Please help me help my mom!

justahannah

justahannah

Fascinated newb
Jul 29, 2008
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Tacoma, WA
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Real Name
Hannah
Here's the deal...my mom is opening up a pub n' grub type restaurant in my hometown, and she wants to have a tank set up for customers to enjoy. She has 40+ years of freshwater experience, but knows nothing about saltwater and came to me for advice...which is silly because I'm in the same boat she is but with even less time under my belt. She found a deal on a 135 gallon setup that had been used for salt stuff, and has decided to keep it that way. She doesn't know anything about the quality of the accessories that came with it, the order they ought to be connected in, what exactly to do with the overflows, or whether she's missing anything. We're 4 hours apart, so she emailed me a bunch of pics from her phone, hopefully that will be enough to get some help so she can at least hook it all up and see if it runs correctly.

I'm thinking, if she's missing enough stuff or the quality is dubious, of convincing her to convert it back to a freshwater set-up. Is there any reason any of this equipment wouldn't be usable for a freshwater application after a good vinegar bath?

Also, I'm going to go through and read all the stickies and e-mail a bunch of the info to her, but if any of you were to set up a 135 gallon tank for your first salty tank, what would be a good, low maintenance way to do it, and what kind of stocking/lighting/corals would be good for a total newb in that large of a set-up? Because she does want corals eventually. Also, she would like to know where the heaters go and describes them as "long, skinny stainless-looking tubelike things". Thanks for any assistance!

Here are the pics:
First is the restaurant, you can see the tank behind the bar (she'll probably move it once construction's done)

Second and third are of the canister filters

Fourth is...we're not sure. A powerhead-type thing on the left, not sure what the canister thing on the right is or where it goes.

Fifth and sixth is left and right rear corners/overflows, respectively, underneath the tank. Each has two fittings, where she suspects the filters go but doesn't know how that powerhead get-up fits in.

Seventh is the same as above, with stuff removed.

Photo01.jpg Photo02.jpg Photo03.jpg Photo04.jpg lrcorner.jpg rrcorner.jpg under.jpg
 
Need closups under the stand. Is there another tank (sump) under it? Personally, I would toss those canister filters, or reuse them on FW tanks. The tank has a built in overflow it looks like, I just can't see a return but it is probably there. With that, you just need to find the biggest cheap aquarium (used preferably) that will fit under the stand. Take into account the stands bracing to make sure it will slide in. Then you can put in a return pump, heater, and some tubing on the overflow drain that is in the picture on the bottom of the tank. That is all that is "required" to get that tank running with water. Ideally you would glue in some glass baffles in the sump tank to section it off into 3 sections before installing it, and only cost around $20-$30 to have a local glass shop cut the pieces and a tube of silicone to glue them in. First chamber would be where a filter sock, media reactor, and good protein skimmer would go, second would be a refugium and place for a heater, and 3rd chamber is there the return pump sits. I would also add at least 1 good sized powerhead, like a koralia4 in the main tank. Put some sand and good amount of live rock in the tank (1.5lb per gallon) and let it cycle for 30 days and you will have a great fish only saltwater tank that requires little maintanence.

Need to know what type of lighting it has now, and what the budget it to upgrade if she wants corals. That is where the first big expense comes in when switching to reef.
 
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ok, looking more closely at the pictures it appears it does have dual overflows and returns on the left and right side of the tank. Good setup, especially for going reef. I would have someone connect the 2 overflows together under the stand and T it off to a larger hose. Say if it 1-1/2" diameter overflow, get a T that is 1-1/2 on 2 sides and 2" on the bottom side and have that go into the first chamber into the filter sock. I probably sounds intimidating but it really isn't. A novice with some PVC cutters, glue, flexPVC, and correct PVC connectors can have it up and running in under an hour. Return pump I would probably go with a Mag18 return pump hooked up to a SCWD which is a cheap wavemaker device that Ts off to both sides for the returns.
 
Thanks! I shot her an email about the lighting and the sump...she's a DIY sort of person (they've built the restaurant from scratch from an old decrepit building, and some of my earliest memories involve her re-plumbing our bathroom solo) so I have no worries she'll be able to figure it out. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions when she gets back to me :D
 
i can't help but i wanted to say that i am in love with those stairs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Thanks everyone! The spiral stairs go up to an office, and there's also a back room with stairs to the roof...apparently it was a brothel at the turn of the century (1900ish, not this one :D) and the back stairs were an escape route for the married men. That room will probably have another, smaller tank and be reservable for private parties. I think she's still a month or two away from opening, but it's going to be fancy food meets bar fare....steak and chicken and barbeque, some seafood items, I'm not 100% sure since I haven't seen a menu yet but Goldendale is a cowboy town so I can't imagine she'll be getting too extravagent. I'm excited for her and the town since the only other offerings are fast food, Chinese, and an overpriced Mexican place.
 
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