Need advise on on used 60 cube...

[Zen Reeferer]

I just bought a 60 acrylic cube (400w MH lights) with sump (seperate and housed in stand) and I've got a couple of questions...
This will be mostly LPS with possibility of some sps down the road a bit. Will also have a Copperband butterfly and perhaps my ocellarus and a blenny of some sorts.

1. Substrate...The sand appears to be arragonite, but was a 'bit' dirty, and smelled pretty dog-gone bad.

Can I rinse thoroughly (which I'm doing right now) and re-use as a base-substrate, and then add the one 30 lb. bag of dry arragonite that I also purchased, on top? or would it be better to add the new substrate first, then the rinsed?

Can I re-use it in the sump? The sump is around 15 gallons, and can fit maybe 10 to 15 lbs of sand. (4" or so) Or, would just live-rock be a better way to go?

Can I re-use this sand at all? (can't afford any more at this time, and only have the 1 bag
of dry arragonite)

2. Lighting...400w MH with fans, 64w dual actinics.

Am building a stand and canopy for it before setting it up. Approx. how high should I be looking to set the lights above the top of tank? Is 400w (plus 64w dual actinic) a bit much, thus needing it to be raised a bit, or shoud I just focus on the heat issues instead? (I live just outside Vegas)

3. Flow...Haven't picked-out the powerheads or pumps (or skimmer) yet.
I'd still like strong flow in the 60, (have combined total of around 1000 gph in my 26 gallon) so how much would be considered strong in a tank this size?
Is it better to have somewhat slower flow thru sump, and stronger flow inside the tank, the other way around, or even?
Really appreciate the help everyone, thanks.

 

[Scooterman]

IMO dump the sand & go to HD or Lowe's & get some cheap play sand, your LR will seed it with necessary bacteria.
In the sump it is small, so I'd move water through it but not very much is required, I'd put the skimmer, heater etc in there & no more, if you want to do a fuge, I'd figure that one out later in another small tank.
Lighting, yes you can reuse what you have, later I'd reconsider the 400w mh to maybe two 250 w lamps, tank width, reflector & tank depth would help determine what I would use. On the Hood, I like a tall hood, mine is almost 17" above the water but I plan on using some large Luminarc reflectors so I need the room & these reflectors focus light into the tank better @ higher heights. If your reflector is smaller then I'd go closer like 14" or 12" even on the hood, pendants are even smaller & focus light in tighter spots so that would even be different.
Flow: Again the size & material of the tank would help determine what I would do but regardless I'd like to use a closed loop of some sort, not necessary strong flow but well placed flow, a 2 or 3 thousand gph may be all you need. Other options would be stream pumps, oceans motion other wave-maker types, all have advantages & disadvantages, this I would research very much because it will be your first step in setting up a tank.

 

[VegasMike]

Ditch the sand. Just put new sand in, it's cheap compared with what could happen by reusing the sand.

Lighting - The 400watter is overkill, but you can use it if you raise it up a bit. I am assuming the cube is 24"x24"x24" wich is the perfect footprint to get away with just one pendant/bulb. One 250 watt 10000k with the actinics would be fine for what you want to do, butsince you already have the 400, go with it, but raise it up and deal with the heat issues.

Flow - Minimal through the sump, like 300 gph or so with the rest being via a CL or in tank. I would probably put Seio's in there for economical flow or drill a CL.

Skimmer- Look at the CV Octopus 150 or some of the Tunze skimmers. I have the smaller Tunze in my 37 at the office and it works great.

VegasMike

 

[Zen Reeferer]

Okey dokey. Yup, it's a 24 x 24 x 24.
So if I go with 200 or 300 gph or so thru the sump, but I want more flow, I'd need an external pump with a closed loop? (I'd prefer not to use bunches of powerheads inside the tank) How do I figure-out what size pump to use? Would sure like to be in the right ballpark, tho.
Should I just get one that's adjustable? Is there a formula to figure this stuff out?
Thanks again...James

 

[VegasMike]

It's really personal preference, but what you can do is go overkill and throttle the pump back if you need to. Personally, I'd go with a Sequence Dart (2" intake) and several outlets (adjustable with a spray bar across the bottom back if you end up going BB).

Mike

 

[Sherman]

A closed loop can be a little hard on the electricity bill, so keep that in mind. The Dart is 160w, I think, and running 24/7, just to give you an idea. With 60g, I'd shoot for at least 2000gph on the pump, if not more. You'll lose a little in the plumbing bends and restrictions. Have you considered either a Vortec pump (that internal/external setup) or waiting around for this guy:

http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6217
50w & 11,000gph, Submersible or external, though not pressure rated.

 

[VegasMike]

The Polaris would be great, but there is little to no info on it, including when it might be available. The Vortech is OK, but no directional control and no Controller. I still think Tunze is a better option for an in-tank powerhead.

 

[Zen Reeferer]

Going to go with a closed loop. Vortec, hmmm...Would be nice, but too expensive for me. Would break my 'budget'. Zeovit...made by TAAM?
I'm about ready to order, everything is in my 'cart'. Just taking a week to double-think everything, and to try and get some feedback, as I can't really afford to do this wrong.
Been talking back and forth with a major reputable distributer, and was told not a good idea to throttle-back the Sequence (or any pump, really) with ball valve. He said that if you restrict the outflow (too much), can cause damage to pump seals, along with more heat, more vibration, more noise, shorter pump life.... Is this not correct?
Have somewhat decided on a Rainbow Lifegard Quiet One 6000. (1500 gph) Perhaps I'll need one powerhead for a little more flow, but I'm ok with that for now. Price is right, too.
I will get an extra oversize outflow bulkhead (total of two 1 1/2" bulkheads, teed together and reduced before the pump intake) and an extra bulkhead nozzle (total of 5, 3 on right, 2 on left) so later I can later upgrade, and not have to empty and drill. (when finances get a bit better)
Anyone see the flaws with this "plan"? (I'm sure there has to be at least one, lol)
Thanks for the replies.

 

[VegasMike]

Not to knock your distributor or anything, but MDM (Manufacturer of Sequence pumps) actually says that throttling back the output has no effect on thier pumps other than using less electricity. Think about it, as soon as you put the first piece of PVC on the end of that pump, you are restricting flow, not to mention any 90 degree albows or T's. What about vertical head loss? All of these are no different than a ball valve to restrict flow.

Now, the Quiet One will be cheaper, no doubt, but they run hot. The only quiet one I ever owned not only ran hot, but quit working within a week.

I would also look at the electrical consumption. It is hard to beat the Dart given the flow, and the Dart is about as quiet as you are going to find. I have also found the folks at MDM to have very good customer service. You may want to give them a call and ask if they have any refurb Darts for sale as they will sell direct.

 

[Zen Reeferer]

Just the kind of imput I need, thanks Mike.
I figured something wasn't right, when one cust. svcs. rep said not to throttle back for the reasons given, and one recommended to do so.
Probably going to go with the Dart. May as well do it right the first time.

Also...Is cycling without the protein skimmer ok? Will be a couple/few months before I can get one. I'm way over budget already.

 

[VegasMike]

Cycling without a protein skimmer is OK, but you will need to do more water changes. Just make sure and take it nice and slow.

The Dart is a low RPM pump and can only be run externally FYI. Ideally, I would run the Dart on a closed loop and an eheim for the sump.

 

[Zen Reeferer]

I've got a Hydor Seltz L35, adjustable flow rate, 450 gph max, for the sump, so am ok there. Never did work good on the highest setting, but works fine with slower flows.

Got a spot all picked-out for the Dart to sit next to the sump.

Am curious, should I make the inside of the tank stand like a 2" deep tub, in case of leaks...? I'm applying a couple of coats of marine varnish inside and out, anyway.

 

[NaH2O]

If you can fit a tub in there, it would be helpful. Even with little splashes the acrylic "tub" I had my sump in served its purpose very well. Although, with the sump in there, too, it didn't hold very much water. I also coated the inside of my stand in marine topside. After I changed sumps, I removed the little tub, but I did like having it in there.