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BryceM · 03-30-2009, 06:06 PM

Oh, I love big tank setups.

I set up a 180g tank a couple of years ago. If I did it again, I'd use a reef-ready setup. There are plenty of things that you can do with the overflows. Also, other than very minor maintenence, they really don't need to be cleaned out very often - maybe once every couple of years. I'd leave the overflows. It gives you so many options like automatic waterchanges, automatic top-offs, built-in surface skimming, etc. It will also allow you to hide any other visibly obtrusive hardware. It's pretty easy to position plants and hardscape to mostly hide them too.

About the weight - I wouldn't put a tank that size on an upper level without a formal engineering evaluation. Even if it doesn't break through the floor there can be enough deformation (bending) that you risk splitting a seam. Think of 210g of yuck-water instantly going onto the floor and into the basement ceiling. You'd be much better off finding enough guys to get the thing moved safely into the basement. Offer cash & prizes (pizza).

Is this tank glass or acrylic? If it's glass, you can be pretty aggressive with removal of the coraline (purple reef stuff) which is mostly calcium. Razor blades work wonderfully. Be careful about the silicone seams though. You can also use dilute muriatic acid (HCl) which will dissolve the stuff easily. Don't use the concentrated stuff since the fumes can cause eye and lung irritation.

Personally, I'd try a sump. You might try opening a new thread to get advice on how to do this properly for a big tank.

Before you go any further, I'd strongly recommend carefully defining your goals. What type of plants & fish do you intend to keep? Can you reach the bottom? If not, don't plan on maintenence-intensive foreground species. Only after you define your goals will you be able to select appropriate lighting. This will be your single biggest expense and will dictate the entire future direction of the setup. Filtration and flow are secondary to this. I spent about two years planning my 180g and I still messed up plenty of things. You really can't "wing it" with a tank this big. Equipment mistakes at this level become expensive very quickly.

03-30-2009, 06:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
BryceM Administrator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: South Central Idaho, USA Posts: 4,262 iTrader Ratings: 42 iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points: 178534	Re: Large tank set up Oh, I love big tank setups. I set up a 180g tank a couple of years ago. If I did it again, I'd use a reef-ready setup. There are plenty of things that you can do with the overflows. Also, other than very minor maintenence, they really don't need to be cleaned out very often - maybe once every couple of years. I'd leave the overflows. It gives you so many options like automatic waterchanges, automatic top-offs, built-in surface skimming, etc. It will also allow you to hide any other visibly obtrusive hardware. It's pretty easy to position plants and hardscape to mostly hide them too. About the weight - I wouldn't put a tank that size on an upper level without a formal engineering evaluation. Even if it doesn't break through the floor there can be enough deformation (bending) that you risk splitting a seam. Think of 210g of yuck-water instantly going onto the floor and into the basement ceiling. You'd be much better off finding enough guys to get the thing moved safely into the basement. Offer cash & prizes (pizza). Is this tank glass or acrylic? If it's glass, you can be pretty aggressive with removal of the coraline (purple reef stuff) which is mostly calcium. Razor blades work wonderfully. Be careful about the silicone seams though. You can also use dilute muriatic acid (HCl) which will dissolve the stuff easily. Don't use the concentrated stuff since the fumes can cause eye and lung irritation. Personally, I'd try a sump. You might try opening a new thread to get advice on how to do this properly for a big tank. Before you go any further, I'd strongly recommend carefully defining your goals. What type of plants & fish do you intend to keep? Can you reach the bottom? If not, don't plan on maintenence-intensive foreground species. Only after you define your goals will you be able to select appropriate lighting. This will be your single biggest expense and will dictate the entire future direction of the setup. Filtration and flow are secondary to this. I spent about two years planning my 180g and I still messed up plenty of things. You really can't "wing it" with a tank this big. Equipment mistakes at this level become expensive very quickly.