crashed tank....

You might want to consider keeping your 55 for a sump/refugium.
Good Luck and Welcome to GIRS!
-JB

 

welcome...sorry to hear about the tank. i think you will find lots of help in this group on your tank build.

glad you found our site. just curious, how did you find the site?

 

JB gave you great advise, i agree with all of it. And i would only go with a reef ready tank, unless you get a nonRR tank and drill it, but it's nicer having the internal overflows in some most cases. either way, definitely avoid going with an external overflow.. if you get a tank that is not RR then order a diamond hole saw off of ebay and drill it. I started with an external overflow and regretted it untill the day i toar down the tank, drilled it, and set it back up.
best of luck.
~caleb

 

Welcome to GIRS... as a fairly new member as well this is a great place to learn and get great help and information. I have only been in the 'reef' tank hobby for 9-12 months and couldn't be happier with the help. FWIW right now I have a 90 gallon NOT reef ready tank and have found all its limitations so I am in the process of getting a 120 RR together, I have slowly been accumulating what I need for the tank. That said a reef ready tank is the way to go but it gets $$$. If you get a chance see about coming to a meeting in DSM they have been very helpful for me great place to ask questions.

 

Welcome Snowman! I assume you are from the Des Moines area? I am the Des Moines Trustee and will be planning some meetings soon as well as a frag swap at the zoo in March. We would love to have you join us for any of the events. This club will definately be the best resource you have to create a successful reef tank. Please ask all the questions that come to mind.
You have gotten all the right answers here so far. The only thing I would add is t re-think the cannister filter if you haven't already. I assume since you are going RR that you are planning on having a sump. That is the way to go.
Also, depending on when you want to get a tank they come up for sale on here or on Reef Central quite often. I found my 240 on Craigs list.

 

Hey, a word of warning about used tanks... 125's are a very popular size for both salt and freshwater tanks. If you're going to buy a used tank (especially if it's not a reef ready tank) you need to be aware that it might have been used for a freshwater tank and therefore might be contaminated with copper.

Many freshwater medications contain copper and that stuff is death for invertebrates in a saltwater tank.

-JB

 

Hey JB,

I hadn't heard that before?? I know copper kills invertabrates, but what will the copper contaminate.> Not the glass, the silicone??

 

Yeah, it can leach out of the silicone.

-JB

 

Just a opition, if you don't find a RR tank. There is club members that are able to drill tanks and make them RR.

 

That kinda depends on your setup. You might want to start a new thread just for that subject that describes what you have to work with (space, etc).

-JB

 

As far as the sump I would use the 55 and set up a skimmer section, refugium section, and return section with appropriate bubble traps(3 panes of glass staggered to stop bubbles). Set up skimmer in the first section, put some chaeto  and possibly deep sand bed in fuge section then a pretty good sized pump in the return section. Throw a light over the fuge section and your good to go except plumbing.