TheClaw

I have just gone through the same troubles - I have built a twin 55w PC set up, and went to buy the tubes from a wholesaler - they only have up to 4200K in stock. They quoted me $45+GST to get in 5500K tubes, still a ways of the 10,000K that would be ideal for marine tanks. I am going to buy the correct tubes from Hollywood, in Auckland - they have Catalina 55w 10,000K tubes for about $40, and 10,000K / actinic tubes for about $44. I am building a 4 x 54w T-5 setup at the moment. Tubes easy to get in 6500K. I am getting Osram electronic ballasts, and have heard no adverse comment on t5 technology... except that certain wholesalers import junk ballasts from China that have non-standard tube sizes and are unreliable. Stands to reason though.

hi all i plan to have twin overflows on my next 4ft. Q: can i put a valve on one overflow and reduce the flow to a trickle (to feed a refugium for a reef tank) without causing any flooding? i guess the flow over both the outlets would equilise, with the other end having a greater throughput. your thoughts?

Hi guys 1) Could somebody please identify the brand of fittings I have seen used on both Chimera's and Pies' setups - are they Jansen fittings? 2) Also, where were these fittings acquired? 3) I have seen a type of hosing on some reef tanks in the States that resembles vacuum cleaner hosing. It looks superb - something I would hope to use as a connector from my overflow to sump - again, can anybody identify this type of hosing and where to get it? Cheers

Hello, I have previously kept a 1.8m freshwater tank, and used the sump method you referred to. For a tank of your intended size internal or external canister filters will be underpowered, thus you would need multiple filters of those types. The trickle filter just uses a smaller container housed below the main tank. Its size and placement is a matter entirely for your own discretion. Bear in mind that the greater the height / distance of this "sump" from the main tank, the more powerful a return pump you will require. Lets say the tank is approximately 800 litres. You would want to turnover this volume about 5 times every hour (much more for salt water). In that case you would require a pump that can do 4000 litres per hour at the head required. This is a rather imprecise guideline, but I believe it gives a good estimation. Pump wise, I used a Via-Aqua 4900, which pumps 4000 lph exactly. It is a cheap brand, and my decision was one governed by money. Having said that the pump rendered 2 years of trouble free service, and I was stoked considering its supposed cheap quality. If I had adequate money I would have used an Eheim pump. I believe the 1262 model or some such one can pump 4500 lph. This is a very strong and reliable pump. If you have a tank manufactured to your own specifications, then ask for a corner overflow to be included. This basically involves sealing off one back corner with a strip of glass that creates a box of sorts. The water cascades over this strip at the top and starts filling the box. A hole is located at the bottom of the back pane, this drains the water via a PVC pipe into the "sump" below. The return pump keeps this cycle in motion. Filtration involves passing the overflow through various media - you can use floss and sponges for mechanical filtration, bio balls for biological filtration, and carbon for chemical filtration. These I mention by way of example. You can include media that has worked for you previously, and play around with the order that the media is stacked. I purchased a trickle filter pre-made. It was essentially a medium sized glass tank with a glass box that could slot into one end. This glass box was equipped with strips of glass to lay across the middle of the box and create a drip-tray of sorts. The sump with the glass box looked like the letter "L" on its side. Sumps are excellent for hiding unsightly gear. You could put the limestone in the sump, along with any heaters, thermometers etc. I see no problem in having a bare tank that is painted beneath. The only issue I am aware of is that certain species of fish feel emotionally deprived by the absence of a substrate. Bob Fenner (marine fish legend)did a study on Lobsters and their preference for a sand substrate that supports this point. As you intend to introduce freshwater species, and include intricate polystyrene rockwork, this will probably not affect the livestock. If anything a bare tank would relieve you of the chore of gravel vacuuming, a task that never ceases to annoy me. Good luck with the tank anyway, it sounds like a great idea for a birthday treat!