I'm taking my reef addiction to a higher level

[jayuws]

I'm still figuring out how to filtrate my new tank

There are not many skimmers that are worthy enough for larger tank FYI Bst of luck with it

The new tank will have a hole predrilled so I'm thinking of using my 45g as a refugium/sump. But this is where I am concerned about leakage. I need to figure out what type of mechanical filtration would work the best. I am already planning on having a total of around 200# of LR. Any and all suggestions will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Jay

 

[ZZROCOOL]

wow ahh this could be the most absurd thing i have ever seen!
If you love it then great do it BUT

sky lights tend to do 2 things, create a huge amount of heat, 2 create a huge amount of algae. They don't work like you think they will. (i know cause I have one above my tank and it causes more problems the help. Water channels, never gonna happen sounds like a major flood to me you always end up with salt and water all over everything. Water change? Cleaning the glass? Thats a long way for fish to fall when they jump. You might want to rethink doing this project it sounds like a MAJOR mistake in the making. I am not trying to be an A$$ hole but I have done enough tanks and seen enough to know. DONT DO IT

 

[h20 freak]

Maybe he is doing what I think he is doing, do you plan to have a tank that is viewed from the bottom, meaning if you put in any substrate your view will be blocked off?Or do you plan on having a tank that is just very high so to get light from the skylight?

 

[jayuws]

Thanks for the feedback

wow ahh this could be the most absurd thing i have ever seen!
If you love it then great do it BUT

sky lights tend to do 2 things, create a huge amount of heat, 2 create a huge amount of algae. They don't work like you think they will. (i know cause I have one above my tank and it causes more problems the help. Water channels, never gonna happen sounds like a major flood to me you always end up with salt and water all over everything. Water change? Cleaning the glass? Thats a long way for fish to fall when they jump. You might want to rethink doing this project it sounds like a MAJOR mistake in the making. I am not trying to be an A$$ hole but I have done enough tanks and seen enough to know. DONT DO IT

Hey ZZ,

First off, I already have 2 skylights in my apartment so I'm well aware of how much heat can be produced. This is why they make electronic shades that completely block the light as well as electronic tinting and venting. If your skylight is producing heat in the summer you should update your glass at least to energy star standards.

As far as algae growth, light intensity and duration aren't the only parameters involved in producing excess algae. We all know that high nitrates will grow algae much faster.

cleaning, water changes, and cleaning the glass are all being done now, albeit not as much as I would like. But that has nothing to do with the location.

Water channels placed under my tank are only meant to divert catastrophic water damage on my electronics. I'm not talking about water spilling or fish jumping out. BTW: if one of your fish jumps out in the middle of the night, the chance of it jumping back is about the same as the chance of mine jumping back. More than likely it won't be the fall that kills it, it would be the amount of time out of the water.

But I really apprectiate the comments. I want to catch a mistake before I make it so give me some more. If I don't have an answer I better get one before the construction begins.

Thanks again,

Jay

 

[jayuws]

Sorry about the confusion

Maybe he is doing what I think he is doing, do you plan to have a tank that is viewed from the bottom, meaning if you put in any substrate your view will be blocked off?Or do you plan on having a tank that is just very high so to get light from the skylight?

Hey H2O,

I guess I need to clarify. The entertainment center is actually between my livingroom and my bedroom. So if you're sitting on the couch in my livingroom facing the entertainment center and look above the center you will see my tank. If you look past my tank (on the other side of my tank) you would see the loft bedroom. But if you're in the loft bedroom (because it's 8' higher up than the livingroom) the same aquarium is now at eye level when sitting down in my bedroom. So now when you look at my tank, the livingroom is on the other side. I hope this helps.

Jay

 

[h20 freak]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh ok I got it now. Where do you plan to put the drain?I would imagine you don't want it to obstruct your view from either side. Are you planning to go through the side like daceman's 340?

 

[jayuws]

Ideally I would have a drain on both sides

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh ok I got it now. Where do you plan to put the drain?I would imagine you don't want it to obstruct your view from either side. Are you planning to go through the side like daceman's 340?

Unfortunately, I didn't have a choice where the drain would be. I bought a tank that had a hole pre-drilled in the back corner. So I've decided to put that side facing my bedroom and have the clean side facing the livingroom.

I'm still researching how to set-up the plumbing. If anyone has any suggestions or directions please pass them on.

Thanks,

Jay

 

[jayuws]

I'd love to know more about your set-up

wow ahh this could be the most absurd thing i have ever seen!
If you love it then great do it BUT

sky lights tend to do 2 things, create a huge amount of heat, 2 create a huge amount of algae. They don't work like you think they will. (i know cause I have one above my tank and it causes more problems the help. Water channels, never gonna happen sounds like a major flood to me you always end up with salt and water all over everything. Water change? Cleaning the glass? Thats a long way for fish to fall when they jump. You might want to rethink doing this project it sounds like a MAJOR mistake in the making. I am not trying to be an A$$ hole but I have done enough tanks and seen enough to know. DONT DO IT

Hey ZZ,

How far is your skylight away from your tank? Is it directly ove the tank? How much direct sunlight does your tank get on average daily? Do you suppliment lighting?

 

[ZZROCOOL]

sky light

skylight is about 6' off center of the tank, keeps the whole room at 75 its hard to keep the tank which is a 120 (30" deep 48" wide 20" high) open top below 80 (I dont have a chiller and are trying to avoid getting one). Water quality is great algae grows because of the sky light.

 

[Sean]

I've done something similar before

It was viewable from all 4 sides. Is this kind of what you have in mind?

 

[jayuws]

That's it exactly

I've done something similar before

It was viewable from all 4 sides. Is this kind of what you have in mind?

The only difference will be the skylight which will be about 2.5' above the tank.

 

[Sean]

ok

the filtration is located under the stairs and plumbed through the closet.

I had three holes drilled in the tank one for the overflow, one for the return and one for electric.

then I used the P.V.C. for the base structure of the rock formation.

 

[Sean]

any progress on this tank?

 

[jhale]

I'm way late to this thread. Just an fyi about using found aquariums for reef tanks. you have no way of knowing if copper was used in the tank as medication. this won't hurt fish but it can kill inverts and mess with a reef tank in the future. in your case it looks like things turned out alright. just be careful in the future

 

[Kedd]

Just watching

 

[JHOV2324]

me too :scratch: