150g setup!

[ryancarman.com]

i just got a deal on a 150 gal tank, and am shopping for bits

first thing what i would like is decide how i am going to do setup a system where i can have protien skimming, sump,refugium inline with each other, i find that when i read about others who have similar setups there is an intricate system of pums and such, it seems to me that there is a significant list of thing that could go wrong when you over complicate a system.

next, i have there are contradicting opinions when it comes to suggestions as to what is a good target GPH of water flow, so i would like to hear what people think.  I have heard every where from 5x water volume to 15x the tank volume

what are peoples habits for lighting, intensity, colour temperature and timing for a reef tank,

any how, thoughts?

--ryan

[Julie]

Congrads on the 150 - that will surely be a nice reef.
This is where opinions will contradict on the principals of reef keeping.
I only have a small reef currently so I can't comment on inline set ups...
Protein skimming is an interesting process.  Alot will say it's not necessary on a smaller tank; but is on a larger tank.  When you skim you remove alot of the essential elements in the reef.  At this point alot of reefers will then dose the reef with supplements.  So imo why remove and then artificially replace?  Protein skimming will not remove the nitrates already present, it will however prevent them from increasing.  Once again 0 nitrAte is the goal.  I'm not a big skimmer, I have a small volume of water where things can happen quite quickly.  When I do run my skimmer, I don't get a large volume of dark skimmate.  While I am anti nitrate which is also quite necessary in discus keeping, I think water changes are a better line of defense. 
In regards to flow, the more the better.  I've got 2 maxi jet 600's and a small whisper filter on my 20g.  So I have quite a bit of turnover in there.  Tsunamis aren't a daily occurence so you don't want to create a perpetual massive wave.
What about lighting, are you going metal halide? 

[BigDaddy]

Don't rely on a skimmer that is "designed" for your size tank.  It won't be enough.  Most reefers will get a skimmer designed for a much larger tank than what they own.  Kinda like freshwater, the Aquaclear 20 filter, according to the manufacturer, can handle "up to 20 gallons", but no one in their right mind would put one on a 20... far too small.

As far as flow goes... some other questions you need to ask yourself.  Are you going to drill the tank and install a closed loop system?  Will you employ the use of a wavemaker?  Do the corals you intend to keep prefer lots of water movement, or minimal flow?

[az]

congrats on the 150, 15-20x flow would be good(i like 802/70) a lot, like BD said, get a bigger (rated) skimmer, i'd go with 250gal atleast, and dont go cheap on lighting either, clams/sps needs metal halide for sure, rest will be ok with power compact, more is better, thanks.

[Julie]

I'm going to correct you on the lighting, go to j&l's site- check out the rating for clams.
Depending on depth of tank, he doesn't necessarily need halide for the clams.

[yellowtang]

Congratulations on your new endevour.
IMO.......since this is a large tank........have you
thought of having a sump in such large tank.....
the best water movement and turn around of water for a large set up like yours
deff would be a drilled tank.....
don't want to set up the tank and then after realizing
your tank is not progressing accordingly due to
concentrations of nitrates amonia Nitrites phosphates
and others.
as far as water movements inside your tank at least
4 power heads .
don't skip your lights here.........
large tank like that needs good lights.........
also depends what you want to keep.
LPS  SOFTIES  SPS  ........
and the million Dollar question here.......
""""skimmer""".........this is the life line of the tank.......
go with a skimmer your money can buy..........
even if you have to start saving for it right now.....
go with a good skimmer
best you can do right now..........buy yourself a good
reef or S/W book to start planning on
your new hobby.
and any questions .just ask...we'll be glad to help.
cheers

[az]

you are not wrong about clams under pc(wont work on croceas though), but from experience, i see the same clam doing better under mh, more open and coloring up better, thats all!

same thing with my large open green brain, the size/green it has now is so not what it was under pc, the guy i bght it from thght i was joking when i said it was the same brain i got from him.....he was like  >  >  >

so yes, they wont die but they wont live as happy!

[ryancarman.com]

as for lighting, i was looking into product like this http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/details/l-led.php?product_ID=pfo-s67050

i know they are expensifas all heck...but hydro and MH bulbs are as well and the idea of a 50000 hour maintenance free lamp life appeals a lot

...."Do the corals you intend to keep prefer lots of water movement, or minimal flow?"

i don't know
but i assume that will be a consideration

..."As far as flow goes... some other questions you need to ask yourself.  Are you going to drill the tank and install a closed loop system?"

yes drilling seems like the best option, from what i'm seeingin other people's setups i think basically what i'm planning on is def, gonna require drilling, but i want to plan the layout for that well so i dont end up with a nicely drilled system that has insuficient water exchange or that i'm forced into buing more gear in the log run that i could have avoided

..."more is better, thanks."

of course it is i'm all about excess

[Julie]

Yes the leds are tempting no doubt, but they will come down in price as other technology does.

[ryancarman.com]

your right, that is true but, i need lighting soon...

and the way i look at it MH is about a grand for the hood
bulbs close to twice a year at about 90 bucks each,
and the cost of electricity isn't going down

any how its going to be a while before i buy anything, but it think its the best route long term! by my math it will cost about the same as MH after less than 2 years and then start to be much cheaper AND if i ran it full on 24/7 it the led's are good for 5 years, and it only runs ~12 hrs a day