When is it overkill ? (when I have put a 2nd mortgage on my home?)

[Johnny Smith]

Been eyeballing a 120 gallon marine tank for some time now.
I've been reading quite a bit. (everytime I "learn" something, I create 2
more questions for myself!)
Been crawling through the usenet groups as well. (dejanews, etc)
The web itself has helped too. One thing that kept creeping into my mind
though....
and please, don't hesitate to correct me here, that's the purpose of me
writing this!....
It seems that I keep coming across these 55-90 gallon aquariums... and the
filtration
capacity could easily part the Red Sea. I mean, when is enough, ENOUGH ?
Is it really needed? I'm seeing aquariums of the above mentioned size,
with AT LEAST
3 to 4 filters, each having a flow rate of somewhere in the neighborhood of
900-1200 gallons
per hour. And that is just in hang on the side of the tank power filters.
ADD that to a micron
canister filter, again rated at a high flowrate.... a 14 billion, three
hundred and 42 thousand foot
protein skimmer...(driven by a pump that was taken out of a carwash
somewhere) A Reverse
underground filter with 12 powerheads attached. (the powerheads
are rated in TONS per hour, rather than gallons if I remember correctly)
And some other things that I can't remember!
Ok, I know, the above is a "little" exagerated. But you get the
idea. I mean, am I wrong?
Or is some of these setups I'm reading about, a little MUCH? Especially
for a 90 gallon tank?
Now, tell me this? Would the below design support a 120 gallon tank?

(saltwater!)
120 gallon standard dimension tank.
TWO 120G gph powerheads attached to a reverse underground filter
1 edge of tank mounted powerfilter rated at approx 200 Gph.
1 SMALL protein skimmer
And POSSIBLY/MAYBE a SMALL micron canister filter.
The normal cleanup creatures....
Approx 7-8 small (1-1/2 inch sized fish)
and 1 owner that is willing to do rigid water changes, vacuum the
gravel/sand
and other routine maint'

Will the above function correctly and keep everything alive? Or must I
REALLY
have the filtration requirements of something approaching an olympic sized
pool?

Thanks,

Johnny

[Big Orange]

How about a wet/dry system that flows into a sump. I have two power heads
too and an old timey UG filter, but it's mainly for the fish to play in. :-)

My tank it 120.

--
Mike Biddle
Website World
http://www.websiteworld.com
865.584.2734 Phone
865.584.1167 Fax
Johnny Smith <johnny...@home.com> wrote in message
news:aKq74.10208$t65.3...@news.rdc1.tn.home.com...

[DefLizard]

Johnny: Just think of a marine aquarium as a microcosm model (if that
were really true) of the ocean environment from where your marine life
originated. How much water (volume and current flow rate) is moving
around, on and over a coral reef? Well, you get the idea? That's what
those marine life forms have evolved in, and that's been for several
million years, at least! Thats what it takes, plain and simple. The
recommendations for equipment has come as a result of the accumulation
of experiences of many, many aquarists, both amateur, professional and
even public aquariums and university research facilities, as well as
commercial fish farms, over a peiod of 20 to 30 years, or more. The
reason flow rates are so high is because they simply quote the
manufacturers water flow specs. which are generally under static
conditions. Somewhat like horsepower ratings of auto's, that tell you
what the motor does on a bench, but not how much is really being
delivered to the drive wheels.
In my own 110 gal tank, according to the spec sheets of my 3 pumps, I
have 2,210 gals/hr of water flow at zero head (no load) and 1,930
gals/hr of water flow for a 3 ft head (truer load). As I am writing
this, UPS just delivered a new pump that will increase my flow rate by
around 600 gals/hr more.
Let me say that my water parameters are excellent, biological filtration
is running at 100% efficiency, oxygenation levels of the water are over
100%, and my fish are thriving, growing and by all accounts, quite
happy. (my observations).
The type of aquarium and the animals you will keep or you desire will
dictate the kind of equipment that will be necessary for your set-up.
Let me suggest first you read some books on the subject, for a more
general info background. Authors I recommend are: Tullock, Fenner,
Paletta and Moe, Jr.
Web sites: www.thekrib.org for starters.
For specific info on any single subject matter try: www.chubba.com
If you desire a mixed system, including invertebrates and fish, you
would want to concentrate on a more internally operated biological
filtration system, with greater emphasis on LiveRock and dentrifying
sand beds, protein skimming and water movement, then UGF's, canisters or
even wet/dry systems. Amazingly enough, each type will still work no
matter whose opinions you seek, as each, in their own way, has merits
and faults, and each has correction factors built in. Its up to you to
decide. Here are some more sites:
www.reefs.org
www.reefkeepers.org
www.garf.org
LOL and regards.

Group: alt.aquaria Date: Mon, Dec 20, 1999, 2:07pm (PST+8) From:
johnny...@home.com (Johnny Smith) When is it overkill ? (when I
have put a 2nd mortgage on my home?)