hole placement upon posting the pics and agree that its probably a closed loop system and will be drilling lots more hole in this bad boy either way.

Fatman the intake bulkhead for my closed loop system is only one inch. Do you think this will be suffice or should I redrill for a two inch intake. Im really really afraid of screwing up my 180 and it was ran as a highly successful SPS tank by the previous owner. So my question is redrill for overkill or leave well enough alone?

 

[fatman]

I always drill oversize when possible and then reduce at the pump. Over sized over flows are quieter and over sizes returns give you nearly all your rated flow from your pump even counting the loss from fittings as the whole system goes in over sized and the only reduction in the returns is at the nozzle which you can decrease in size to increase velocity with minimal reduction of flow. I have never broke a tank and I have been drilling many holes for years. And I am not always known for my patience and some times drill a hole pretty fast. With a 180 for closed loops I would not go any smaller than two Snapper pumps or at least one Dart pump and either of them use a 2" intake. Two snappers will give you about 4800 gph and a single Dart will give you 3500 gph. Ideally you want at least 5400 gph in circulation. Two snappers would mean using a small pump in a sump/refugium, where as using a single Dart would mean using a larger pump rated at around 2000 gph to get your additional needed flow. Not to practical to run that much water through a sump/refugium. Snappers are good pumps that pump a lot of water and only use around 90 watts each to do it. I would go with two 1.5 inch overflow bulkheads. One for redundancy. Add two 2" bulkhead holes for two circulating pumps on closed loops. And use the two existing holes for returns plus add 6 more holes for one inch bulkheads, four for returns from the closed loops along with the existing two 1" holes and two more holes for returns from the sump. The returns for the closed loops can be where you want them, but the returns from the sump/refugium must be near the top of the tank to control the amount of water draining into your sump when the power goes out. Drill all the holes you think you might ever want for expansion and just put a ball valve on any bulk head holes that you do not have the finances to hook up yet. When you have the money to expand just hook the plumbing up to the valves and open them up. Beats draining the tank and emptying out the corals to drill more holes.