The 90 thread

^agree on both notes!

 

My 90 gal





90 gal 48Lx18Wx24H
25 gal sump w/fuge/DSB
Rio HF32 return
3x1050 Koralias
150w and 100w heaters on controller
JBJ ATO
Reef Octopus 110 protien skimmer
AquaticLife 48" 6x54w T5 fixture
GFO in reactor/carbon in filterbag
Vodka dose 3ml daily

1 hippo tang, 1 yellow tang, 3 dispar anthias, 2 blue chromis, 1 yellow watchman, 1 true perc, 1 sixline, 1 red linkia starfish, 1 skunk cleaner, and a couple corals

PO4 - undetectable
NO3 - undetectable
pH - 8.3
Calc - 450
Alk - 10 dkH
Mag - 1450
SG - 1.026
Temp - 78
Lighting - 10 hours actinic, 7.5 hours daylight

Couple thoughts on my tank:
- I really wish I had a corner or coast overflow. The center overflow is a PITA, as it limits the aquascape, and really prevents flow from properly circulating in the tank. This is my biggest gripe about the tank as is.
- My current return pump is overkill, IMO. Sump flow rates can be as low as 6-10x tank volume, and right now mine's somewhere between 15-20. Causes unneccessary turbulance down below, and noise as a result, as well as excess electricity consumtion. This will be fixed shortly.
- If I did it over again, not sure if I'd put a hippo blue tang in a 90. Just watching mine grow up and observing her behavior, I can tell the (lack of) size stresses her out sometimes. Not to mention she's a complete pig!
- Since I am carbon dosing, I only use the fuge for the DSB. Before I started dosing, though, the DSB (as small as it is) kept my NO3 at 0. Love my remote DSB.

 

Thanks for the very informative post. You can always get rid of the overflow box and install your own! I think WhiskyTango did to his 72. How old/big is your hippo tang?

Anyways, post the FTS when the boss allows you.

 

Actually the sump's volume is where you want to calculate the throughput at. This allows even more time for the skimmer to remove waste. Eliminates almost all of the turbulance.

 

Wait, so you're saying 6-10x sump volume? So in that case, I'd need a return capable of less than 250gph??? My skimmer's pump is 250gph...

Mine's a built in, and would require tearing the entire tank down, and I dont think the drilled holes are optimal for a rebuild either. It's one of those things to keep in mind for the next tank...;D

 

Yup, dwell time is most important for skimmer efficiency, lower flow cuts way back on micro bubbles one the skimmer is broken in.

 

Yup thats what he (WhiskyTango) did. Here is the link. He did a great job tho.

 

Sorry to take the thread off topic but what return pumps are you running 2in10? In the near future I will be setting up a 90 with a 40 breeder sump and was curious as to what return flow you would recommend.

 

I did not know the sump/pump rate either.. Fail..

 

Its not off topic at all! Great question. This is why I started this thread

Anyways, 40gallon x 6~10 = 240~400gph flow rate? And Im curious what John (2in10) has as well