Bored! Need to build a new setup

Well the time has come, I have had a cichlid tank for about 2 years. it has been great but i am starting to get bored with it. I have always wanted a salt water setup. I am trying to figure out how I can convert my existing setup with the least expense possible. I have a young family and I do not have a lot to spend.

My current tank is 70-90 gallon bow-front. The initial idea was to keep my current rock and sand. I also wanted to use a 20-30 gallon sump in the cabinet underneath. This was my plan and it sounded good but after hours of reading I am realizing it may not be that easy. So here are my questions,

My tank does not have a built in overflow. This is my first issue. I was planning on using a hob overflow. From what I have read the major concern with these is the possibility of a flood due to a loss of siphon. So my question is what if you were to mount the return pump at a higher level in the sump? Could that possibly limit the amount of water that would be returned to the DT? Or could I drill the sump at the return side of the sump at a higher level and plumb a line to separate return container. that way there would be limited water that could be pumped to the DT?

My next issue is my current rock and substrate. I thought i could use my existing rock and sand. i have read that lava rock can excrete toxic elements. I have no idea what type of rock i have. If I could use my current rock is there anything I have to do to get rid of the current bacteria. or could I just add saltwater and start my cycle? Here is a pic of the rock


I am also concerned about the sand i have in my tank it is slightly larger then most of the sand i see in most setups. aside form aesthetics will it work? Would i be better off replacing with play sand?

here is a shot of the sand



If I have to buy new rock my plan is to buy dead rock and use a bacteria and small amount of live rock to start my cycle.

In regards to lighting i was going to try to keep a cheap as possible does anyone have any recommendations for a cheap set up that i could use to start adding corals that do not have high lighting requirements.

I also need to build my own sump, i have found a ton of resources for plans to build one is there a common set up that works best for a petco type 20-30 gal glass tank?

Sorry for the lengthy post and thank you so much in advance for the help. these forums are a tremendous resource.

here are some more pics of my current set up

 

Its not working. None of the links.

 

I can't seem to get the pictures to work correctly sorry!

 

You can edit the post. Try putting the links on a separate line of there own and add a couple returns on the end.

 

Thanks I was trying to use picasa with no luck. photobucket is working better for me

 

Hi, and welcome to 3Reef!

First, the good news- you have a really nice tank. :clapping:

Bad news is, the tank is almost the only thing usable for a reef. You will need a finer sand as what you have now will allow waste to sift into it and cause major problems later. Aragonite would be the best, but you can use dry instead of live to save money. Your rocks will also need to be replaced as they have no benefit to a reef. I actually prefer dry base rock over live; it's cheaper and you don't get unwanted hitchhikers.

As for the sump-- there's no law that says you need one. Several members here have very nice reef tanks without a sump. It does have some benefits; however, if you choose to use one, you will need to drill your tank for an outlet or use a HOB overflow. Moving the return pump doesn't solve the outlet plumbing issue, nor would I ever recommend putting the pump in danger of burning out and possibly causing a fire. If you decide to go without a sump, there are plenty of HOB protein skimmers that you can use. You most likely already have a HOB filter; that can be used for flow as well as chemical filtration/treatments.

For lighting, I suggest a 4-bulb T5 unit. You can find some good deals on Craigslist or e-Bay.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

 

Mr. Bill thanks for the info, and the compliment on my FW tank!

I am looking on CL for other tanks that have built in overflows. I may also take my tank to a glass shop once I break it down to see if it is tempered, if not i will have it drilled.

thanks for the advice on the sand/rock. I will be looking to pick up both to replace what I have.

As for right now I am just trying to read as much as possible and make a plan.

This is a great forum thanks for your help!

 

My gut reaction when I see "I'm bored" is; is your current tank everything that it could be?

Seeing that you seem to have a good grasp on what your doing, I'd say saltwater is the natural progression of the aquarium hobby.

Mr. Bill gave you some great advice and I would start from there.

Also, Welcome to 3reef! I went through basically every saltwater forum there is before finally sticking to 3reef. I'm a biology major and nothing else even comes close in terms of professionalism and accurate unbiased information, at least in my scientific, albeit amature, opinion.

 

Thanks for the welcome. I have spent countless hours googling info and scouring forums for info. This forum stuck out to have, as you mentioned, really nice people and solid info. Another quality I noticed was there does not appear to be any bad attitudes or trolling which I have seen in other forum's (not necessarily aquria forum's). It is very cool to see a group of people that just want to enjoy their hobby and help others.

I hope to be posting my adventure soon!!!

 

I have a really cheap diy T5 light that works, but it isn't pretty by any means.



So what I did was trade a RC car for some aquarium supplies and got some ballasts that I could use that was for 2 24" lights. I had a 20" light above my 16 gallon bow front that I stripped and modified to fit my needs. I use tinfoil as a reflector. Ugly but effective in my book, lol.

Good luck to you and welcome to 3reef!