New but Not New! Need some advice

[Mr Tint]

Hello,

I kept a 125g reef for many years but have been out of the hobbie for 3 years now. I am getting ready to set up a new 210g reef and would like some advice.

I thought my old system was a really nice set up and was going to try to do it close to the same but after reading for days here I have noticed alot has changed :?

I had a 125g corner tank with 175w MH (icecap ballast) with 4 VHO bulbs (Icecap ballast) The VHO,s were also on a icecast (dimmer) that would ramp up over a hours time and back down over a hours time (thought this was really cool). I ran a 1/3 chiller, euro protien skimmer, sump with refugium (spelling?) 1 Iwaki and 1 Poseidon pump, calcium reactor (darn near killed everything setting that up) and everything was conrolled by a Neptune controller with PH and Temp probes. I still have all this equiptment.

Looking for advice on the best lighting today (still MH or T5) T5 is new to me. Also any Idea on setting up a good top off system (had alot of evaporation on my last tank) and water change system. Also I will put a picture in of were the tank will be. It is going to be 94x17x24. Anyone have any experince with a tank that narrow?

I would like to keep all types of corals so best ways to get water movement thru a tank like that (or best return to use)? I would like to keep most things under the tank but could move water (for top off or changes) thru the attack. Might be to far to put the sump in the garage (to much head pressure on a pump) I live in a single storry house so every thing has to go up before it goes down. And a recommendation on who to use to build the tank? I would like it to be glass because the old one was acrylic and it killed me getting coraline off the acrylic (ecen with the plastic scraper).

Thanks
Robert

 

[ChrisRD]

www.aquariumobsessed.com and www.miraclesaquariums.com both have good reputations as custom glass tank builders.

 

[Len]

MH still rules. T5 is great for smaller tanks, but nothing beats MH in my experience when it comes to big tanks. I would still go MH (250W or 400W) with VHOs.

Can you get a wider tank? 17" is okay, but it limits your aquascaping options. 24" is much better if possible.

For circulation, the simplest solution is to get some Tunze Streams in the tank. These provide excellent flow with minimum plumbing and noise.

Good top-off is a good dosing pump IMO. You will need a resevoir of freshwater (can be located as far as a hundred feet away). Or if you want to plumb an RO to the tank, there are many float switches that can help top off your tank. I just personally trust a good dosing pump (like LiterMeter III) more.

I got my tank at Aquariumobsessed up in Canada. Shipping was shockingly cheap, and I didn't have to pay any taxes. But seeing that you are in SoCal, you can also get LeeMar to custom build you a tank at very reasonable prices. LeeMar makes great stuff. Just find a LFS that carries LeeMar tanks and they can custom order one for you. Or contact LeeMar to see what options you can go with. Glass is definitely the way to go.