DARB

I just made a 12"-12"-12" tank 7.5 gal with a 2.5 gal over flow tank on the side of it. I would like to make this in to a live rock tank. What do i need to make this work. Lights- how much what kind? Do I need a protein skimmer? I have that side tank that my main tank would flow into and a hole at the bottem for a return. what benefits could I have with that .Im cluelesssss Her is a pic. thank.

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morganrules

i have no idea but that looks cool gotta tell me about that

Angela_96

It sounds like you have a great tank for a mini reef! I would go with some strong compact florecent or if you want to go with hard corals metal halides.
For a tank that small, you don't have to have the skimmer. You can take live rock rubble and put it into the 2.5g for bio filtiration, and some cheato (w/ a small clip light or luner light) the cheato will help keep the phosphates down.
I would get a good powerhead, I like the hydor powerheads, I have one in my nano it really moves the water and keeps it circulating.

nemo addict

I dont see how this is going to work,, as the 2.5 will overflow once the 7.5 is filled to its level , you will need a pump to circulate the water that is fed to the 2.5 back to the 7.5 ,,
Quote: I have that side tank that my main tank would flow into and a hole at the bottem for a return
this would not return as you have no head and gravity would just equal out the water level and as the 7.5 has a higher water level it would overflow ,, even if a pump was installed in the event of a power failure or pump swithed off it again would overflow ,,,

google sump designs as this is what your are looking at acheiving and making a hole at the bottom to return has made this theory impossible

DARB

I have a hole in the lower corner were I put a powerhead that pushes the water from my 2.5 to the 7.5 tank. I would have to put a one way valve in to stop water entering the small tank from the big one. Should I have some kind of filter on my over flow.

DARB

I have maxi-jet pH MP600 160gph. Is that enough should I have another. Thanks..

DARB

I tested the tank with the power head on and it moved the water to the big tank almost faster than the return. Then I unplugged it like you side it field my 2.5 tank to were they were level. The level point was 2" down on my 2.5 because my over flow is right at the top of my 2.5 and when it levels off water in my main tank will drop, lowering its level which in turn equals out lower than my 2.5 it won't over fill.

travie

You need to make sure your water pump, pumps at less GPH or LPH, than the water overflows from the 7.5 to the 2.5.

DARB

How do you test that. Is the reason because it will over fill the main tank. Or is there another reason. When I tested It earlier It balanced out with the small tank half full. but that was for about five minutes of testing.