After 10 years I'm thinking of getting back into the hobby but the talk selections I've seen so far appear to be the same old stained oak. Are there any shops in NJ that may offer something different? I've been to Reef Encounter in Hackensack and Tropiquarium this weekend and will try to head out to Aquatropics in Clifton sometime this week.
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Getting back in the hobby after 10 years, who makes a good tank/stand these days?
- Thread starter Mskvarenina
- Start date
Also welcome to the both of you.
The reason for my question. If you go up to elos you can custom order the stand for your tank. I got like a black piano finish. Now you are going to spend way up for it but worth it in my opinion. On the other end of the plectrum you can build your own stand as there are plenty of plans online and then skin/paint/stain the stand to whatever your heart desires. Really up to budget and time.
The reason for my question. If you go up to elos you can custom order the stand for your tank. I got like a black piano finish. Now you are going to spend way up for it but worth it in my opinion. On the other end of the plectrum you can build your own stand as there are plenty of plans online and then skin/paint/stain the stand to whatever your heart desires. Really up to budget and time.
Hidden Reef in PA has a large selection of tanks and stands. Some of the stands are highly integrated with the tank....not the simple retangular box.
Welcome back! I'm returning after a very long absence of a few months. LOL
I agree about the Hidden Reef's selection of tanks. Shop around though.
The area I have for the tank can hold a 4 foot tank so I'm looking at a 55, 70, 90 or possibly a 110 (if they make them that tall in a 4 foot footprint). I did see a nice 90 on an oak stand stained in cherry which looked pretty nice but I was trying to find a higher end stand that didn't look like the classic oak wood.
My budget is $2k for tank, filter and other supplies to get started.
My budget is $2k for tank, filter and other supplies to get started.
Oh, forgot to mention, the maximum depth I have to play with is about 20" which makes it the 90. The tank would be going is a passageway between the kitchen and family room which is only 5' wide. So putting something 20" there still gives a little over 3' passage.
What are you thoughts about plumbing the wet/dry filter down through the floor into the basement? I figure this way it would be less noisy and perhaps easier to maintain as I could just put it on a shelf vs having to stuff it into a cabinet.
What are you thoughts about plumbing the wet/dry filter down through the floor into the basement? I figure this way it would be less noisy and perhaps easier to maintain as I could just put it on a shelf vs having to stuff it into a cabinet.
is this a FO tank? because that is the only reason why i'd ever consider a wet/dry filter. Otherwise you will be battling nitrates all the time with the bioballs. Set up the tank with live rock and then the sump will house just the skimmer, maybe a refugium and/or a bio pellet reactor. Other possibilities would be a GFO reactor and Carbon reactor.
many tanks here have their plumbing thru the basement. Just realize the further the distance, the bigger the return pump you want in place. More so if you plan on a manifold instead of powerheads in the tank. (or if you tee off your skimmer from the return like i do).
The tank will be mostly fish. I'd like to do a reef only tank but my wife really wants a tank full of fish so I was hoping I could make the tank reef and fish but I'm not sure which fish would be reef friendly. I guess times have changed, I have not heard of these reactors or a refugium. Last time I did a tank, which was about 10 years ago I had a simple siphon box that drained to a wet/dry in the cabinet below the tank. Water dripped from a drip tray to a box full of bio-balls, then there was a foam pad and finally an Iwaki pump which pumped the water through a UV light then back into the tank. The wet/dry I had looks similar to the photos I found for a refugium so maybe the concept is the same?
Yes - 20 years ago wet dry were state of the art. I remember installing one of those along with a UGF. They have a function and place for FO tanks but not so much for reef tanks today. You could take the same box, dump the bio balls and use the space for a refugium. But you're better off just setting up a separate tank (many people DIY) which can function has a sump. Check out mike L's site down in texas on ideas for sumps: - http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html
A lot has changed in 10 years which is good. Dry goods are a lot more efficient and will make your job easier than they were 10 years ago.
I went through the floor into the basement and it has been awesome. I ran tanks HOB and then everything in the sump for a while and being in the basement is so much easier.
A couple of things to look at since it sounds like the 90 is the tank you are going with:
Are you getting it reef ready which means it has the holes pre drilled with an overflow box and the plumbing? Or you could get it non reef ready and drill your own holes with the glassholes.com overflow kits. Pros and cons: Reef ready: you don't have to do any work as it is pre drilled however the overflows can be big and bulky and might not be in the spot you want them. Glass holes kit: Very small and you can put them where ever you want, cons you have to drill the glass which some people are not comfortable with. Also, have to make sure the glass is not tempered where you want to drill.
Go with a sump. The question again is you can buy a tank and build one yourself or order one that is already pre made. People have done both, personally I like the pre made acrylic ones. What also going to factor into this decision is if you go into the basement, you will need an external return pump so you have to have the holes ready for that. If you stay in the stand, you can use an internal or external return pump.
Skimmer: This is going to be your most important piece of equipment. Look at what the skimmer are rate for gallon wise and go up a bit. So if your display is 90g and your sump is an extra 40g (so 130g total) than look at one rated around 150-175g. Popular brands on here are Reef octopus, swc, warner marine, etc.
Lights: Figure you what you want as far as heat, bulbs, dimmability, size, color, and cost etc. Most people now a days are using either T5 or LED. Metal halides are not as prominent but still used. I would get the light thinking you are getting a reef because it will cost less now just to get the right lights than to buy the wrong lights and then the right lights.
One of the best things that has happened over the past 10 years is the flow of information. With access to much better information we are more knowldegable on fish and corals. There are alot of tank bred fish now that are much hardier than wild caught. We have corals that are aquacultured that are easier to keep than wild caught. We now know which corals and fish no one can keep because they should not be in an aquarium.
There are plenty of reef safe fish that you could do in a 90g that will look amazing and not have the tank look empty at all. I will not get into it now but show your wife clownfish, anthias, flasher wrasses, blennies, chromis, gobies, and jawfish. All very colorful very awesome fish that are reef safe.
I went through the floor into the basement and it has been awesome. I ran tanks HOB and then everything in the sump for a while and being in the basement is so much easier.
A couple of things to look at since it sounds like the 90 is the tank you are going with:
Are you getting it reef ready which means it has the holes pre drilled with an overflow box and the plumbing? Or you could get it non reef ready and drill your own holes with the glassholes.com overflow kits. Pros and cons: Reef ready: you don't have to do any work as it is pre drilled however the overflows can be big and bulky and might not be in the spot you want them. Glass holes kit: Very small and you can put them where ever you want, cons you have to drill the glass which some people are not comfortable with. Also, have to make sure the glass is not tempered where you want to drill.
Go with a sump. The question again is you can buy a tank and build one yourself or order one that is already pre made. People have done both, personally I like the pre made acrylic ones. What also going to factor into this decision is if you go into the basement, you will need an external return pump so you have to have the holes ready for that. If you stay in the stand, you can use an internal or external return pump.
Skimmer: This is going to be your most important piece of equipment. Look at what the skimmer are rate for gallon wise and go up a bit. So if your display is 90g and your sump is an extra 40g (so 130g total) than look at one rated around 150-175g. Popular brands on here are Reef octopus, swc, warner marine, etc.
Lights: Figure you what you want as far as heat, bulbs, dimmability, size, color, and cost etc. Most people now a days are using either T5 or LED. Metal halides are not as prominent but still used. I would get the light thinking you are getting a reef because it will cost less now just to get the right lights than to buy the wrong lights and then the right lights.
One of the best things that has happened over the past 10 years is the flow of information. With access to much better information we are more knowldegable on fish and corals. There are alot of tank bred fish now that are much hardier than wild caught. We have corals that are aquacultured that are easier to keep than wild caught. We now know which corals and fish no one can keep because they should not be in an aquarium.
There are plenty of reef safe fish that you could do in a 90g that will look amazing and not have the tank look empty at all. I will not get into it now but show your wife clownfish, anthias, flasher wrasses, blennies, chromis, gobies, and jawfish. All very colorful very awesome fish that are reef safe.
So if I'm a newbie more or less (even though I have prior experience) and can't devote my full-time job to maintaining this aquarium, what setup would you recommend for a fish only tank?
And what if I wanted to have a reef plus fish tank?
And is there a definitive source that speaks of which fish are reef friendly? In the old days I'd usually keep a french, emperor, niger trigger, royal gramma and a few other small fish in the same tank. Are these types of fish reef friendly?
And what if I wanted to have a reef plus fish tank?
And is there a definitive source that speaks of which fish are reef friendly? In the old days I'd usually keep a french, emperor, niger trigger, royal gramma and a few other small fish in the same tank. Are these types of fish reef friendly?
Are all of these compatible with eachother?
Thanks for the info, this is a great start.
Last time I did a tank, I followed the ideology of Steve from Aqua Oceans in Toms River. His thoughts at the time was you needed high water movement to keep the water filtered well and the fish happy. I remember every time I visited his store the fish were very active and seems happy and disease free. My first thought was a pre-drilled tank to keep it simple but it seems most of these tanks have a corner overflow. I was thinking it would be better to have the overflow completely on one side of the aquarium, front to back wise if can follow. Then on the opposite side of the aquarium I'd have a submersed spray bar at the top which would cause the water to flow from one side of the tank to the other. All that said, a corner overflow box, provided it can handle the volume of water (pump flow rate) maybe just as good.
Depends on the size of the tank. I just wanted to throw out some examples of reef safe fish that would fit in a 90g. He can pick a few of those or none of them. Always easier to look at pictures when trying to convince someone who does not know fish.
Not sure where you are located, but I am in Point pleasant and can show you my system if you want to take a look.
beautiful fish. Are they reef safe? For a hard coral display - As far as I know almost all angels (japanese swallowtails and may one or two others that elude my mind) are going to pick at your corals. A Niger Trigger will consume mobile invertebrates. So if you are ok with replenishing your clean up crew then it should be ok. Your list is actually great for a FO. The Royal Gramma is arguably the prettiest fish from the Atlantic that is also reef friendly.
If you go all soft corals - I don't think the fish mentioned would pick at zoas, etc.
I'll let others chime in on your fish selection.
In the 1990s, I kept a maroon clown, a butterfly, and two damsels in a 20g tank for 5 years, so I understand where you are coming from with your stock list.
However, today I probably would not put the fish you listed list in a 90g, with the exception of the Gramma.
The French angel is going to outgrow it in no time. He can get to 15". The minimum recommended tank size for a French Angel today is 250 gallons. See http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+18+409&pcatid=409.
The Emperor could outgrow it pretty quickly too. He can also get to 15". The minimum recommended tank size for an Emperor is 220 gallons today. See http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+18+411&pcatid=411.
The Niger Trigger can also get pretty big, up to 12". The minimum recommended tank size for that fish is 180 gallons today. See http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+44+257&pcatid=257
10-15 years ago would I have put those fish in a 90g? Yes, I honestly would have. However, if you want to keep corals, you will need to stock the tank with smaller fish. If you were to try to keep them in a 90g with corals, I think you would have a hard time. Believe me, all of us have looked at the recommended tank sizes today, and thought to ourselves, but I kept those fish in a smaller tank and it worked fine before, however it is very difficult to keep a reef tank when you are overstocked from the beginning.
However, today I probably would not put the fish you listed list in a 90g, with the exception of the Gramma.
The French angel is going to outgrow it in no time. He can get to 15". The minimum recommended tank size for a French Angel today is 250 gallons. See http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+18+409&pcatid=409.
The Emperor could outgrow it pretty quickly too. He can also get to 15". The minimum recommended tank size for an Emperor is 220 gallons today. See http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+18+411&pcatid=411.
The Niger Trigger can also get pretty big, up to 12". The minimum recommended tank size for that fish is 180 gallons today. See http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+44+257&pcatid=257
10-15 years ago would I have put those fish in a 90g? Yes, I honestly would have. However, if you want to keep corals, you will need to stock the tank with smaller fish. If you were to try to keep them in a 90g with corals, I think you would have a hard time. Believe me, all of us have looked at the recommended tank sizes today, and thought to ourselves, but I kept those fish in a smaller tank and it worked fine before, however it is very difficult to keep a reef tank when you are overstocked from the beginning.