Sump and wet/dry

[gmartin2003]

Hello to all. I been for the past 2 month working on my new project a 120 48x24x24. I am about to get the pump in the mail and i want to add water to the tank this weekend. I have a wet/dry that is 20x12x17 and i bought a new tank that is 30x18x12. Now question is the tank is my sump but i calculated wrong they dont both fit. what should i do. use the tank as a hospital tank or get ride of the wet/dry, or make the wet/dry bigger? I would like a bigger tank but money is running short at this point. If you guys can give me opinions. the only thing is i dont want to use ruber made things and i have only 3 1/2' long and 20" wide to work with under the stand. but the stand is 4 feet high. Thank in advance.:grumble:

 

[reeffreak]

You really don't need the a wet/dry if the main display has plenty of live rock.

I would make a sump/refugium with one or the either,whichever is the largest and easiest to convert.

 

[Bifferwine]

I agree with Freak. Don't use a wet/dry, especially if you are planning on a reef tank (wet/dry filters tend to lead to high nitrate levels, which makes for unhappy inverts).

 

[gmartin2003]

Hey guys well i positions the wet/dry and the new tank like a L shap and it fit. I been reading up on the bioballs and the nitrate issue. Can i put live rock in place of the bio balls and if yes do i need a light and how benificial is it to my aquarium? Thanks in advance I also am thinking if not as a wet dry to use both because the wet dry is 20 gal and the tank is 30 so that will make my water volume to 170 gal good or not worth the space. If not using wet/dry

 

[gmartin2003]

sence the wet/dry is going to be side ways and he whole is in the front can i drill the tank by the side and cover up the front wholes? also do i need a straight pipe in the wet/dry to the pump or can i use a elbow to be able to suck from the bottom of the wet/dry. Sorry if that was confusing

 

[Bifferwine]

You can replace the bioballs with live rock, and you won't need to put light over it.

 

[reeffreak]

Sure,you can replace the bioballs with live rock rubble.Have them fully submerge or they will be no better than bbs.

 

[Ourfish]

Question about hospital tanks....how big do hospital tanks have to be? Is 2.5 gallons too small?

 

[BL1]

The size of a hospital tank really depends on the size/amount of fish but, a 2.5g is probably too small for any fish

 

[Bifferwine]

I think 2.5 is too small. Any fish you put in there will be way to cramped and stressed. I'd say 10 gallons at the minimum, but 29 is ideal for most fish. They are only in there temporarily, so it doesn't need to be huge.

 

[Ourfish]

Okay, I'm glad you told me that. I guess my betta fish isn't gonna get our new 10 gallon tank but stay in his 2.5 gallon. :P