55g to 90g upgrade questions?

Hey all,

I'm going to be moving in the next few months and am thinking of upgrading my 55g reef. My folks have a two family house I'm going back too, and the cool thing is my fiancé & I can take as long as we need to prep it. I have decided it'll be easiest to set up & cycle a new tank and then transfer everything over a stretch of time.

I would love to get a 90g as I think it's the perfect time to upgrade, but I had some questions/concerns that you all might be able to help me with:

- how safe is a 90g on a second floor home? Factoring in the weight of the water + maybe 80-100lbs of LR (house is about 80yrs old). It's an older style house, radiators, etc.

- will my Deltec MCE600 skimmer be sufficient for a decently stocked 90g with the bio filtration of the LR? Might not get a sump if the Deltec+LR combo is enough for now.

- will 3 Koralia Evos 750gph be enough flow?

- I do a 5g water change per week & 5g top-off, will keeping this regimen work for a 90g or do I need to ramp it up to 10g per week for each?

- glass or acrylic, rimless?

- Lastly, would a 48" TEK Elite 6-bulb fixture with ATI's & Geism bulbs be enough to support any corals or clams?

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm just trying to pre-plan and make sure I have all my bases covered before diving in!

Thanks,

 

second story i would say no go too much weight

 

Agreed, you would have to get someone in there that really knows what kind of stress structures can take. In other words if you aren't willing to pay an expert to come in and check out the existing structure, pay a contractor to come in and add support to the floor, or are unable to put it on a ground level floor... I would say it is too risky. How bummed would you be if one day you come home to find a 4 ft. hole in the floor and a beach underneath it?

If you are willing to spend the money starfire glass is awesome! I would also strongly recommend going with a "reef ready" 90g. that has one or two cornerflo's

Your skimmer and powerheads should do fine in a 90.

The question about the lights isn't a straight answer. Based on my experience it all depends on what corals you're going to have and the wattage of the bulbs, the PAR and how old the existing bulbs are that you have on the lighting system already.

Hope this helps!

 

thanks guys I had a feeling it might be too much weight. What about a 75g?

 

with an 80 year old house I wouldnt put a 30 on the second level. Does it have a finished basement? As for moving, if there is any doubt trade in your coral and fish for store credit. I wish I would have bc all my fish died

 

Really hmmm I keep seeing conflicting opinions on new vs old house structures. Some say older homes were built sturdier. I would think you could have up to a 55g on a second floor without worry. I would think a bathtub with a person in it would have the same weight but I know it's not a 24/7 thing.

Anyone else have opinions or live on the 2nd floor with 55g+ tanks?

 

My opinions are possibly not valid as we live in different countries

but I have had a 5ft x 20 x 18 and a 4ft x 18 x 18 right next to each other and I live on the 2nd floor of a block of flats ( so thats 130 gallons plus all at one end of the room, which is against the supporting wall and not an internal wall which would have given me concerns)

other questions - the Deltec depends on how many and what type of fish you want IMO as corals wont create to much waste and small reef fishes will be OK so lightly stocked in terms of fish and I would feel confident in the Deltec

5% or 5 gallons in a 90 is perfect IMHO for a weekly water change

Tek 6 light - IME - your good to go with SPS and even clams on the sand bed (as long as your 90 is not some odd real short and deep tank)

acrylic is lighter but scratches easier - you pays your money and takes your chances IME

Flow - depends on your coral ambitions - I got up to 70 plus x volume of tank per hour in my 5ft with mostly SPS corals , but 40 - 50 times was more than adequate for softies

thus depending on what you want to keep, you may want to add a bit more power into that flow equation

Steve

 

Thanks for your advice Steve, much appreciated!