Final Input for New 150 Gal Reef Tank

[deeron]

I'm finally taking the step to build a new 150 gal reef system. I've stated my planned system below with some of the variables. I'd appreciated any input from those of you that have been through this.

5'x2'x2' glass tank

40 gal sump for protein skimmer and future refugium. I've now read about the Ecosystem. It sounds like a direction I'd like to head, but shouldn't I still get a protein skimmer?

Still not final on lighting. Would like MH since it cost the same as power compacts, looks better and will enable hard corals in the future. I don't want to buy that $800 chiller though. Maybe a combo with 2-250 watt MH and a couple of power compacts. That way I can run each at different times. What combo will allow MH w/o chiller? Are two-sided MH bulbs better than single? I'm also getting mixed feedback on cost to run MH. I always thought the wattage determined power consumption. 500 watt MH should cost the same as 500 watt flourescent, right? I'm not an electrical person though. I've been meaning to call my local electric provider with this one.

At least 150 lbs live rock and two to three inches of live sand.

Any input or tips are greatly appreciated.

[TheOldSalt]

Doesn't anybody use VHO anymore? They don't heat things up so much as halide, and are good for keeping a very wide range of corals happy. They also enhance the colors in LPS corals without causing browning. Of course, if you want SPS's which start out brown and you want them to get their UV pigments to develop, then halide is the way to go, I guess. Nobody said it was easy.
I've always been very satisfied with the results I got with VHO, but then I'm not a big Acropora fan. 24 inches is a bit deep for VHO, though, if your tank is full of hardcase SPS's. They would do fine in the upper portions of the tank, but near the bottom they'd need more light.

Have you looked in using sunpipes? These are special tubes which direct sunlight straight down from your ceiling with amazing brightness. They actually work very well for illuminating reef tanks with only surprisingly little heat. They cost a few hundred bucks to install, but after that they cost nothing to use. Some corals like Goniopora which need real sunlight for longterm survival can be kept with these.


Ecosystem + skimmer seems to work pretty well in most applications, so I'd skim if I were you, especially with 150 lbs of curing rock in the tank. In fact, I'd skim the heck out of it for a couple of months before even adding the ecofilter, while running the ecofilter separately in order to get it up and running before the big day.
Come to think of it, I'd use good fresh florida aquacultured rock. That would provide a good range of oranisms which would survive the trip into your tank. Florida rock is also free of those blasted planarians which take over tanks based on pacific rock. I think it just plain looks better, too.

[Fishfirst]

I agree with the old salt... I love my VHO's Also because your tank is so deep, you may want to put higher light needing corals on top and some lower light corals on bottom... That way everyone is happy with their placement

[wrasser]

old salt i use vho on my 150 in tandum with pc and floresent. i have two 160 watt vho, two 96 watt pc, and two floresents from my 55.(dont know how many watts). i use the two vho all day, but they are also nice for dawn and dusk. my pc come on for day time. the floresent assit in color. i have one atinic and one 10,000k vho in the middle of hood, two 10,000k pc in the back of the hood, and i have one atinic and one white floresent that sit on the front. it works well for me, maybe it can give you some ideal.