First build, lots of questions

[Joel j]

Hello all.
I am taking the plunge into saltwater.
I have been keeping freshwater for 20+ years and shrimp for 5 years.
My wife wants a "nemo", but she does not want another tank in the house.
I have agreed to break down my 75g planted tank and convert it to saltwater.
I already have an ro/di system and am familiar with mixing and testing water.
My plan for the tank is to build my own aio drop in. In my head I want to put one on each end of the tank. I have not seen this in any aio tanks for sale and am wondering if there is a reason that they are only on one end, peninsula I think it's called. Or across the whole back. Is there reasons why I should not put one on both ends? I would put the overflow and return on diagonal.
Please let me know the good, the bad and the ugly on this idea.

 

[Roadkillstewie]

Well it's kind of redundant..and cost more material wise from a mfg standpoint. Then there's the...esthetics of seeing the, 'plumbing' on both ends, return pump etc al.

Now granted, you could hide it with an, in-wall setup...or custom cabinet around the tank...
but open, ontop of a stand, not so pretty.

 

[Jimbobalou622]

Hello all.
I am taking the plunge into saltwater.
I have been keeping freshwater for 20+ years and shrimp for 5 years.
My wife wants a "nemo", but she does not want another tank in the house.
I have agreed to break down my 75g planted tank and convert it to saltwater.
I already have an ro/di system and am familiar with mixing and testing water.
My plan for the tank is to build my own aio drop in. In my head I want to put one on each end of the tank. I have not seen this in any aio tanks for sale and am wondering if there is a reason that they are only on one end, peninsula I think it's called. Or across the whole back. Is there reasons why I should not put one on both ends? I would put the overflow and return on diagonal.
Please let me know the good, the bad and the ugly on this idea.

Peninsula looks nicer in my opinion

 

[Joel j]

Well it's kind of redundant..and cost more material wise from a mfg standpoint. Then there's the...esthetics of seeing the, 'plumbing' on both ends, return pump etc al.

Now granted, you could hide it with an, in-wall setup...or custom cabinet around the tank...
but open, ontop of a stand, not so pretty.

Plan on building the drop ins with black acrylic. I was gonna have the view side blocked with the same black acrylic. Tank would have the black bar look of a wide screen TV playing a square program.

 

[Roadkillstewie]

You've still got wires etc coming out of the top, @ both ends... and your looking at needing the 'wall' with the overflow and at least 2 others sides, per end if it's not in a corner.

 

[19Mateo83]

Twice the work, materials, equipment and cleaning…. You could do a nice one on one end or one in the center and hide it with rock work. Just my $.02

 

[Roadkillstewie]

Plan on building the drop ins with black acrylic. I was gonna have the view side blocked with the same black acrylic. Tank would have the black bar look of a wide screen TV playing a square program.

2x+ the amount of acrylic, loss of view.... presuming this on a stand and not an in-wall or cabinet enclosed setup.

What advantage, or 'pro' are you envisioning from dual end overflows over a single/peninsula style?

I can see, maybe in regards to redundancy... or pro's in regards to hiding powerheads and keeping things out of them, and/or using one end as a refugium of sorts, but that's about it.

 

[Joel j]

Ok, so I have decided to not build the aio's. I have an fx6 on the tank already. I will be getting a hob overflow and hook the fx6 to that. Maybe get a lock line for the return and a wave maker. I will have a sponge of some sort on the intake at the hob to keep debris out of the filter.
Marine filtration is the same basically as fresh water filtration correct? Catch debris with mechanical, produce nitrates with biological, and then export nitrates with water changes or plant growth.

 

[WillpoleReefers]

Ok, so I have decided to not build the aio's. I have an fx6 on the tank already. I will be getting a hob overflow and hook the fx6 to that. Maybe get a lock line for the return and a wave maker. I will have a sponge of some sort on the intake at the hob to keep debris out of the filter.
Marine filtration is the same basically as fresh water filtration correct? Catch debris with mechanical, produce nitrates with biological, and then export nitrates with water changes or plant growth.

You might do better to consider some live rock in there rather than just mech filtration? Mature rock is capable of doing most or all of the biological side including reducing nitrates

 

[Joel j]

You might do better to consider some live rock in there rather than just mech filtration? Mature rock is capable of doing most or all of the biological side including reducing nitrates

As of now I have ceramic ring, pumice, seachem matrix. I will add carbon, and I keep a sponge over the intake to for a prefilter to keep solids out of the can.

 

[Joel j]

Still have alot of plumbing to do on the filter but got the tank emptied, cleaned,moved, and the rock in. Next is sand and water. Let the journey begin. There is curtians for the windows. There taken down for painting of the walls.

 

[Dburr1014]

Plan on building the drop ins with black acrylic. I was gonna have the view side blocked with the same black acrylic. Tank would have the black bar look of a wide screen TV playing a square program.

late to the party but, one upside to this, even tho you changed your mind, is it the pumps are big enough you would need any wavemaker in the tank. Just the two returns could be enough.

Look for a hang on skimmer also. It will remove proteins and provide aeration.

 

[Joel j]

late to the party but, one upside to this, even tho you changed your mind, is it the pumps are big enough you would need any wavemaker in the tank. Just the two returns could be enough.

Look for a hang on skimmer also. It will remove proteins and provide aeration.

We will see what kind of flow I get with the fx6. All the sponges have been removed and it is filled with 2L of seachem matrix and 2L of marco rubble. I have a sediment trap to install on the intake side still. Also there is about 90lb of rock in the tank. Flow, lighting and ato are next on the to do list. Already have a 10 tank under the stand for top off water.
Plan on running the system with lights out and fowlr for about 4-6 months and then I will see how well the finnex 24/7+ works for some basic corals.

 

[Joel j]

First fish in.