Customized 90 gallon help!

[harkey]

Hey guys!

I currently have a customized 90 gallon (60”L x 12”D x 30” H) freshwater aquarium and I am thinking if I make it into saltwater would I really need a sump? I currently have a canister filter for it.

Also, what would be a good mounting light that is good for a deep tank like mine? I would love to add some LPS corals in the future if I go through with this plan. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Below is my current set up for freshwater.

 

[nereefpat]

Welcome. Interesting dimensions.

You don't need a sump, but they are really nice to have. I don't like canister filters, especially for saltwater setups, but some people do use them.

30" is deeper than most tanks, but not that bad, especially for most LPS. What do you want out of a light? Do you want LED? Any bells and whistles that you must have? Budget? A Reefbreeders 50" fixture would work well. A couple light bars of various brands would work well for a 12" wide tank.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Love the tank! As said above, you don't need a sump, but I recommend one. I'd avoid a canister filter as they are high maintenance in a saltwater environment, but a reef can be set up with HOB equipment. Skimmer, algae scrubber, and all. Keep in mind that if you convert the tank to saltwater, aquascaping a 12" peninsula will be really hard. You would want to keep all structure less than 4 inches thick for good flow, coral placement, and swim space for fish. I'd also stick to small fish, like damsels and gobies, as a big one like a tang would have difficulty turning around. I hope that this helps!

 

[harkey]

Welcome. Interesting dimensions.

You don't need a sump, but they are really nice to have. I don't like canister filters, especially for saltwater setups, but some people do use them.

30" is deeper than most tanks, but not that bad, especially for most LPS. What do you want out of a light? Do you want LED? Any bells and whistles that you must have? Budget? A Reefbreeders 50" fixture would work well. A couple light bars of various brands would work well for a 12" wide tank.

Thank you! Do you have any other suggestions other than a canister filter? Just really trying to see all my choices before I decide on something.

When it comes to light I really don’t mind how expensive it would be and an LED would be really nice if I can find one for my tank. I’m looking for a light that could be mounted like this kind of light (below) since I’m wanting a clean looking set up and easier than hanging the lights off the ceiling.

 

[harkey]

Love the tank! As said above, you don't need a sump, but I recommend one. I'd avoid a canister filter as they are high maintenance in a saltwater environment, but a reef can be set up with HOB equipment. Skimmer, algae scrubber, and all. Keep in mind that if you convert the tank to saltwater, aquascaping a 12" peninsula will be really hard. You would want to keep all structure less than 4 inches thick for good flow, coral placement, and swim space for fish. I'd also stick to small fish, like damsels and gobies, as a big one like a tang would have difficulty turning around. I hope that this helps!

Thank you really appreciate your advice!
Is there any HOB or skimmers that you recommend for the size of my tank?

 

[uniquecorals]

Thank you! Do you have any other suggestions other than a canister filter? Just really trying to see all my choices before I decide on something.

When it comes to light I really don’t mind how expensive it would be and an LED would be really nice if I can find one for my tank. I’m looking for a light that could be mounted like this kind of light (below) since I’m wanting a clean looking set up and easier than hanging the lights off the ceiling.

Depending on your setup and space you could always integrate some type of external refugium which will take care of most of your filtration needs in an lps tank.. but if you are already going external you may as well use a sump

Illumagic is a great brand of light to use and it wont break the bank, there are also mounting options sold to acquire a super clean look as seen above

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

For the skimmer, I'd get the Reef Octopus Classic 2000. A Seachem 110 Power Filter will do for mechanical filtration. If you stick with a fairly light bioload, these should have you covered. I'd also put in a few powerheads to increase flow. Make sure you start with a few pounds of real live rock to get the biological filtration going, as you may need it to make up for the somewhat low powered equipment that you would need to use if you go HOB. Good luck!