Hello internet fish/coral people! My name is Brad. I have kept saltwater aquariums on and off since I was a teenager. I broke down my last tank in the fall of 2015.
It was a mix of Softies, LPS and SPS. 30 gallon tank, 20 long sump. Kalk in the ATO, macro algae refugium w/ a deep sand bed. I carbon dosed vinegar. Lighting was a custom built LED unit (black box LEDs available at the time I built the tank).
I have been waiting for the right time to step back into the hobby and last night we stumbled on a killer deal on FB. I picked up a Rimless 60 cube with a corner overflow. It came with a brand new dc return pump, black box LED light, 10 gallon sump and DIY stand & hood.
My goal is to duplicate what I did before but just better. I know that the sump will be too small and this is where my question for the internet lies.
What is the "best" layout for a square sump with refugium, skimmer, return, filter sock and still have space in the stand for ATO. dosing holding? Can I even fit all of that? Has anyone out there already build what I am thinking? I am not at all afraid to buy acrylic and build the whole thing from scratch. I want to take my time and plan this right so I only build this tank once.
Also I am wondering how has the hobby changed in the last 7 years? Have "best practices" changed? What new methods are people having success with?
I will attach a few pictures of my old tank from before I broke it down. Thanks in advance.
It was a mix of Softies, LPS and SPS. 30 gallon tank, 20 long sump. Kalk in the ATO, macro algae refugium w/ a deep sand bed. I carbon dosed vinegar. Lighting was a custom built LED unit (black box LEDs available at the time I built the tank).
I have been waiting for the right time to step back into the hobby and last night we stumbled on a killer deal on FB. I picked up a Rimless 60 cube with a corner overflow. It came with a brand new dc return pump, black box LED light, 10 gallon sump and DIY stand & hood.
My goal is to duplicate what I did before but just better. I know that the sump will be too small and this is where my question for the internet lies.
What is the "best" layout for a square sump with refugium, skimmer, return, filter sock and still have space in the stand for ATO. dosing holding? Can I even fit all of that? Has anyone out there already build what I am thinking? I am not at all afraid to buy acrylic and build the whole thing from scratch. I want to take my time and plan this right so I only build this tank once.
Also I am wondering how has the hobby changed in the last 7 years? Have "best practices" changed? What new methods are people having success with?
I will attach a few pictures of my old tank from before I broke it down. Thanks in advance.
. And the tang police. That's a new thing to me for sure.
