Shallow Mangrove Reef AIO vs. Sump

#1
Hello Everyone,
I am building a shallow mangrove forest 'touch' tank and have a few questions I could use some pros and cons on. It will look like a miniature version of the shallow touch tanks at the aquariums, but there will not be hands in there, I just like the shallow look of the tank with mangroves.

Dimensions I was thinking are 42"Long x 15" Tall x 21" Deep, with the water line about 13.5 inches, but they can be changed.

The real question is AIO or a Sump? I want a water volume of around 50gallons, 60gallons absolute maximum.

AIO would be a 4.5" deep chamber running along the back of the tank with a weir and baffles for media and protein skimmer and return, would the chamber have to run the entire length of the tank? Or can it take up 75%, 50% to limit the space it uses and allow more water volume in the display portion?

Sump- only downside here is I do not want to add an additional 10-15 gallons of water, because this would lower the dimensions of the display in order to stay at the 55 gallon of total overall water volume magic number. Also, it will be a mangrove forest in the display with numerous macro algaes, so the benefit of a refugium is irrelevant to me.

If anyone is having difficulty just envision a glass 55 gallon frag tank that is 42"x15"x21", would you add an AIO chamber to house equipment or add a Sump? Are there any major pros/cons? Many thanks to all, and once this is situated the fun can really begin.
 

Dr.DiSilicate

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#3
With that small ad a space from front to back already I'd be inclined to do a sump. They are also nice to hide equipment in even if all it does is house the equipment. Sounds awesome! I'd love to add a mangrove satellite aquarium to my system at some point.


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neil82

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#4
I was also leaning toward sump so your display can be simple and clean looking. With the AIO you still might see the skimmer and some electrical cords for heater, ATO pump etc.
 
#5
While I strongly want to disagree with the sump suggestion, you guys are aboslutely right. I was mostly hesitant on the sump because I've only had AIO's before, but the look I'm after will be best with the sump.

I have decided on the display dimensions, they will be 42Lx22Wx14T. Any suggestions for custom dimension rimless tanks? I have been looking at glasscages but am offput by some reviews of panel blow outs... Suggestions much appreciated.
 
#6
Well after some phone calls and research im more lost then ever, HOB overflow? Internal overflow? Herbie? Bean animal?

My main goal is to keep the tank dead silent like the one I currenty have set up, is this still possible with a sump?
 

SynDen

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#7
you wont need much for a sump, but think a sump is the way to go. Depending on your stock list, you might not need a skimmer either, so something big enough to maybe hide the heaters and any filter media or reactors is all you need
 
#8
SynDen;n659959 said:
you wont need much for a sump, but think a sump is the way to go. Depending on your stock list, you might not need a skimmer either, so something big enough to maybe hide the heaters and any filter media or reactors is all you need
Thanks! I am only using my Aquamaxx Ws-1 insump skimmer (3x6" footprint), it is rated 65 gallons and with the number of mangroves and macro in the display, and a bioload of a clown, a pj cardinal, and a blue chromis my load should stay low enough to still get benefits from it (I am guilty of sometimes feeding a little heavy though).
 

neil82

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#9
An 80 gall shallow reef has dimensions of 48x24x16. Someone on masc had one for sale. Reef ready I believe. I'll try to locate the thread.
 

MuralReef

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#12
I would go with some kind of drilled overflow. I have a Synergy Reef on order for my 120 and it incorporates a bean animal on the outside.
 

MuralReef

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#15
Texco;659982 said:
So you would elect for the overflow wall panel and drilling it then?
Like I said in my first post I'm opting for a Synergy Reef overflow since everything is already made and had the bean animal incorporated. There are plenty of prefabricated units out there. I run a glass holes on one of my tanks but it is louder than I would want in my family room. I also run a CPR that is just the siliconed in with a bulkhead thru the glass and that's not too bad. I also run a herbie in my classroom but I'm always having to mess with the air intake so it's not a full siphon that slurps. Drilling glass is easy and I've never cracked a panel drilling it. Now I have cracked a panel tightening down a bulkhead but luckily Petco was running a dollar per gallon sale!


If you have the tank built they can incorporate an overflow, but the hob overflows can be challenging to get dialed in and can be loud.
 

MuralReef

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#16
Finding a used tank like that 80 can also save you money and headaches.
 
#17
I have the option to choose placement of returns and overflow, so I made this highly scientific drawing in paint to get some feedback. Just pretend its a 3d CAD drawing, and hopefully it helps visualizing it. The deep end on the left, with reuturn and MP-10, pushing towards a sloping sand bed where mangroves and macros are in the shallows. My thought is to place the overflow on the shallow end drawing the current and nutrients towards it, and using the current to help keep the sand (fine, crushed coral, rubble, maybe rocks for helping anchor it???) I imagine the deepest part of sand bed (shallow end) will be about 6-8" deep, leaving the shallow end around 4-5" of water. The tank height is either 12" or 14", and I am thinking the stand will be around 40"-48" to allow some top viewing somewhat like a frag tank or 'touch tank'.

 
#19
Really cool concept! For the overflow, Eshopps has a new slimline overflow kit that I think would work for this sort of setup. And you may want to consider making your own rockwork barrier to partition off the sandbank and where you can plant the mangroves. With the right pieces of base rock and epoxy that should be fairly easy and if you slope the sand up over the rocks you can hide most of it anyway. Otherwise over time the sand will have a tendency to settle and won't stay in that sloped formation.
 
#20
Mike_Tucc;n660122 said:
Really cool concept! For the overflow, Eshopps has a new slimline overflow kit that I think would work for this sort of setup. And you may want to consider making your own rockwork barrier to partition off the sandbank and where you can plant the mangroves. With the right pieces of base rock and epoxy that should be fairly easy and if you slope the sand up over the rocks you can hide most of it anyway. Otherwise over time the sand will have a tendency to settle and won't stay in that sloped formation.
Thank you, every thing I have read agrees with what you suggest, a rock bariier, or lip, to hold as much as the sand in place as possible.

Will the buried rocks (like marco rocks) be bad covered in sand all the time? I was also thinking of planting the mangroves in mesh pots to anchor some of the sand in the shallow section.

Is it stupid to think a fake wave could be made with an MP10 pointing at the slope with a shelf rock breaker jutting out of the sandbed crest right before the shallows? Like if the breaker was 75% of the depth of the tank, placed as the sandbed slope crests to create some waves or ripples, and allow the surge to flow back down the open 25% on the sides of the breaker? Essentially 'flooding' the mangrove section of tank with the surge? The video clip describes it better below, but I would like a smaller scale of what they are doing...

Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmyyF7NSX7k
 
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