OK, I've tentatively made a decision about how my 240g is going to be integrated. My original plan was to ditch the 90g altogether, building the new tank in-wall in the basement game room, and plumbing Sandie's 30g cube (upstairs) into the same sump.
I think I'm going to keep the 90g, building it in right beside the big tank... so that other than the side glass panels, they look like one continuous 12' tank. All of my corals would stay in the 90g; the 240g would be FOWLR. All three tanks would be plumbed to a common sump of approximately 90-100g operating volume.
Reasons include being able to keep some nice non reef-safe fish, while the large tank would have less demanding lighting requirements (which equals less expensive lighting). I really don't like the idea of running 6x250 MH lights!
My only real concern is getting a reasonable match in light color between the two; e.g. getting a T5 or VHO color to come out pretty close to Radiums. I would guess that given all the T5 combinations I could probably do it with some trial and error. Perhaps LED strips as actinic supplements, with the ability to vary the color temp like some LED fixtures allow?
I have plenty of skimmer for this system (MR4-R), but there is something about the Ca reactor that I don't quite know. Would one that would support my existing 90 reef do, since my Ca uptake would remain basically the same (the FOWLR tank would have little to no Ca consumption from its livestock), even though the actual water volume is going up drastically?
Also, given livestock such as a large angel of some type, a large tang or two, and perhaps a lion or puffer, and maybe a harlequin tusk, would softies be able to share this tank just so there wasn't a huge change from a reef tank to a "bare rock" neighbor? I know some of these fish nip SPS/LPS as well as eat snails/crabs, but I've never read anything about soft corals being eaten.
The picture I have in my head of the finished system is nice. I'm looking for the aspects I may not have considered about doing it this way.
I think I'm going to keep the 90g, building it in right beside the big tank... so that other than the side glass panels, they look like one continuous 12' tank. All of my corals would stay in the 90g; the 240g would be FOWLR. All three tanks would be plumbed to a common sump of approximately 90-100g operating volume.
Reasons include being able to keep some nice non reef-safe fish, while the large tank would have less demanding lighting requirements (which equals less expensive lighting). I really don't like the idea of running 6x250 MH lights!
My only real concern is getting a reasonable match in light color between the two; e.g. getting a T5 or VHO color to come out pretty close to Radiums. I would guess that given all the T5 combinations I could probably do it with some trial and error. Perhaps LED strips as actinic supplements, with the ability to vary the color temp like some LED fixtures allow?
I have plenty of skimmer for this system (MR4-R), but there is something about the Ca reactor that I don't quite know. Would one that would support my existing 90 reef do, since my Ca uptake would remain basically the same (the FOWLR tank would have little to no Ca consumption from its livestock), even though the actual water volume is going up drastically?
Also, given livestock such as a large angel of some type, a large tang or two, and perhaps a lion or puffer, and maybe a harlequin tusk, would softies be able to share this tank just so there wasn't a huge change from a reef tank to a "bare rock" neighbor? I know some of these fish nip SPS/LPS as well as eat snails/crabs, but I've never read anything about soft corals being eaten.
The picture I have in my head of the finished system is nice. I'm looking for the aspects I may not have considered about doing it this way.
