Planning for New Tank

[Jackyx]

Hi Guys and Girls,

Am new here and planning to start a Marine Tank (FOWLR). Therefore am here to gather more information and do some planning before i start purchasing anything. =D

1) Tank 2' or 2.5' x 1' x ht? (IOS)

- Am going for 2' or 2.5' for the length and wondering what height should i go for?

- Am going for IOS as i cant have space for a sump. I cant find information on this setup. Like how is it suppose to be built(compartments) and whats the size it should be? Am looking at maybe 6" length for the IOS? so its 12" x 6".

- Where or who can I look for to make the above tank? Any recommendations? As i dont see ready made onces at LFS that i go to.

2) Skimmer (my biggest worry as i have no hands on before)

- Was wondering if this can be used as my return pump from the IOS?

- Any recommendations? (Taking note that its going into my small IOS space)

3) Wave maker

- what i need is a 10x - 20x flow rate in my tank? please correct me if i am wrong

- If my skimmer cannot be used as my return pump, then will it work if i get a strong return pump to also work as my WaveMaker?

(will there be any Pro/Con with that high of a flowrate going through my IOS compartment?)

4) Lights

- I believe i dont really need any special lighting if i am only gonna do FOWLR right?

5) Temperature

- Am planning to do without Chiller and Fan. If need be maybe Fan can be added at any point of time when need be i guess?

Would appreciate any advise & comments you can offer.

Thank you for your time in reading and thanks in advance if your gonna advise and comment. =D

Regards

Jacky

[Chuchu]

Still a newbie too but i tink that without a chiller the fish colours may not be as bright as witha chiller,lights can jus use t5s as u are going for FOWLR

[Quas111]

Alright I have a few suggestions

For your lights, get proper ones. Fowlr or not, your tank would look terrible without reef lights. I have a nano fowlr tank which looks terrible due to a freshwater lighting module. Your algae will grow uncontrollably too, depending on how much white your light has

For your tank, maybe you can try to get it custom made. There are a lot of tank makers in sg (just check the sponsers section)

For temperature, it would be ok if you don't use any cooling unit, but from what I observe fish become more lethargic and die faster without cooler waters similar to their habitat.

For wave maker, a strong return pump may not be sufficient. Maybe 2 jebao wp10 would be enough for your wave strength. And if you're going to use your skimmer as a return pump, there is no way the gph would be high enough for your fishes. Your skimmer must also have a suitable gph passing through it, and this would be lower than the waves needed by reef fish

Wish you luck in your new tank

Happy reefing~

[Jackyx]

Thanks bro Chuchu and Quas111 for your advises.

Will take note on the chiller/fan issue, I believe i can add in any of those anytime without a need to change anything in the tank.

As for the tank, i have gotten a quote from one of the tank makers already. However having issue with how should my IOS compartments be.

I will have to have my media, skimmer and return pump in there and i only got like 12" x 6" space. If i split them evenly 4" x 6", it seems really small in each compartment. No idea if there is any issue with that. Any one can advise me on this one please? Thanks =D

As for wave maker guess i'll just have to get them then. Not an issue. Will look into the Jebao WP10.

As for skimmer was looking at Tunze 9002 or 9004. Which are better for my tank or any other recommendations? Also i think i might have a problem in fitting them into my IOS.

Thank you. =D

[Jackyx]

Guys i did a calculation on the IOS.

The space i have is 12" x 6".

Minus off 2" for the gap inbetween compartments i am left with 10"

3" x 6" for first compartment where my sponge and media is at

4" x 6" for 2nd compartment where the skimmer will be. Looking at Tunze 9004 which has a dimension of 4.3" x 3.5". This should be ok?

3" x 6" for last compartment where i put the return pump. Looking at Eheim Compact 1000 which is 3.9" x 2.4". Think the space is ok?

Please advise is this feasible or any recommendation on the space out.

Also would like to seek advise on whether will i have major rusting issues if i use a metal stand for the tank? Also to note i have a larger freshwater setup which is on a metal stand which is beside the up coming setup. Will it really affect it to a large extent?

Lastly, i already got a quote for the tank but i would like to check out a few more different suppliers. Maybe someone got one to intro with contacts?

Thanks alot.

=D

[Quas111]

Guys i did a calculation on the IOS.

The space i have is 12" x 6".

Minus off 2" for the gap inbetween compartments i am left with 10"

3" x 6" for first compartment where my sponge and media is at

4" x 6" for 2nd compartment where the skimmer will be. Looking at Tunze 9004 which has a dimension of 4.3" x 3.5". This should be ok?

3" x 6" for last compartment where i put the return pump. Looking at Eheim Compact 1000 which is 3.9" x 2.4". Think the space is ok?

Please advise is this feasible or any recommendation on the space out.

Also would like to seek advise on whether will i have major rusting issues if i use a metal stand for the tank? Also to note i have a larger freshwater setup which is on a metal stand which is beside the up coming setup. Will it really affect it to a large extent?

Lastly, i already got a quote for the tank but i would like to check out a few more different suppliers. Maybe someone got one to intro with contacts?

Thanks alot.

=D

if your metal frame is made of aluminum, then it's fine. However if it's made of steel, make sure the grade is above 316 or it will start rusting and break with the weight of the tank. If your stand is made of pure iron, then your tank would crash to the ground very soon. Anyways your freshwater tank won't get affected as long as no saltwater touches it.

Your spacing seems okay, but it's best to check with the tank maker first. You should also make sure the equipment has the correct rating for your tank. I don't have any recommendations in particular, but maybe you could check out iwarna or the Atlantic tank maker. You're gonna have to look around and I've seen some good links on google too

[Jameshong]

Thanks bro Chuchu and Quas111 for your advises.

Will take note on the chiller/fan issue, I believe i can add in any of those anytime without a need to change anything in the tank.

As for the tank, i have gotten a quote from one of the tank makers already. However having issue with how should my IOS compartments be.

I will have to have my media, skimmer and return pump in there and i only got like 12" x 6" space. If i split them evenly 4" x 6", it seems really small in each compartment. No idea if there is any issue with that. Any one can advise me on this one please? Thanks =D

As for wave maker guess i'll just have to get them then. Not an issue. Will look into the Jebao WP10.

As for skimmer was looking at Tunze 9002 or 9004. Which are better for my tank or any other recommendations? Also i think i might have a problem in fitting them into my IOS.

Thank you. =D

Better opt for new 9004 as 9002 is coming obsolete soon.

[tunicate]

I recommend BM QQ skimmer for your 2nd compartment.

http://www.bubble-magus.com/en/productShow.asp?id=1002

[Quas111]

I recommend BM QQ skimmer for your 2nd compartment.

http://www.bubble-magus.com/en/productShow.asp?id=1002

how does this compare vs to skimz sk201 or sm201. I felt like getting one of those because they are rated higher than the tank volume and they are also quite cheap

[Quas111]

how does this compare vs to skimz sk201 or sm201. I felt like getting one of those because they are rated higher than the tank volume and they are also quite cheap

oh sorry I made a mistake this is not the thread I thought it was. Oopsies! Ignore my previous post! Sorry!

[Uptempo]

For fowlr, would you consider at least 3ft up? I am sure you are attracted to many species of fishes.A larger tank can house more fish, easier to maintain with higher water volume thus having more stable parameters. Do consider as I am one who is having at 3.5ft fowlr currently and constantly thinking of upgrade.