Hello, I have a 16 gallon bioglobe aquarium with a hairy frogfish. Sys.  4/9/08
<Needs more room...>
The tank has a
uplift tube and an under-gravel filter. My question is, would it be more beneficial to use an air pump or an powerhead on the uplift tube. The air pump allows the surface of the water to break better, while the powerhead allows more circulation in the tank but minimum water turbulence at the surface. What is more important in properly oxygenating the tank?
<Good question... and the "real" response is that none of the above will work in time to provide adequate aeration, circulation or filtration for this Antennariid in this setting... So, rather than lead you on re your chances of success here, I advise your reading on WWM re the care of the family and general marine set up:
http://wetwebmedia.com/anglersysfaqs.htm
and here: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm
The indices on Set Up. Bob Fenner>

Need help on new tank set up, small SW  03/06/2008
Hi first of all I love your site it has helped me plenty of times.
<<Hello, Andrew here...And thanks for the kind comments>>
I have a 28gal bow front marine aquarium with a 3in DSB 20 pounds of live rock (not exact amount) one coral life 19in PC bulb a Aqua Clear 20 pump an external power filter and a Sea Clone 100 protein skimmer. I am very dissatisfied with the quality of foam produced and want to upgrade.
<<SeaClones are not the best of breed when it comes to skimmers>>
I have bean looking around and cant decide between the Prizm skimmer and the BakPak both would suite my needs but i don't know witch would be best.
<<Prizm skimmer....hmmm...They make superb door wedges / door stops ;O) ....Seriously, they are not a very good skimmer choice at all, very hard to get a good skimmate from and so finicky to get setup and keep running correctly. Out of the two you've suggested, i would choose the BakPak>>
Can you tell me in your opinion what you think would be best for my set up? Also I want to get an external canister filter to replace my power filter price is definitely an issue (I would like to stay around the 100 dollar range) can you tell me what would be best for my price range? (Keep in mind when my tank is set up I plan to keep coral and fish)
<<My suggestion would be to not spend the money on the filter, and simply up the amount of live rock in the tank. Up size it to around 30 - 35lbs and then there will be no need to have a filter on the tank as the live rock will provide all the filtration you need, via natural methods. However, if you still require a recommendation on a filter, i would go with something like a Rena Xp1 or an XP 2 filter. http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~filters_rena_filstar_xp_canister.html>>
Thanks!
<<Thanks for the questions, hope this helps. A Nixon>>

Mechanical Filtration 2/20/08
Hello!
<John.>
OK, yet ANOTHER "active filtration" question:
I just thought of a theory (imperfect as it probably is):
When you think about it, the "problem" with canister filters being nitrate factories (due to the accumulation of crud inside them) may not really be A problem. After all, the way I see it, the crud that used to be in your tank has only moved to a different place - inside the filter.
Either way, it is STILL part of the makeup of your water - correct?
<Yes, the problem with canister filters and other mechanical filtration media.>
Doesn't this mean that moving it from one place (all over your LR) to another (inside a canister filter) shouldn't technically do ANYTHING to your nitrates?
<Not if you leave it there. Hopefully the filter will be cleaned often and the detritus removed.>
The reason I ask is because I am DESPERATELY seeking a way to eliminate all the mulm I see all over my LR between "turkey bastings". I felt that if I had active filtration (instead of just the tons of LR I have in the back chamber of my Aquapod 24) then at least I could export this fluffy grey gunk out of the tank and periodically clean my filter out.
<Exactly what you need my friend.>
With just the LR, all I'm getting is biological - no mechanical.
<Do consider a protein skimmer, it will remove much of this out of the water column. This is what makes these such a powerful filtration tool.>
Regards,
John
<Thank you for writing, Scott V.>

Freshwater to Marine, Overflow and Filtration 2/13/08
Hi,
<Zach>
I have been reading through the posts and have tried the search but am still having a hard time. I have a 30 gallon bowfront (undrilled) that I am currently using as a freshwater aquarium and I would like to convert it to saltwater. I am confused as to whether or not I should try drilling it myself and just add a sump (I'm afraid I'll shatter it), do I really have to drill it to use a sump or can you refer me to a post that would explain how to run a sump without drilling?
<There are many such posts throughout WWM about using siphon type overflow boxes such as CPR. If you are not comfortable drilling or cannot find a shop to drill for you, it would be the way to go. Do consider running two in case one fails.>
I was also wondering whether or not a wet/dry or canister filter is ever going to be capable of doing as good a job as a sump?
<Adequate filtration can be accomplished; it will just take more maintenance on your part cleaning the filter frequently to maintain good water quality. Obviously you will lose the extra water volume and its benefits going with a canister.>
Should I just bite the bullet and get a H.O.B. "sump"?
<I would opt for a true sump or the canister, perhaps in addition to a hang on the back refugium.>
Thanks a lot for your time and my apologies for probably asking a bunch of questions you've probably already answered elsewhere.
Zach
<I have included some pertinent links for you to read through below. Keep reading and all will be clear, Scott V.>
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ovrflosel.htm
http://wetwebmedia.com/refughangonmodelfaqs.htm
http://wetwebmedia.com/pbholestools.htm

Conflicting Filtration Advice, New Marine Setup, 12/17/07
Dear Experienced Expert(s)
<Hello>
My son & I wish to start a marine tank after much freshwater & brackish experience. We have spent much time reading (your excellent site), talking to family & friends who currently keep marine tanks (successfully and unsuccessfully, recently and long ago), and three respected LFS. The realities of our home (including wife and other kids) means starting with a 29 gal (30"x12"x18"H) on a large built-in bookcase with room for hang-on-backs (HOB).
<A little small, but workable if you are diligent.>
The tank is not "reef ready". We desire to achieve a full reef system (with both hard and soft corals, a clam/scallop, shrimp/crabs and a few fish & couple of blennies/gobies/mandarin).
<Too ambitious for this sized tank, looking at a few coral, most likely softies, and 2-3 fish at most, along with a couple shrimp max.>
I have had good experience with three LFS (for freshwater). These store actually are more targeted to marine but have diverse recommendations on filtration.
<Not uncommon.>
LFS1 recommends: 10-15 lbs of "Premium" Fuji live rock (7$/lb), 20 lbs of live sand, a HOB filter (Emperor 400) and says this will be good enough "for now". I asked "What? - no protein skimmer?" and as evidence the staff indicated that two of her home tanks ran just fine this way (albeit with lower loadings then her other marine tanks). This store is a "large" operation (not a chain) and I did notice plenty of PSs for sale. Although I didn't ask, the recommendation was probably a way to get us into the marine hobby with less money outlay leaving the option to "upgrade" later (more LR, PS...).
<Most stores are unfortunately hesitant to let people know what it will really cost to set up a proper tank, and instead try to figure out how much you are willing to spend, get your money and then hope you are lucky and have a little success and then come back and spend more on what you should have bought originally.>
LFS2 recommends: 40-45 lbs of Fuji live rock (4.5$/lb), 40 lbs of live sand, a HOB filter (Penguin 350) and a power head. Again, given our research I asked "What? - no protein skimmer?" and was then shown behind the tanks and indeed most all of their marine coral tanks were set-up that way (everything from 20 gal to 120 gal, with numerous corals, many "clean up crew" and a few small fish per tank)!
<For short term until they are sold, its really tough to compare units designed for short term holding until sale to what you need to house a creature long term at home.>
One tank had a HOB PS but it wasn't running. Only one coral tank had a classic sump/PS/refugium set-up. Their nicest, largest (>400gal and with at least two dozen fish covered top to bottom with soft corals) heaviest loaded tank had "no" filtration other than live rock/sand/power heads (albeit the tank was much more filled with live rock than the smaller tanks - i.e. rocks covered all of the bottom of the tank and went all the way to top of the tank with half of the tank width still filled with rocks).
<The massive amount of LR is part of it, but also they can easily switch out livestock so while it may look successful it may be a maintenance headache with large amount of livestock turnover.>
Whenever I visit, someone is busy "working" on the large on-the-floor LR cure tank. They also said that even with the LR/LS I should use BioSpira (tm) at tank start-up. Most of their tanks had aerators bubbling away.
<BioSpira is helpful but unnecessary, what it provides will occur naturally with time anyways.>
LFS3 recommends: 30 lbs of Fuji live rock (6$/lb), 40 lbs of live sand, a HOB CPR 19" 3.6 gal AquaFuge2(tm) PS Small Refugium (includes Protein Skimmer) w/ lighting, and a power head. All of their coral tanks have the full treatment (large sumps with much algae/seaweed/mud, PS) and their hard corals are the best by far. They also indicated that the set-up would not only provide filtration but also the other benefits of a Refugium. Their own sumps/refugiums had PS, bits of LR, sand/white-mud/ and both green and red macro algae - no bio-balls but a bit of submerged sponge material upon water entry/exit. CPR's own web site makes it sound like you can either use the AquaFuge2 as a filtration device or for other refugium benefits but not both and when I shared that upon return LFS3 said yes the LR/LS provide the main "filtration" but if I wanted I could also add a smaller HOB filter (e.g. Penguin 200) in addition to the Aquafuge.
<Closest to what I use, but I avoid "multi-functional" units, I find they generally don't do anything well enough. A good skimmer and if you want a separate HOB refugium would be the way I would go.>
So if I've done my homework LFS3 is recommending a Berlin system with Refugium while LFS1 and 2 claim PS isn't a requirement (LFS1 "to start with", LFS2 "ever"). Obviously each approach has a certain appeal.
<I would not run a tank without a skimmer, especially for a new hobbyist, they offer a nice buffer to potential mistakes.>
Similar to "genes vs. environment" I'm curious if there is an equivalent aquarium "operator skill"/equipment. I've read material in conflict with the recommendations, but its difficult to ignore my own eyes. I'm not adverse to getting a PS with either LFS1 or 2 system. Is this just a question of how many corals/fish and which types we can stock before pushing the limits of any one recommended system?
<None of the systems will allow stocking like you see in FW or brackish, so what it comes down too is what keeps what livestock you have healthiest and ease of maintenance.>
I'm curious if the Refugium is too much to learn to start with (although I am a ChemEng).
<A refugium is actually quite easy, it is merely a separate area where algae can be grown without interference from the livestock to help remove organics and nitrates. A light, some algae and a pair of scissors to harvest the algae is all that is needed.>
If we start with bigger HOB filters w/ or w/o PS there will be no room to later add HOB refugium w/o switching to a smaller HOB filter (e.g. Penguin 200).
<Get a big PS and forget the filter, they need lots of maintenance to reduce nitrate production. A PS removes the same material from the tank completely while the HOB filter only traps it until you clean it out.>
Does the fact that we have a 29gal tank direct us in a particular direction? I'm also curious if "premium" Fugi LR is marketing or what - interesting that the store with the cheapest LR was the one that depending most upon it.
<Premium is usually for the nicest shaped pieces, and many places keep all the LR together so it really doesn't matter much. If you are inclined go half premium half cheap rock, it will all end up pretty much the same with time.>
Another item of difference was that LFS 1&3 said (for creating initial salt water) to use RO water, while LFS2 said Houston tap water was fine (my home testing indicates 0.0 phosphate & copper).
<RO is always nice, try to test for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) to get a rough idea how much "stuff" is in your water.>
I haven't even gotten to start-up procedures.
<All I know and much much more can be found here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/index.htm .>
Thanks for your time & advice,
Marine Want-to-bees
<Welcome>
<Chris>