So I found my tank... I think

calivivarium1

calivivarium1

Finished the fight
May 5, 2008
1,432
25
51
Fresno, California
I thought I had found the sweet deal I had been waiting for, but now I have a few questions:

#1 The tank is 3yrs old(and currently running). Were any store bought tanks(I think this is an AGA, no labelling that I could see however) made with back panes tempered glass? Is there a way to tell if they could be?

#2 I had thought the tank was reef ready, but it is not(hence question #1). Do side overflows work as well as bottom drilled overflows?

#3 Are 45w gamma UV sterilizers worth anything?
 
Tempered or not? Google the actual method, but if you use two pieces of polarized film (could use two pairs of polarized sunglass too), look at the glass through both films. And that’s were you need to google, because I can’t remember what you see, but it is different for tempered versus not tempered. For whatever it’s worth, my understanding is that most tanks have tempered bottoms and non-tempered sides. If you can find the brand label, call the manufacturer.

Overflows: Without question, go with a glass-holes overflow (www.glass-holes.com). It requires drilling the side glass, not the bottom. Small, quite and quality made. Can’t beat them.

UV Sterilizers: Personal opinion, only use them on hospital tanks/QT tanks OR if you’re treating a crypto infected tank. The reason is that it does not discriminate between good and bad bacteria/”bugs.”
 
Thanks for that link...I am going to order one of those kits up tomorrow. The tank comes with two 45w sterilizers(they guys used to have a bigger tank that they were on) so I guess maybe I should keep one and sell the other?

Other than that, I guess I just need to freakin pull the trigger on this thing and finally get started on my tank.
 
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Okay, I hate asking all these questions but I keep reading Marine FAQ's/etc online and often all that is accomplished is I race to find some other FAQ to explain why this or that is needed instead of simply how to select equipment to do what I want.

Okay, so tank is 100gal. I want at least 1,000gph turnover, preferably more. If I go closed loop, that means I need to have overflow/return of about 1500gph. If I do this 1500gph return, what is a good pump to use? I have heard good things about Iwaki, but over $300 for a pump is a heckuva lot of money. Are there any other good, cheaper external return pumps out there?
 
Normally we do 3-5x turnover on sump return, and depending on system/animals kept, min of 20-30x turnover via loop or powerheads.
I have a mixed reef, and run about 40x turnover, which is a nice number to hit IMO.
Full blown sps can be 60x and up to 100x or more, but those are more specialized, and pretty much always bare bottom.
Eheims are my fav return, oceanrunner is a good budget return.
I definitely prefer a tank drilled w/ an internal overflow.
 
I need to preface my comments by stating that I know nothing about closed loop. I have a 90 gallon, five foot tank, and use three Koralia 4’s (powerheads) for circulation. For my sump I use a MAG 9, that is rated to pump 950 gallons per hour. They cost under 100 clams and are a submersible pump. The Koralias are also an inexpensive powerhead to move water in a reef tank.
 
Yeah, closed loop sounds cool and all but it doesn't seem to really keep the costs down like I have seen claimed. How long have your koralia's been up and running? Do you ever have heat issues?
 
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