Half Cylinder setups - pointers please

[rsdino]

Hello,
Name is Aaron Deane
This is my first time on this site.
I am in the process of setting up what is to be my first saltwater ecosystem
I am interested in setting up a half round a half barrel or whatever else you may call a half moon shaped tank, flat back, the whole back wall as an overflow, with an approximate size or 60cm in diameter whats that divide by 2.54 equals approx 24 inches in diameter so 120cm across the back 48 inches
and about 60 or 70cm high 24 to 30inches high.
Thats an approximate volume of 60 times 60 times 3.14 divide by 2 cos its only half a cylinder equals 565 liters divide by 4 equals 140 gallons approx without sump included.
My question is to anyone interested in answering is if i can over skim my system. I have read the thread from 02many with interest and im interested in the via aqua skimmer (which i dont seem to be able to find anywhere) but im wondering if it would be too large for my tank, if thats at all possible.
I would be looking at living rock, deep sand bed, and enough fish from the south pacific region.
Can anyone help
Any response and or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I would love to hear of suggestions in how to fit lighting to a half round tank too, infact i am open to all and any sugestions towards how to set up my tank, trying to keep her as simple as possible and as close to a natural unnatural ecosystem.
I am an Australian living currently in Germany, If anyone can help me find one of the Via Aqua skimmers from the test i would also be greatly appreciative.
Can anyone also suggest possible pumps for my system, approx turnarround, tunze stream wave systems, how best to set up a half cylinder tank.
Phew this is a longer request than i thought it would be
Great website

 

[Meche]

60cm in diameter whats that divide by 2.54 equals approx 24 inches in diameter so 120cm across the back 48 inches
and about 60 or 70cm high 24 to 30inches high.

Do you mean you have a 60mm radius? Because the distance along the back is the diameter, which you say is 120cm.

If height is 24" and radius is 24" then volume is 94gal.
If height is 30" and radius is 24" then volume is 118gal.
If height is 24" and diameter is 24" then volume is 23.5gal.
If height is 30" and diameter is 24" then volume is 29gal.

All of these volumes are well short of 140 gallons. Your volume calculation did not account for depth... you calculated the surface area of the top of your tank.

 

[rsdino]

your right

ok il post a pic or two and try to explain my setup
yep you were right i totally assed my figures for volume and only did the surface area. i got an answer of 5652cmsquared
For volume i worked out around 340 liters so a little less that 100gallons
Sorry my stuff up.
I was aiming at the 100 mark with sump.
that figure is when its 60 cm high
iv set up a model thats around 80 high and that looks good too but i think 70 is about as full as i would go
diameter of 60 and hight of 70
pie x 60squared x 70 / 2 = 395 so with sump i would be over the magic 100 gallon mark.
im trying to work out how to set up my lighting at the moment cos of the round lid, im still working on that one
cheers for the reply

 

[Juanfer]

lets see some pics.

 

[Meche]

You might want to PM "Brenden" and ask him to post on this thread. He is setting up a 1/2 cylinder like you. I bet he has some great ideas for you.

 

[Haole]

Hey Aaron, I’ll put my reply here rather than derail that other informative thread.
Quoted from your reply on the other thread...

I have checked out the skimmer on that website but it says its only for an aquarium up to 100gallons, and im right on that one.
In the tests i thought it was one for up to around 3 or 4 hundred gallons, thats why i was asking if i could overskim an aquarium, cos the price is right

From what I’ve read the Via Aqua SK200 was the skimmer used in that test. Look here. o2manyfish states in his review that the skimmer is being used on 300-500gal tanks yet I was only able to find that one link I provided to you previously that gave a rating as to what size tank it’s recommended for. I merely did a search with google and briefly looked at a few links that offered these skimmers. Here’s a couple more if you’re still interested...

(At the very bottom)
http://www.aquariumliquidators.com/ProteinSkimmers.htm#viaaqua

http://www.commodityaxis.com/ProductData.aspx?id=52

I’d still suggest you look into what’s available there since even though this skimmer is low in cost the shipping could be outrageous. Not to mention the fact that isn’t there still a difference in plugs and outlet receptacles that would cause you to have to use some type of converter? Sorry, my electrical engineering experience isn’t quite up to snuff compared to most others on this site.

 

[aquarookie]

I’d still suggest you look into what’s available there since even though this skimmer is low in cost the shipping could be outrageous. Not to mention the fact that isn’t there still a difference in plugs and outlet receptacles that would cause you to have to use some type of converter? Sorry, my electrical engineering experience isn’t quite up to snuff compared to most others on this site.

As far as electrical outlets/voltage, all you would need is a different pump. As far as shipping, I could ship the skimmer without a pump for a reasonable price (I would guess around $60, but not totally sure).

 

[Skimmy]

if you are in germany, then you have absolutely no reason whatsoever to buy/use/think about the via aqua skimmer....lol

check this place out to buy skimmers in germany:

http://www.aquapro2000.de/Technique.12/Protein_Skimmer.13/?osCsid=d676bbe84db169e8b7180efeb3891351


i would look at:
ATI bm150 (now bm160 available in 6 weeks),
H&S 110 - 2000
tunze doc 9010
deltec ap600
schuran jetskim 120

these skimmers are from between $200 - $300 euros

 

[rsdino]

Evening people

Well im back again
I was at a friends today.
He is in the advertisment business and has a good contact to a plexiglass delivery.
What he can sort out is from Bayer polycarbonate its called Makrolon.
It comes up to a 12mm thickness, im nearly thinking this may not be thick enough.
i think i left the pickies with the other thread so here are a few
As iv said before,
Im thinking of attempting to have the whole back wall as the overflow area
Two drains and 3 returns drilled with plenty of room to get my hands in there.
the light setup im a little unsure - t5's or metal halides or a mix
maybe even one of these bar setups i see with two t5's either side and halides down the middle
the returns im unsure as to how i would mount them or enter the tank, least possible distrptions to the picture - in that where possible no ugly unnatural looking pipes and tubes hanging around
the return pumps, im thinking two with enough output to normally be able to run only from one so i can chop and change pumps with timers and for cleaning or if one dies on me im not sitting without anything
no idea what pumps - good output but extremly quiet hopefully
the sump im considering building as the entire under tank form, the larger radius base in the pickies is an example except i want it to continue to the floor - if that makes sence
in the sump mainly skimmer as filtration, somehow setup with a quaratine tank, calcium boost - i like the deltec version with co2
um a refill section with my premixed water
a good supply of the black stuff carbon
in the tank itself definately a deep sand bed
definately live rock
since i come from australia and live in germany, i would like to bring to germany a little bit from home, so south pacific region would be nice,
fish i havnt chosen yet but if you check out this website i think you will understand just from the pickies (cos its in german from a guy in austria) just what sort of setup i would like
http://www.hausriff.ch/
now iv just gotta start making my shopping list
work out exactly what i need
i checked out the deltec skimmers last night
they are good, the ap600 is about right except my base is only 60cm high and so is the skimmer- make it difficult to open the lid, plus im after a skimmer cup that empties most into a container that i can then disconect and take away clean and reconect.
check out this web address too
http://www.reefland.com/rho/1105/feature7.php
ok i think thats enough
iv gotta get back to my girls
no im not boasting thats my girlfriend and my 3 1/2 week old daughter
take it easy people
talk to you when i get more updates
ps can i just use a normal hologen housing for example one from a censor light iv just pulled down, can i use that for a metal halide
i think iv got some reading to do

 

[Skimmy]

so, i guess i should have asked before i go spouting skimmer models,
did i understand corectly that the tank will be about 100 gallons?

also, check these guys out for t5/hqi lights:
http://www.arche-noah-online.com/xtremelights.pdf

 

[rsdino]

acrylic half cylinder 100Gallon tank DSB 100% live rock

oh its all good
i appreciate any feedback i can get
i really like the website from aqua 2004
the coral farm is less than an hour away from me
especially at autobahn speeds
i have now changed my mind i think
il probably not order it from the web but head over there and check it out working before i purchase except i like the ATI Bubble master 200 for aquariums up to 1000liters a little exxy but i think if its my main filter and it does a good job then it could be worth it, though the via aqua is still interesting expecially cos of the price
i checked out the lights, they look really good
except, i have a half cylinder shape to my aquarium
the lights are deffenitally something i have put a lot of thought into
my tank will be 70 high, 65 waterline, at the moment a radius of 60 it may even be reduced to 55, im searching for an oven at the moment large enough to do the bend
getting back to the lights
at a water level of 65 plus another 10 or so for the light height im unsure as to the affectivness of pure T5, i would need HQI um i think thats the German term thats Metal Halide, though im concerned of the heat.
i would probably make 3 x 175w or something with another two lots of 4 T5's
thats another thing, i live upstairs
the makrolon polycarbonate that im looking at is a max of 12mm thick and fairly expensive, comes in a 2050 x 3050 plate or sheet, im mixing up my english and german
i dont want this thing to ever break on me
is there anyone out there familiar with acrylic aquariums and thicknesses
this is a good brainstorming place for me, i think im gonna keep it up
ok - flat back overflow the entire length - is that going to be noisy
i am looking at two downpipes and 3 returns as shown kinda in the previous attachments
any sugestions

 

[Skimmy]

you will be very happy if you choose ATI skimmer, i think the bm200 is overkill for a 100g reef, especially scince the new bm160 is rated for 200g, and i find thier skimmer ratings very honest.

so you want a coast to coast overflow that will have 2 drains and 3 returns?
sounds very cool. as long as you have durso or stockmann standpipes in the overflow box for your drains it should be quiet.(see pics)

i'd also go with an eheim submersible return pump for it's quiet operation and longevity.

thanks to tigaboy for the plumbing diagrams...

 

[rsdino]

new thread in members showcase forum

i have just started or continued this in members showcase forum
the ehim pump, if iv got a 100Gallon tank how many pumps should i have
im thinking that if i need to pump 10 times the tank in an hour then i would prefer to have two pumps both capable of approx 8 times the tank and then maybe running them chop and change one high one low and visa versa
um now i have 3 threads which one do i write to
now im thinkin that was a little silly
ok gotta spend some time with my girls now

 

[Meche]

the makrolon polycarbonate that im looking at is a max of 12mm thick and fairly expensive,

You will want to use acrylic, not polycarbonate. I have herd that Polycarbonate will yellow and creep (deform out of shape over time).

 

[Skimmy]

i think the 10 times an hour though the sump rule is definately a little outdated these days...with the high end skimmers and carbon/phosphate reactors on the market, and the cost of power being what it is there in germany, i think your better off going with like 4-6 times per hour, i.e. like using one eheim 1260 pump for a reurn and just putting a t on the output.

 

[Brenden]

I will post in your thread you PM'd me in members showcase. Mods may want to merge these.