Ufo 880

WiDE

Reefing newb
ok i have the ufo 880 set up as a tropical tank and now want to turn it into a reef tank..

i need a list of things to get for this project and any help as how to do this ie: sump size, skimmer size, lighting, rocks and other stocking...

i have a good idea about setting this up but want to get some input and thoughts before i go out and spend £100's on things i dont need or a not good for the setup...

thanks alot :helm2:
 
well, i'm not familiar with that particular model of tank, but if your going from a fresh tank to a salt tank you are gonna need:

salt mix
ro/di water
sg or salinity tester
new substrate
ditch any filters you have now

and a whole new set of test kits specifically for salt water
the 4 you pretty much gotta have are:
PH
ammonia
nitrates
nitrites


you dont have to have a sump, but i sure do think it makes for an easier system to maintain(more water volume makes things happen slower, and thus you have more time to fix them if something is wrong) if you choose to run a sump you will need some way for the water to get out of your tank and down to the sump, this can be by drilling your existing tank, by adding a Hang On Back(HOB) overflow, or you could position the sump above the tank, and let gravity bring the water back down to the tank after its pumped up to the sump(this is a risky move and has special considerations)

live rock is something that you will need, but to start out, you can start with less and add some each paycheck, that way you dont have to drop so much cash all at once.

as for the lighting, that kinda depends on what you are planning on keeping in the tank. If you're only gonna have fish, and critters(crabs and things) then you just need enough light to see everything well, but if you plan to get into corals(and you shouldnt actually get any untill your "SALT" tank is mature(at least 6 months, but more like a year)) then you will need more light. how much kinda depends on what you want to keep, but a basic # to kinda start with is 5 watts per gallon of water(ballpark). then there are metal halides, actinics, t5's cf's and all maner of different kinds of light, that i just really cant go into cause i just dont know your tank or your goals...

hope that gives you a short list of where to start.
 
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Ok I googled what that was lol. Looks like a cool tank. Thats a bowfront corner tank right? I saw it has a built in trickle filter. Couldnt get a picture of that. I am assuming that its like a bio cube just a bowfront design. As far a sump size thats really gonna depend on if its to be in the stand or not. I have a corner tank and the biggest I can get in there is a 10 gallon tank. I decided to go sumpless for now. From what I read on the web the filter on your tank is part of the hood. Where you planning on taking the hood off or using what you have?
 
oh, does the filter in the hood have a bio wheel? Maybe its called a Eclipse over here.Some people use those on salt tanks and do ok however they take a alot of maintenance time, and most people dont recommend them for salt tanks. If you are wanting a reef tank I think you are going to have to take the hood/filter thing off. You will need a overflow to get the water from your tank to the sump. If a 10 gallon will fit that would work. You will have to see how much room you have for a skimmer. You can go inside the sump or hang on back of it. Depends on how much room you have. For lights I have a 150 mh pendent with two t-5 actinics. Works very well for a corner tank. For rock 1 to 2lbs per gallon. Let see 305 litre is 80 gallons so 80 to 100lbs of live rock. You can use base rock for half or three quarters of that the rest live. Would save money that way.
 
well, i'm not familiar with that particular model of tank, but if your going from a fresh tank to a salt tank you are gonna need:

Salt mix
ro/di water
sg or salinity tester
new substrate
ditch any filters you have now

and a whole new set of test kits specifically for salt water
the 4 you pretty much gotta have are:
Ph
ammonia
nitrates
nitrites


you dont have to have a sump, but i sure do think it makes for an easier system to maintain(more water volume makes things happen slower, and thus you have more time to fix them if something is wrong) if you choose to run a sump you will need some way for the water to get out of your tank and down to the sump, this can be by drilling your existing tank, by adding a hang on back(hob) overflow, or you could position the sump above the tank, and let gravity bring the water back down to the tank after its pumped up to the sump(this is a risky move and has special considerations)

live rock is something that you will need, but to start out, you can start with less and add some each paycheck, that way you dont have to drop so much cash all at once.

As for the lighting, that kinda depends on what you are planning on keeping in the tank. If you're only gonna have fish, and critters(crabs and things) then you just need enough light to see everything well, but if you plan to get into corals(and you shouldnt actually get any untill your "salt" tank is mature(at least 6 months, but more like a year)) then you will need more light. How much kinda depends on what you want to keep, but a basic # to kinda start with is 5 watts per gallon of water(ballpark). Then there are metal halides, actinics, t5's cf's and all maner of different kinds of light, that i just really cant go into cause i just dont know your tank or your goals...

Hope that gives you a short list of where to start.

thanks for the reply i do have a small marine tank setup with sump at the moment but was just wondering how to convert this ufo tank i understand about the needs im thinking brands and setup...
 
oh, does the filter in the hood have a bio wheel? Maybe its called a Eclipse over here.Some people use those on salt tanks and do ok however they take a alot of maintenance time, and most people dont recommend them for salt tanks. If you are wanting a reef tank I think you are going to have to take the hood/filter thing off. You will need a overflow to get the water from your tank to the sump. If a 10 gallon will fit that would work. You will have to see how much room you have for a skimmer. You can go inside the sump or hang on back of it. Depends on how much room you have. For lights I have a 150 mh pendent with two t-5 actinics. Works very well for a corner tank. For rock 1 to 2lbs per gallon. Let see 305 litre is 80 gallons so 80 to 100lbs of live rock. You can use base rock for half or three quarters of that the rest live. Would save money that way.

YES I WILL KEEP THE HOOD ON AND YES IT IS A BOW FRONT CORNER TANK ....I WAS THINKING OF BUILDING A NEW STAND! MAYBE!..... IF NOT THE SUMP WOULD BE UNDER THE TANK......NOT SURE ABOUT USING THE HOOD FILTER AS IVE NEVER USED IT ( EXTERNAL CANISTER FLUVAL 405) HUMMMMM MAYBE ILL POST A PIC OR TWO THAT MIGHT HELP...:helm2:
 
Ok here are a few pics of the tank now lights and filter tray...

I was thinking of taking off the filter tray to have a h/o/b overflow system...

THE FILTER TRAY IS A SMALL TRIANGLE BIT WITH THE SPONGE IN AND IT COMES OFF THE TANK COMPLETE AND LEAVE A HOLE...
 

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The stand is 9" AT THE SMALLEST POINT.....12" AT THE WIDEST POINT AND 18" OR SO LONG

so i could remove the middle but it would need to be brased... May be a new stand build is in order....

i do want a sump as i know how good they are
 
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yea, i mean you could try and section out a window for a small sump to fit through, in that middle brace, but i wouldnt remove it totally... yea, i'm thinking if your up to the challenge and have the time, a new stand might just serve you well, then you dont have to wrap it with black cloth to hide stuff...
 
i cant make a suggestion on a skimmer, i dont have a good one yet, the little one i have is crap and i'm poor, so i'm having to save up...

everything that i have seen so far, and from what people tell me, get an octopus, it'll be worth it in the long run...
 
I would skip that and build your own sump/fuge and get either and octopus or remora skimmer. All of that bio media will need to be cleaned weekly and the very least maybe more. It will cause big nitrate problems. If you are building a new stand that will hold a sump/fuge building your own sump/fuge tends to be cheaper than buying a wet/dry filter. Also, you would probably get a better skimmer than what is on that wet/dry.

Brian
 
+1 bj Would be better to do a custom on the sump with a much better skimmer. What kind of lighting is in the hood and what wattage? You might have to do a retrofit since you are gonna keep it. T-5 would be the way to go.
 
Aquarium Model: UFO 880
Dimensions:88 x 76 x 88cm (10mm glass)
Aquarium Volume: 305L
Filter Flow Rate: 2000l/hr
Light Wattage: 2 x 36in 30W 1 x 23.5in 20W
Power Requirements: 220 ~ 240V
Suitable:Coldwater, Tropical, Marine

thats all the info about the tank i got lol
 
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