[jmetcalf]

Hello everyone:

I have been away from the hobby for quite some time. I finally talked my wife into letting me get another Reef tank since we now own our home and have central AC and what not.

After doing a great deal of reading on the internet and in several magazines I am currently thinking of using the following setup.

All Glass 120 gallon reef ready with dual overflows (1200 GPM rated)

40-50 gallon sump underneath for housing equipment and quarantine tank.

UV sterilizer on return line from sump.

Protein Skimmer.

Flourescent lighting (can't afford MH.)

How ever many power heads i need to get proper water movement in tank. would like to use Tunze water props but they are expensive.

Finally the tank will be setup using the "Jaubert" Plenum system for filtration. I have read a very good article by Julian Sprung that details this system and the benefits the system provides.

I realise that patience is the key to setting up one of these systems.

What i would like to hear from my fellow posters is any comments on this system. Am I leaving out anything. Should i change something. Pros/cons of the Jaubert system.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

[jvharding]

Sounds like a good start. Could you take photos of your build? We would love to see it from the beginning. I would love to see your plenum design. T5 lighting will give you decent light comparable to MH. Good luck with your new tank.

[lynnvangsnes]

Sounds like you're on the right track. I personally tend to stay away from the plenum systems. I think they can be a little headachy with their maintenance; but that's just me. If you use just a DSB with the proper sand burrowing critters, the benefits are the same, in my opinion (I'm not an expert). I've seen many, many tanks with just DSBs as I described and they are very successful. As far as powerheads go, there are some new ones out. I have purchased a Koralia 1 and a Koralia 3 for movement, in addition to the main pump and a smaller one hidden the the rear of the rock at the bottom. The Koralias are kinda cool because they use magnets to hold them in place; not suction cups. There is another type of PH like that and the name escapes me at the moment, but they are priced well over $200; the Koralias start at around $35. I agree; the T-5 will do just fine. The best of luck to you. Keep us up to speed!

[NATIVEVAMAN]

It would appear that the Jaubert system has fallen on hard times here in the US. I think the biggest problem with it is that it scares people a bit. But lynn is right, a deep sand bed of 4 plus inch,s will do the same job it just takes it longer to get to full speed.You didnt mention it but have you considered a refugium? They are another great system for nutrient export.Have a look at these lights and read carefully the section about uvlighting bulbs for t 5.- DIYReef

[jmetcalf]

Just a brief follow up on my tank plans.

I previously posted that i wanted to set up a 120 gallon reef ready tank.

However I have the oppurtunity to get a standard 125 gallon tank with Complete wood top and wood stand to match for $590. It is at one of the local pet shops on clearance because it is an oceanic and they can not get the glass tops for it any more (tops are missing).

With the wood hood on top it would make a great place to mount some metal halides and flourescents. I heard you dont want glass tops as they diffuse some of the lighting.

My questions in this post are what are my options for an overflow?

I know that there are hang on the back siphon types. How well do these work?

Would it be possible to build a corner overflow out of glass panels with a powered pump in the bottom of it?

With a Jaubert plenum do i really even need a sump?

Any other things i am not thinking of please feel free to comment.

Thank again.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

There are many places where you can get a tank drilled and have an overflow installed. Here they drilled mine and installed an overflow and put a blue background on for 75$'s.Sumps do lots of good things. They increase water volume which increases system stability.The most effective protien skimmers are in sump models.You can hide an ugly heater or two there.It provides a place for a refugium were you can grow algea for fish food and nutrient export. The cabinette also provides an excelent place to put all those noisy pumps.A sump is a good idea no matter what system you use.Generally speaking glass tops are not used as they prevent an element of gas exchange between the water and the open air.

[glampka]

I've been running a plenum system on my 30 for 6+ yrs now. I don't find it to be a problem at all. As native said, you can get a tank drilled but they'll have to drill the side rather than the bottom since most large tanks have tempered glass bottoms. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the HOT overflows. Air can get into the siphon and the siphon breaks when you lose power. You could make an internal overflow from glass/acrylic & put a pump in there to pump to the sump but that is risky when you try to match the output of that pump to the return pump from the sump. Should you go with the T-5 lighting be sure to get the lights with the individual reflectors.

[jmetcalf]

Another quick update.

Purchased my tank today. Yaaayyyyyyy.

Went to the fish store today to get that 125 gallon tank.

However it is good to have friends in the business that have the right connections.

A guy I work with has an aquarium maintenance business and he knows the owners of the fish store. He called in a favor and got me a brand new 125 with dual overflows on an oak stand for the same price as the non reef ready tank.

Now I have to start thinking hard about what type of lights and filtration i want/need to get the tank started.

Because i am going with the Jaubert plenum system technically all I would need is the substrate and the stuff to make the plenum. Throw in a couble of starter fish to feed the live sand and wait a few months for the plenum to establish itself.

My question for this post is:

Can i add live rock over time? The guy at the fish store said i could BUT I heard this is a bad idea because any new rock will need to go thru the cure process. This will cause nitrates to go crazy etc. etc.

Thanks again for the advice.

[e_baer]

Depending on how many pounds you get, you can buy the rock in sperate quantities. I know on liveaquaria.com you can get various weights of rock. Just make sure you cure the rock properly(putting the rock into a seperate container for a few weeks until the levels are good) This way when you add it the the aquarium, you dont need to worry about the levels jumping. The downside to buying the rock seperately is you may not get the exact look you want in the aquarium. You will be constantly moving the rock around trying to find a good location for it.

[emothman]

I would put the live rock in first, and wait to add fish until it is cycled. I have read that adding a dead piece of shrimp helps it cycle faster. This way you won't lose fish or put them through too much stress, and then you don't have to go with hardy damsels you won't want later.

[Six-line Wrasse]

Plenums are awesome. I wish you the best of luck with it.

As for adding live rock. You can add rock anytime you want. If you don't have any fish or live stock in tank you can add it anytime in any amount. If you care to save some livestock (mainly stuff you've purchased) then you should add rock slowly to the system. This will prevent, like you said, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates from skyrocketing into uncontrollable proportions and killing whatever you had in your tank.

Adding cured live rock is pretty much safe to do whenever, however, I never trust LFS when they say stuff is cured. So I would still add rock slowly once you've added livestock.

[e_baer]

I completely agree. Biut wiht pre cured live rock, there is still a small amount of die off, so you need to be cautios of that as well.