Setting up Reef Tank - Questions/Concerns

After having a FW tank forever (>30 years), I am making the transition to a SW reef tank. I've been doing a lot of reading the last month, and luckily I discovered this website. The posters here are very knowledgable and helpful, and the discussions have helped me decide on several aspects of my tank.

I purchased the tank and much of the equipment ~2 weeks ago. This is what I have so far:

Tank: 120 g dual Mega-flow (48x24x24)
Sump: 20 g Berlin
Pump: Blueline 70 (rated @ 1400 g/h)
Skimmer: Euro-Reef CS series
Heaters: 2 x 300 W
No lights as of yet (more on that later)

Over July 4 weekend, I setup the tank and all the plumbing. I split the pump's output into 4 returns. I filled the tank w/ FW on July 2/3, and fired up the pump on the 3rd. To my amazement, there was not a single leak or drip. I let the pump circulate w/ FW for a day to ensure no leaks, and added salt on July 4th. My SG = 1.022, and everything looks good.

After listening to the pump for 2 nights, I realized that the pump was just too loud for its environment (in the family room next to the entertainment center, with my bedroom on the other side of the wall). More disturbing, the tank was running at 84F, while my A/C is set at 75F. I ended up moving the pump from inside the cabinet to outside to improve airflow (which ironically also quieted the pump some), and ended up taking off the styrofoam boards I had sitting on top of the tank to prevent evaporation and bad things from falling in the tank (I am in the process of building a canopy). These things helped a bit - my tank has been running at 80F. This is still 5F above room temperature, and I haven't added any lights yet. The LFS recommends me switching to 2 smaller Blueline 30 pumps (590 g/h each) to replace the pump I have. My questions are:

Has anyone experienced this kind of heating from just a pump?
Will running 2 smaller pumps be cooler than 1 large pump?
Does anyone have experience with Blueline 30 pumps, and are they quiet?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Also, if anyone would be interested in me keeping a "diary" on here as I get things set up, let me know.

Lastly, I have a really neat setup (I think) where I plumbed my RO/DI water line through the attic and down the wall behind my tank. The line then connects with a float valve in the sump, and the RO/DI water system itself has a pressure-activated automatic shutoff. I should never have to top off the water myself, and so far the system is working great. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll post how I did it w/ pictures.

Hi OG,

To answer your question - while I do have the heaters in the sump they are not plugged in, so the only source of heat is from the external pump. I even shut off the skimmer to make sure its own internal pump wasn't putting out the heat. I haven't even started cycling yet (I want to get the pump/plumbing squared away before I put anything besides water in). If I shut the pump off overnight, the water temp will drop down to ~76F, turning the pump back on will slowly raise the temperature to about 80.

I will probably have to add a chiller once I install the MH lights, but I don't like the idea of my pump alone adding 5 degrees to the water temp. I will probably end up going with the 2 smaller pumps, if for no other reason than they are reputed to be significantly quieter - I am hoping cooler too.

Also, I will post a thread in the DIY section on the water-topper-offer.

Thanks for the input. I'll add a bit more salt too to bring the SG up.

I'll also start a diary once I get the pump issue resolved.



:huh:

Swapped out pump

Thanks OG. I've installed 2 Mag-Drive 700 pumps. They are much quieter than the Blueline 70, but not nearly as powerful I've noticed. Although the 2 Mag-Drives together are rated at the same amount as my 1 Blueline, I'm estimating that the total flow is actually about 1/3. The Blueline was too powerful for a 120 g tank - probably better suited for 200 - 300 g. I'll install a powerhead or 2 to increase circulation.

I will be very interested to see what my water temp will be tomorrow.

Pump Update

I have swapped out the Blueline for the 2 Mag-Drive 7s. I've also installed 2 Penguin PHs to compensate for the reduced flow of the MG pumps. With the 4 pumps running, I am back up to the original temp I had with the Blueline - about 80F. The 2 Mag-Drives had raised the temp to about 77 (from 75), and the 2 Penguins raised it another 3 degrees. Since I'm going to be installing MH lights, I've pretty much resigned myself to getting a chiller. (Any suggestions for brands?). The system is MUCH quieter though, and I can watch TV without having to raise the volume and sleep at night without it sounding like a dishwasher running next to me.

One comment you made Dave is very true: The top-off water system should be monitored and checked periodically. I had been working in the sump arranging the skimmer, and I must had bumped the float valve, because somehow the hinge had come off. I only noticed it because I was in the garage and heard the RO/DI system running. Luckily I caught it in time. It has been running now for 2 weeks w/o incident.

I plan on starting the reef diary here once I get the live rock - possiblt next Saturday. I am still working on finishing the canpoy - the cooling fans need to be installed, and the whole thing needs to be stained to match the base. When I am finished, if I'm not too embarrased by the quality, I'll post a picture.