New Tank Questions

Howdy everyone,

I bought a 180 gallon glass tank and most all of the related stuff about a year ago and due to a recent move I am finally getting around to setting it up. This is going to be my first SW tank and probably my last since I am now fresh out of friends willing to ever help me move it again.

I decided to go with sugar-sized aragonite sand for the substrate. I just ordered 360Lbs of the stuff online. My question about the substrate is should I put that white plastic grate stuff (flourecent light cover) on the bottom to distribute the weight of the rockwork or will it cause problems with denitrification and sand-sifting critters?

I plan on using a QT tank also. The question is, if I need to treat a fish with copper or anything else that would be harmful to inverts is it safe to do so in a QT tank or will the fish take dangerous levels of copper back to the main tank and kill all the inverts?

Refuguim question. I have a 55 gallon tank that I'm gonna use as a sump/refuguim. Will the copepods and any other tiny creatures survive being sucked through the return pump sponge filter and then blown down the line back to the tank? The 'fuge will be downstream of the skimmer. And what kind of lighting will the rufugium need to keep pods and cheato macro-algae? I plan on keeping it on an opposite lighting schedule from the main tank.

Those are the only questions I can think of for the moment. I'm sure I'll be back soon to ask your expert advice.

Thanks in advance

alright, that is what I was thinking but I wasn't sure. As far as the amount of sand goes, is 360 Lbs enough for a 180 Gallon tank? The tank is 24X72X24".

How about the QT tank and refuguim?

I know they are a must have. I was refering to the original question I had asked in my first post.

I was wondering if copper could get from the QT/hospital tank to the display tank. And also what kind of lighting the 'fuge neds.

Thanks

I was talking about sand. I was wondering if 360 pounds of aragonite sand was enough for a DSB in a 24X72X24 tank.

Thanks Reefscape,

I know sensitive some inverts are to copper that's why I asked. Any ideas on how much and what kind lighting a 'fuge with some chaeto will need?

I know you said that amount of sand would be fine. I was clarifing for intr4ncewetrust. He thought I was talking about 360# of Live rock.

I have to go and clean up a huge pile of PVC shavings now. I've been trimming, cutting and modifing PVC plumbing fittings in order to get a 1 1/2 inch durso standpipe inside the overflow box. Stupid shavings are everywhere now.

I think the UPS guy is gonna hate me now. My 360 pounds of sand should be here before too long and the live rock will soon follow.