Reef Sanctuary
Become a Sponsor  

Welcome to the Reef Sanctuary forums.

We're a beginner-friendly Reef Aquarium community featuring saltwater fish tank discussion, reef aquarium supply reviews, free photo gallery and more!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to many of our features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! Want to check the place out first? Take a look at our Beginner's Guide for a quick tour of all the features we have to offer the marine aquarium hobbyist. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact support.

Go Back   Reef Sanctuary > Main Forums > Equipment
User Name
Password
Home Forums Photo Gallery Chat Product Reviews Live Coral Frags Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Equipment Discuss reef aquarium equipment including filtration, lighting, pumps, etc.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 02-08-2007, 12:35 PM   #1 (permalink)
emo_1992
Bryozoan
 
emo_1992's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Idaho Falls, ID
Posts: 47
electrical

Ok I am wondering how large of a circuit most of you have for your tanks. On a 200 gal tank it is looking like it will require a 25-30 amp dedicated circuit. Do you run a dedicated power circuit for your tanks and if so how big of a circuit breaker are you running?
emo_1992 is offline   Reply With Quote
ReefSanctuary Sponsor
Old 02-08-2007, 12:40 PM   #2 (permalink)
Woodstock
The Wand Geek was here. ;)
 
Woodstock's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 21,674

My ReefSpace
Add yours!
Re: electrical

Thanks for the reminder. I REALLY need to get an electrician to my house to wire a dedicated circuit for my reef. I have way too much current usuage from just two outlets

...tagging along to learn....
__________________
~Doni Marie~

GOT ICH???
~120 Reef Chronicle ~
~29 gal QT/Hospital tank~
~3 gal Pico~
"Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin
__________________________________________________ ______________________________________________
**120 mixed reef, dual Reeflux 10k 250 MH, dual Actinic t5s,AquaController III, ASM g3, 2x Korallia #3, Mag 9.5 return**
Woodstock is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2007, 12:47 PM   #3 (permalink)
Warnberg
Acropora
 
Warnberg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Tampa, Florida
Posts: 1,908

My ReefSpace
Add yours!
Re: electrical

Multiple circuits... run 2 or 3 dedicated 20 amp circuits. That way if you trip one breaker you do not loose the entire system. I have two return pumps, each return pump is on a different circuit
__________________
Dave

240 Gallon Tall Tencor (96"L x 30"T x 18"W)
4 250 Watt MH XM10K bulbs
2-54 Watt T5 Actinic
Euro-Reef CS8-2-RC
Jetstream 1 Calcium Reactor
4 Tunze Turbelle stream 6000 power heads
7095 Tunze controller
Warnberg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2007, 12:49 PM   #4 (permalink)
boozeman
The CodFather ~
 
boozeman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: new york
Posts: 8,800

My ReefSpace
Add yours!
Re: electrical

oh Billy
__________________
Knowledge speaks, but Wisdom listens ~ Jimi Hendrix
_____________________________________________
210gal. Elos crystal 160XL, 125gal. sump, 85gal. frag tank, Bubble King 300 skimmer, Deltec FR509, FR616 and Km500 reactors, MTC procal, 2X Red Dragon returns, 2X Vortech, 2XTunze, Elos BiotopusII sms controller.

Sooner or later the crazy just comes out
Quote:
Originally Posted by sasquatch View Post
why does it sound so naughty when Boozie says it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by vdituri View Post
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed by Boozeman are not necessarily those expressed by ReefSanctuary or it's affiliates....The rest of us MAY be innocent.
boozeman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2007, 12:59 PM   #5 (permalink)
pmac90
Cabbage Leather
 
pmac90's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Bristol, PA
Posts: 371

My ReefSpace
Add yours!
Re: electrical

haha ... was thinking the same thing booze!
__________________
Pete

90 all glass
leathers, hammer, frogspawn, trumpets, trachy
shrooms, gsp, plate, xenia, buttons, gonipora....
clown goby, hippo,
6-line, scopas, ocellaris...

90 lbs live rock
3" sand bed
double sump
ASM G1
UV

- Member NJRC-
pmac90 is offline   Reply With Quote
ReefSanctuary Sponsor
Old 02-08-2007, 03:56 PM   #6 (permalink)
emo_1992
Bryozoan
 
emo_1992's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Idaho Falls, ID
Posts: 47
Re: electrical

I currently have one 20 amp running to the room that the tank will be placed. However that same ckt runs a bedroom as well fortunatly it is a guest room so not alot of electronics. My breaker pannel is full however I can replace two of the breakers with buddy units. and add a dedicated 30 amp to that as well. I dont want to upgrade the panel since we will be starting construction on the new house. I wanted to ask because this helps me in both locations.
emo_1992 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2007, 04:36 PM   #7 (permalink)
sasquatch
Brunt of all Jokes~
 
sasquatch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: the very farthest west coast of canada
Posts: 8,507

My ReefSpace
Add yours!
Re: electrical

I think a single 30 is pushing your luck, thats really like running a dryer, if something happens it would be ugly, now I think if you could run a 30 to a sub panel and put in seperate gfi breakers youd be fine,the little sub panels are cheap and youll probably remove it all when you leave anyway? Steve
__________________
DIY stuff for my tank
stand, 100g tank,rock lift, overflow, foam walls, closed loop,lighting reflectors, 50gal sump, bubbletrap and sock holder, ato bracket,kalk bucket and reservoir, 40gal fuge, fuge lighting, remotish dsb raceway, turf algae raceway, dual pumped recirc skimmer, more to follow.

Barb ripped my sig
sasquatch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2007, 05:19 PM   #8 (permalink)
billyr98
Reefing Addict
 
billyr98's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ
Posts: 5,399

My ReefSpace
Add yours!
Re: electrical

Ok well you want to run a couple circuits at least on a bigger system.. 200g +
But you need to give me some info on your equipment... Lighting and such...

I ran one 20amp circuit for lighting.. 1 20amp circuit for Powerheads and Misc stuff under the tank..

And one more 20amp circuit for my main pump, skimmer and such stuff...

If you have 15amp breakers already, run 14/2 wire and if not run 12/2 and use 20 amp breakers.. any questions ask away, I do it for a living...
__________________
Billyr98

-=NJRC Treasurer=-

My 450g Reef Tank ~~~ Its HERE!!!
billyr98 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2007, 06:09 PM   #9 (permalink)
emo_1992
Bryozoan
 
emo_1992's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Idaho Falls, ID
Posts: 47
Re: electrical

Quote:
Originally Posted by billyr98 View Post
Ok well you want to run a couple circuits at least on a bigger system.. 200g +
But you need to give me some info on your equipment... Lighting and such...

I ran one 20amp circuit for lighting.. 1 20amp circuit for Powerheads and Misc stuff under the tank..

And one more 20amp circuit for my main pump, skimmer and such stuff...

If you have 15amp breakers already, run 14/2 wire and if not run 12/2 and use 20 amp breakers.. any questions ask away, I do it for a living...
Ok I am buying an existing system but I will give you as much info as possible. I will have to run new drop lines so thought I would put in two 15 amps but may do two 20amps instead, info as follows:

FOR SALE
120 Gallon Saltwater Reef Tank
Complete Setup


Equipment Included:
120 Gallon Glass tank with stand and double canopy
55 gallon divided sump/refugium
Closed loop setup with pump and sqwd
Triple syphon overflow setup with HD return pump and sqwd
Turbofloater Protein Skimmer
Phosban Reactor
Titanium Heater
2 MH setup with ballasts (1 250wt & 1 400wt)
6 Bulb VHO Setup with Ballast
3 Seio Superflow Pumps (2 820's & 1 2600)
Digital Thermometer

Thanks for the input.
emo_1992 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2007, 06:10 PM   #10 (permalink)
emo_1992
Bryozoan
 
emo_1992's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Idaho Falls, ID
Posts: 47
Re: electrical

One other question is it better to do GFI outlets or GFI breakers? The outlets are considerably cheaper but there may be an advantage to GFI breakers.
emo_1992 is offline   Reply With Quote
ReefSanctuary Sponsor
Old 02-08-2007, 06:31 PM   #11 (permalink)
sebastian
Sea Pen
 
sebastian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: lake zurich, il
Posts: 316
Re: electrical

i have around 1000watts on two outlets with 20amp braker..... i do NOT recomend going with 30 amp .... to much and risk is tooo 30 amps is for heavy duty tool lika saws etc..... but i'll put/have gfi outlets for 100% i have bad exp. with gfi breakers......not always do what they should....so GFI is a must as close as possible to water source (even by local codes)
__________________
Sebastian
member of CMAS

125G AGA + 30G sump (home made)
500W MH + 260W PC light
Wave 2K (4,000 g/h), mag-drive 12 (1,000 g/h)
Euro reef skimmer
Hammer corals, zoo's, green star polyps, neon green button polyps, blue acro, green staghorn, frogspan, leathers, xenias, 100's mashrooms, ricordias, fungias, green oxypora, neon green hydropora, snake polyps, brown Caribbean zoanthid (palythoa carribaeorum)

regal tang, yellow tang, six line wrasse, cleaner wrasse, (2) lyretail anthias, eibli angel, ocellaris clown
sebastian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2007, 07:49 PM   #12 (permalink)
emo_1992
Bryozoan
 
emo_1992's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Idaho Falls, ID
Posts: 47
Re: electrical

Quote:
Originally Posted by sebastian View Post
i have around 1000watts on two outlets with 20amp braker..... i do NOT recomend going with 30 amp .... to much and risk is tooo 30 amps is for heavy duty tool lika saws etc..... but i'll put/have gfi outlets for 100% i have bad exp. with gfi breakers......not always do what they should....so GFI is a must as close as possible to water source (even by local codes)
1000 watts would give you about 10 amps total. (actualy less than that during run and more during startups) not bad. I do think two 20 amp circuits would be better especialy since I already have them. Guess that would be two drop lines then.
emo_1992 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2007, 09:31 PM   #13 (permalink)
sebastian
Sea Pen
 
sebastian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: lake zurich, il
Posts: 316
Re: electrical

You can't go wrong with 2 x20amp...but do you have the line in the wall alredy?? if not it's not cheap.....that's why i told you about just 1x 20 amp....but be carefull ...sometimes even gfi outlets are not working wright.... had one that was defective..... good luck and hope You want heve this and keep away the inspectors he he he
__________________
Sebastian
member of CMAS

125G AGA + 30G sump (home made)
500W MH + 260W PC light
Wave 2K (4,000 g/h), mag-drive 12 (1,000 g/h)
Euro reef skimmer
Hammer corals, zoo's, green star polyps, neon green button polyps, blue acro, green staghorn, frogspan, leathers, xenias, 100's mashrooms, ricordias, fungias, green oxypora, neon green hydropora, snake polyps, brown Caribbean zoanthid (palythoa carribaeorum)

regal tang, yellow tang, six line wrasse, cleaner wrasse, (2) lyretail anthias, eibli angel, ocellaris clown
sebastian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2007, 09:43 PM   #14 (permalink)
emo_1992
Bryozoan
 
emo_1992's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Idaho Falls, ID
Posts: 47
Re: electrical

Fortunatly I have a crawl space under the house, so there is access to run the wireing. I have a friend who is an electrician by trade that will do the hooking up for me. Just need to run the wireing and verify the placement of the tank, I dont want to have to move it again. The building inspectors here are realy good about ensuring that it is done properly and will not require permit for it so not a big problem there.
emo_1992 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2007, 09:56 PM   #15 (permalink)
Jorgens
Scopas Tang
 
Jorgens's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 433
Re: electrical

I'm running 1 dedicated 20 amp with gfi outlets on the whole circut. I do not have halides as of yet. and I can see where a second circut would have been benificial. As I was painting my office i got some wet paint in the gfi and tripped everything. Tanks went quit untill i cleaned out the paint.
__________________
Proud member of the 200+ Club!

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...gens/Aquarium/

I have no fear of falling. Hitting the ground SUX tho....
Jorgens is offline   Reply With Quote
ReefSanctuary Sponsor
Reply

  Reef Sanctuary > Main Forums > Equipment



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:25 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.0.0 RC8
©2003-2007 Centropyge Productions LLC
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=


Page generated in 0.20427 seconds with 11 queries

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141