making a big acrylic tank as maintinence free as possible?

[joshainga]

what would be the best way to keep a 84x30x36 reef tank clean? i haven't set it up yet but i need to go ahead and figure how to stock it and what i could use to keep it as easy as possible to clean. Wife talked me into doing reef. She said that i wouldn't be happy with a fish only lol. with it being 3ft tall i know it would be a beast to clean. just trying to make my job on such a large tank as easy as possible. Also if i'm going to do mainly softie and lps what type of lighting would i be looking for?

 

[hud3339]

3 250w MH for light and 500 astrea snails, 500 nassaurius snails, and 400 hermits for CUC. Thats what I would do.

 

[izoid]

Don't fill it with water.

 

[hud3339]

And 200 turbo snails

 

[jmaneyapanda]

A high end skimmer and uv. Don't let it become an issue. Be proactive. Not reactive.

 

[crobattt]

+13432345 to the UV, makes the water sooooo much more clear.

 

[izoid]

So....you guys run a UV on a reef tank?

 

[tbrennan]

You put it at my house..... lol.

 

[snowmansnow]

the BEST reef present I ever received was a step ladder to work on the tank with
RODI water of course
regular water changes

 

[ripped tide]

Josh, I never really saw you as the type of guy to keep an acrylic aquarium. Good luck! Don't use a mag float and keep your kids away from the tank.

Kids = scratches.

 

[crobattt]

They make magfloats for acrylic tanks.

 

[ripped tide]

Crobattt;721897 wrote: They make magfloats for acrylic tanks.

I'm aware. But when sand gets between the mag float and acrylic, it's done for.