Turning My Eclipse, Newbie Nano Advice (but good questions)

[plasma]

Hey Guys (and gals?)
I have this 29 tall Eclispe tank at my office that I have kept cichlids in for over a year. I'm getting a bit bored of the tank and after setting up my 75G at home reef style, I think I've decided that I want to try it with my 29 tall at work.

I'm no guru on saltwater, but I do have a bit of experience with them (enough to know I need to be patient, lemme say that). So I have some questions regarding the conversion of this tank that I was hoping someone could shed some light on.

My first dillema is how to filter the tank. I personally believe in good filtration, even overkill has been my moto. When it come to sw, I have had only experience with my 75g setup, consisting of a hang on prefilter, a largish wet/dry under, a HUGE (well, pretty huge anyway) venturi skimmer, the return lines and some powerheads. Now, with this eclipse, it has that whole hood thing going on with the filter built into it. Standard eclipse hood, you all know. I don't particularily trust that built in filter to be enough, and I want to try to do as little modification to the tank as possible. I notice, after crawling around the board a bit, that no one speaks of wet/dry filters for the smaller tanks, but I know that system and I know it works, so I kinda wanted to stick with some sort of trickle filter or canister wet/dry. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to accomplish this, if that's even the way to go for filtration and should I bypass the built in filter in the eclispe hood? I would also like to put a venturi skimmer under the tank, I really don't want any junk sticking out or hanging of the bottom of the tank, surely someone makes on small enough to do that, but big enough to do the job. Any ideas?

Next, obviuosly, comes the lighting issue. At first, I figured the bulbs built in would be enough, I run one 10K and one AC now in the FW setup, and it seems to penetrate well, but...still, maybe not enough. I found in another post, a retro kit to boost the lighting, but I still have no idea what I'm looking at as far as how much light is enough light and which kit is the kit to get. Any suggestions there?

I also thought about ditching the hood all together, making a glass top and just suspending some sort of power compact over it (but I dig the way the hood makes the top of the tank look..so I dunno bout that.)

I already have a very nice RO unit, so making water is not a problem. Which is a good point, and I sit here all day, so I think taking care of it won't be a problem.

Next...making a wet dry. I happen to have a spare 10 gallon tank, that I'm not using for anything. I was considering making this into a wet/dry filter. Should be easy to do with some plexiglass....then again, maybe there is something better I can do with the 10g, any suggestions?

Thanks for all of your time in advance
And to add, I was just thinking of doing a nice LR wall up the back, 1 or 2 fish and a couple of inverts - no coral in mind, have NO experience with them at all, I think I'm going to experiment there with my 75g.

[matrixnyc]

Here are some suggestions to your questions:

Filtration:

http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20021010132036/www.drsfostersmith.com/images/products/large/pw_134279.jpg (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=6&pCatId=3641)

Skilter Filters

http://www.cprusa.com/product%20images/newbp2r.jpg (http://www.cprusa.com/products/bakpak2r.htm)

Cyclone BAK-PAK 2Rsm Bio-Filter

http://www.cprusa.com/product%20images/RF-1.jpg (http://www.cprusa.com/products/citr.html)

AquaFugesm Hang-On Refugium


Lighting:

Retrofit Kits From HelloLights.com

http://store2.yimg.com/I/lamps-now_1727_23703872

http://store.yahoo.com/lamps-now/comretkit.html


I will look for more stuff that you can use for your tank.

BTW Welcome to ReefLounge.com

[plasma]

Wow,
Thanks, That's all good stuff to look into.

Someone please do me this favor, explain to me what exactly a Refugium is, how it kinda works and how well it works?

[matrixnyc]

You can also check out the auctions here:

http://www.reeflounge.com/auction/item.php?id=4bea3b6546294b3c407d98ffd669fb8d

They have a retrokit for a Eclipse #3

Not sure what your tank is.

[plasma]

Thanks for that as well. I'm not sure which eclipse I have. I'm going to visit their website and see if I can determine. I think it is an eclipse 3, but I need to be positive.


I was also considering buying this tank,
What's anyone's opinion about this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20755&item=2086027817

[plasma]

it is a 3, 24" lights.

[RazerCorals]

For filteration I would definately go with the refugium, from CPR. I have a skilter on my 40 and it does alright. I also have a protein skimmer besides it. The light you need is going to depend what you want to keep. MH for hard corals, otherwise go fish PC for anything else. NO for FO tank.

[plasma]

So as asked before, what exactly is a refugium?

How does it work?

[RazerCorals]

A refugium is a box, usually outside of the tank. It may contain macro algae, live sand, and pods. What happens is with a hang on like the CPR model a pump takes water from the main tank. Then is pushed through refugium to the main tank. It is an easy way to keep your water quality high. I am waiting for mine to come. I won it on eBay.

[Samurai]

I think that tank is pretty cool. Live rock might be better than the bioballs. Who ever won that auction got a great deal. I have seen the same tank online for much more.

[Thorkot]

A refugium helps maintain your tank,
You can use different techniques as with the aquarium, you can use a DSB or "mud" in the bottom, put in macro algae, and a few pieces of LR. The lights on the fuge stay on at all times, this helps regulate the pH and O2. The mud or dsb works to break down nitrogenous waste. Small critters that are beneficial to your tanks inhabitants can use this as a safe haven to grow then they will be swept into your main tank where the fish and inverts can feast on them.

[Zack]

Also a refugium helps feed corals and such with pods :D

[plasma]

Interesting, I went and did a bit of research into that online, and I'm not positive on what the best way of iplementing one is. Does anyone know how much the hang on refugium costs.

And if you have a tank like the one I listed on ebay, wouldn't getting to the filter be kind of a pain since it's up against the wall? And I also have to look at the additional cost of lighting and all that for a refugium if I use one. Sounds like a cool idea though.

I also had heard that you can build one UNDER the tank, as opposed to hanging it on the back, but that that was not better since it has to be pumped back up to the tank, I read somewhere that like 90% of what goes through a pump gets bushwhacked on the way, but if it siphons in and out, then that won't happen. Talkin kind of a custom setup here really.

However, I do have that 10G that I could easily make into one. But I have no idea how you ACTUALLY set one up. How I would get the water into it, return it and what to put in it. I have seen the detrivore kits and kinda understand what that does. But I need some like step by step ideas of how to set one up based on what I have here and/or could possibly buy or aquire. If one of you had all the stuff I had, what would ya do. :D

Aside from the refugium, would you run any other type of filtration?

seems like to me, I need to decide which tank I'm going to use, that would tell me how to work any type of refugium.

The tank on Ebay is slick, filter's built in, looks nice, it's acrylic, small, easy to handle, lights can be preinstalled by him (he said he could upgrade it to the following:

110 watt compact system (High output) (Twin 55 watt system - 22" long) Complete Helios Light system including bulbs and reflector installation is $159). Not seeing the thing though, makes me nervous, and I don;t think the hang on would hang on that one, just by the way it looks, and personally, I really dig the kinda turn key gig. However I have to buy the stand and a few other odds and ends.

If I use my existing tank, I have to change the lights and figure out some way to filter it, lot of work on my part and I still don't know how the hang on would hang on, Id have to see it I guess and modify the hood to allow it to hang on, or I could put EVERYTHING under the tank.

Tell me what any of you experienced people would do :? cause choices confuse me. :roll:

[plasma]

Also, if I bought the acrylic, would that be the lighting that I want? I don;t know a whole lot about lighting, But I wanna figure it out! That's for sure.

[matrixnyc]

ligthing depends on what you want to keep in your Nano-Reef Tank :)

Tell us what you plan on having in there are we can make suggestions for lighting.

[plasma]

At first, all I want to keep is some Good live Rock, a couple of fish and some inverts. Maybe one day, 6 months down the road, once tank is well established, I might consider dabbling into a little bit of coral, just the normal stuff up front.

[RazerCorals]

Well I payed $33+$12 for ship on eBay. Then I just need to get a pump which probably be $25.

A normal CPR 40 is going to cost between $89-99 online + shipping.
The CPR includes all necessary pumps.

Then you will need light for it, go with some small compacts or JBJ hang on lights.

[phistio]

BTW...that's who i got my tank from Steve Frosti AKA "the acrylicman"

you can see my tank in my sig.

[Zack]

a few fish?!?! Be careful on your biaoload once again! :wink:

[plasma]

Didn't say a few fish, I said a couple of fish. Surely you can get two small fish into a 29g? Right. What do you guys think?

[plasma]

Phisto, You're tank looks AWESOME. That is all I could ever want out of a small nano tank like that. Exactly what I was looking to do.

Obviously, it's a moronic question to ask you how you like the tank, it seems to be working beautiful.

Did you buy the skimmer that acrylic man suggests and the lighting as well?

Thanks

[phistio]

actually my tank looks so much better now than it did in those pictures (i need to update).

i do love the tank!!!

it cost me $600 to my door...and the skimmer was included, as well as the 2 pumps...and canopy...the stand and 110w PC with reflector already installed. (and that's with shipping.) if you tell him i sent ya, he might give ya a little bit of a deal. also, ask for the canopy to be on hinges.

i saw a clarity plus at my LFS today (same design, almost) for $450, and that's the tank only...you add lights, and a stand...you'd easily be over $600.

[plasma]

Here goes...

I went down to my LFS today to chat about this idea, and ran across a 65g Ocianic Show tank with matching stand. The guy made me a deal I couldn't refuse. I suppose for the time being, I'm out of the nano business. Beautiful tank and I couldn't turn it away, so wish me luck and thanks for all of your advice.

[RazerCorals]

150 is a lot for a 24" in duel PC fixture. Check on ebay under "Power Compact" there are some cheap dual PC fixtures.