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FAQs about Small Marine System Filtration, Circulation 3
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Small Marine Systems 1, Small Marine
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You want to avoid the BGA blues.
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Nano Lighting And Filtration
(or lack of..)/Reef Lighting 10/23/09
Hi,
<Hello Shawn>
I'm starting to get back into the marine hobby again, I learned a lot of
lessons from my first reef tank and this one I want to start off the
right way.
<Great.>
I've done a lot of research but maybe you can help me here. My fist
concern is with filtration, It's a 15 gal. tank and
I'm going to use 16-20 lbs. of live rock and about 1 inch of live sand,
say around 15 lbs. and weekly water changes of 2-3 gal. around 20%. That
should cover biological and chemical but I am having trouble finding any
sort of mechanical filter that will work within my constraints, being
that I have very little room outside of the tank area to put anything
such as a canister filter etc. My original idea was to use a single
large power sweep pushing 270 gph and its sponge pre-filter. However its
quite an ugly thing in such a small tank. My other idea is to get rid of
mechanical filtration entirely and use 2 small Penguin power heads in
each of the back corners, or use sponge
pre filters at most. How necessary is mechanical filtration, would only
live rock, sand, water changes, and vigorous circulation be enough?
<Yes, you can get by with this method along with vacuuming of the sand
bed during the water changes and employing a small clean-up crew.>
I would like to stay away from protein skimmers as well mainly because
of the noise as this tank is in my bedroom. Another concern is with my
lighting rig. I plan to use T-5 fluorescent and I have a choice of a 4
bulb lamp or a 6 bulb. I'm leaning toward the 6 bulb lamp, 3 10K
daylights and 3 actinic, 144 watts total. I plan to keep easy to keep
corals like polyps and mushrooms with some other various softies.
That should be plenty of light but not too much correct?
<Correct.>
The big concern is that with the rooms slanted ceiling, I can only raise
the light about 2 inches above the tank and would preferably like to
just set it on top of the tank. Is there any danger, besides heat, of
having the corals so close to the light?
<No, you should be fine here. Most hoods have built-in cooling/exhaust
fans. If you are just going to keep softies and no LPS or SPS corals,
the four light fixture with 3 10K, and one actinic should provide plenty
of
light for their needs.>
Roughly 4 or 5 inches from the bulb? the bulbs can be turned on and off
independently so I can adjust the lighting if necessary. Any ideas would
be great, nothing is set in stone yet, doing research before I commit.
<You may want to check out some of the smaller HOB filters from Hagen
and Tetra.
You may also want to read here and linked FAQ's and articles in the
header body.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nanoreefsysart.htm>
Thanks,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Shawn
Sm. SW filtr. re-do 7/21/2009
Howdy Crew,
I have a question as to what you would recommend I do so far as a
filtration mod or addition. I have a BioCube 29 that has been setup for
about 2 1/2 years now. I have totally redone the filtration from the
beginning going through different designs and well its time for another
improvement. I currently have a diy skimmer in my 1st chamber that is
running on an airstone so not too effective but better than nothing. I
also place my heater in there during the winter (its not needed during
the summer in san Antonio.)
<They're thermostatic... I'd leave in, set at whatever temp.>
I have kept the original spillover and it flows down evenly over the
foam block used for an Aquaclear 110 (which fits perfectly) then through
polyfiber and then carbon and Phosguard. Then through the pump prefilter
before going out the return pump. I have the pump on a pvc stand of
sorts to increase the volume of the tank however minimally as well as to
decrease the head and increase flow. The out put goes through the Hydor
flo, which is a new addition 15 bucks seemed fair. In the tank I have a
Hydor Koralia 1 on the center of the left wall angled across to the
center/right of the front wall and opposing that a Koralia nano going
across the rockwork and corals intersecting the flow in the middle.
<Better to set up on the upper opposite corners near the surface and
have pushing water to the distal walls... to set up a gyre>
I recently have bought into the idea that water flow is extremely
important for coral growth.
<It is indeed>
I have about a 1 inch sand bed with about 26 lbs of live rock. Livestock
is as follows: mated tomato clowns, clown goby, cleaner shrimp, 5 turbo
snails, 10 red leg hermits, bubble tip anemone (I know too small of a
tank for this specimen, I will either move to my girlfriends 75 or my
managers 90 gallon), colt coral, yellow Fiji leather, dragon eye polyps,
pulsing xenia, multicolor Ricordea, and 2 small misc leathers. When I'm
home from college I do 3-5 gal partials every 2 weeks and when I'm at
school I do 5 or so gallons a month. My ammonia, nitrite and nitrate
stay at a constant 0 ppm on every testing interval, ph is 8.2 and when I
test calc it is usually 420-440, phosphates and silicates 0 ppm. However
I am still getting algae growth and I know this to be because nitrates
are still being produced at the end of the nitrogen cycle and thus the
algae eats it up as soon as its produced so its not going to show up in
tests. I have had green hair algae in the past which the snails and
crabs have tamed, but now I am getting Cyanobacteria in the front left
side of my tank. I would have thought I have adequate flow to get oxygen
in high enough percentages in all areas in my tank as to prevent
Cyanobacteria as it tends to be an anaerobic bacteria.
<Yes... but there are other factors, types...>
So the question is this: should I flip my current filtration setup in
the second chamber on its side and force the water down and through by
first going over a cut down section of the overflow strainer and down by
a Plexiglas wall using weather-stripping (I used this stuff in a sump
redo at my work and was surprised as to how easy and effective it was to
do.) Then force the water flow up through a DSB, possibly with crushed
coral on bottom to use as a calcium buffer, and then live rock rubble
with Chaetomorpha on top. Then another barrier on top with eggcrate to
use as a strainer before it goes through the prefilter and return pump?
<A good plan>
And if I go with this course of action do u think the thinner pieces of
Plexi would be sufficient to use instead of the full 1/4 inch Plexiglas
since it is only 3 or 4 inches wide and wont have as much pressure
exerted on it so it cant bow as much and slip out of place?
<Yes>
I plan on also upgrading my current skimmer by removing the false bottom
in the first chamber and making the skimmer taller to increase dwell
time and hopefully efficiency. Or should I forgo all of that and get an
AquaC skimmer and Dremel out a section for it and have the intake come
from the first chamber as its the only constant water level chamber?
<Could>
Which do you think would be more effective in a tank that wont get as
much tender loving care during the school year when I am gone and will
keep it looking pristine longer as well as the healthiest environment
for the inhabitants.
<The former plan>
I realize your take is first biological filtration is a must and then a
good skimmer so I personally am leaning towards the remodeling, plus
with any luck I will have enough money left over to buy an auto top off.
Thank you in advance for your response and if u have any questions as to
more information or anything just ask, or if you have any other
recommendations as to what I should do those are always welcome, as I
take large stock in what your view is (if you cant tell I have read just
a few of your articles *wink wink*)
-Steven
PS I am attaching a PowerPoint of a kind of sketch as to what my
existing filter is like and what the proposed filter is to look like.
<Either proposed improvement will be a step forward; again, I would go
with the first design, incorporating the DSB. Bob Fenner>
Best Filtration (HPO4, NO3) and Lighting – 06/12/09
Hi Eric,
<<Hello again Oowais>>
Thanks for your quick reply.
<Quite welcome>>
I have a question about a 20gallon reef tank and I
would like to have your opinion to what is best to have a coil
denitrator or an algae scrubber for removal of nitrate and phosphate?
<<For simplicity/less fiddling/complication I would go with the
scrubber…but for a small system as this I myself would simply opt for
frequent water changes and possibly a small canister filter loaded with
Poly-Filter media>>
Is 150w MH with 2 blue tubes ok for coralline algae propagation and how
many hours should the lights be on?
<<Will be fine… I prefer a 12-14 hour photo-period for the Metal
Halides…with about an hour longer, before and after, for the Actinics>>
Regards Oowais.
<<Cheers, EricR>>
20gal Nano Reef/DSB 3/23/09
Good day WWM Crew,
<Hello Adriel.>
I have a question regarding DSB's. The only livestock I have now is a
brittle star and a yellow tail damsel. Nitrates are at 10ppm. My 20gal
"wannabe" reef has 1 inch think aragonite fine sand for a substrate with
some growth of worms etc. Would like to try a DSB, and as per my
reading, would require it to be 3" or greater?
<Yes, 3" minimum, four is even better for NNR in my opinion.>
My question is could I just remove the LR and the star and then
literally pour the sand over the existing bed over the course of a day,
given that I don't have too much livestock (would also keep the protein
skimmer on at this time)? I'd hate to disrupt the existing bed and lose
any existing critters.
<Well you certainly could just pour all the new sand in, but if you have
a well established sand bed you may be better served to just add say a
1/4" to 1/2" at a time, over a period of several days to a week.>
Any help would be really appreciated, keep up the good work!
Thanks,
Adriel Rebello
<Thank you and you're welcome, Scott V.>
Re: 20gal Nano Reef/DSB
3/24/09
Hello WWM Crew/ Scott V,
<Hello Adriel.>
Sorry to bother you guys again, just having panic attacks right now!
<OK, stay calm.>
Was wondering, how does a DSB turn bad? Is it due to a lack of sand
sifters?
<Not really, generally a DSB is stirred up on a small level, not the
large sandsifter types most tend to add. A Nassarius snail or two would
be fine.>
Too much depth?
<Nope, not having quite enough can make a DSB fail though.>
Can it become "too efficient", consuming all nitrates and then resulting
in an excessive production of anaerobic bacteria?
<Nope.>
I do plan on stirring the top level of the sand a bit, and adding more
after a year as recommended. Would a max of a 5" inch thick live sand
bed in a nano-reef be overkill?
<Not really.>
In the event that the DSB goes bad, is it possible to salvage the sand
and use it in a FO setup? (By salvaging, I mean by curing and adding it
in small amounts to the FO tank).
<Oh yes, the sand can always be rinsed and reused.>
I'm sorry for asking so many questions, but the sand is quite expensive
and I'd hate to waste anything.
<Well do see http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dsbdangers.htm for the dangers
and causes...there is not much to worry about though.>
Thanks a lot!!!
Adriel Rebello
<Welcome, Scott V.>
Nano reef issue, maint. and Hang-on 'fuge f' 02/09/09
Dear Crew!
I have a question regarding my 10G nano reef ecosystem. I
hope you'll be able to answer ASAP because I am a bit afraid. Thank you
in advance.
I have a 3.5G HOB Aquafuge with 3" DSB and Caulerpa +
Chaeto macros. About 2 weeks ago I noticed that my HOB refugium
skimmer/CPR Aquafuge wasn't making any skimmate. At first I did not pay
serious attention. After a few weeks I got suspicious. I did some
troubleshooting and finally found when I took off the powerhead that
runs the fuge (MaxiJet 1200) that there were 4-5 small scavenger snails
at the intake. I cleaned the powerhead and reinstalled it, and the
skimmer started to work again immediately. Previous to this my nitrate
test reading was 0ppm. After fixing the powerhead issue the reading has
been 15-20 ppm. I did a 20% water change this morning but it didn't
lower the nitrate levels too much.
I think nutrients have been
pushed back from the fuge to the tank.
<Hmm... it doesn't really
work that way. But in any case, your 3.5G "refugium" with what you're
calling a "DSB" is not functioning as either.
I understand why these
tiny HOT "refugiums" are tempting. I had one myself back before I knew
any better. But basically, all you really have is a puddle of water with
sand in it. The only good use for these things (imo) is macro algae
growth (and maybe some gas exchange). But if you put sand in them,
you're just asking for trouble. If I were you, I'd remove the sand,
thoroughly clean the thing, and use it only for macro-algae
cultivation.>
I've never had nitrate problems with this tank before.
What do you think?
Will the DSB and the macroalgaes break down the
nutrients again, or should I clean the fuge and introduce a "new"
macroalgae colony? Should I wait a day or 2 and re-check? I'm very
afraid because it is a fully grown 2 year
old set up and I have put
lots of work into it.
<Again, if it were me (and it was me once upon
a time), I'd remove the sand and just use macroalgae. If the macroalgae
you have looks weak or dying (or is covered in debris)... maybe rinse it
well, or get new macroalgae.
That's your call.>
Please advise!
Thank you,
Sonny
<Good luck,
Sara M.> 20g nano
system refugium equipment 2/3/09
To whom it may concern:
After reading your website fantastic article
about system requirements on a nano system, I recently started one of my
own. It has been running for 6 month now and everything seem to be
working fine. I have a Remora skimmer, 20 pounds of live rock, a air
pump, a compact florescence light with 6000k and 10000k tubes and a
power head for water flow. I have a small crown fish, a quadcolor
anemone, a green spotted puffer, a small snowflake eel
<Needs more
room than this... and may well have trouble/contact with the Bubble Tip
Anemone here>
and a turbo snail. I know the tank is way too small for
the eel and the puffer once they got bigger, I will get a bigger system
or surrender them to a fish store if necessary. I do a biweekly 20%
water change, but I still have a problem with high nutrient because of
all the microalgae and glass anemone on the live rock and on the glass.
<Ah yes...>
I want to start running a 10g refugium.
<An excellent
addition!>
I am ready to purchase all the necessary equipment, but I
can't figure out all the equipments that I need. How can I make sure I
don't get too much water from the tank to the refugium before it
overflow?
<A matter of calculating where the overflow will drain
water down to (and adjustment)... the pump capacity (and possibly
adjustment with a valve on the discharge end)... and measure to not
overfill the transit sump (the refugium) when all is up and running
(with the power turned on/off)... Do you understand this?>
How can I
make sure the water pump is pumping out the same rate of water as the
tank is flowing in to it?
<Again... the factors above.>
Can you
make a list of all the things I need to buy?
<By careful reading...
Either the first chapters of Anthony Calfo and I's Reef Invertebrate
book... or on the Net... These areas:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm
the second tray down...
and/or good help pages on the Web: Melev's Reef, OzReef.org...>
I
have read your web page about refugium and all the benefit from it. I
can't wait to start mine. Thanks a million in advance for your help. I
am sure my fishs will appreciate it as well.
<I agree... do read,
take good notes... and write back with specific questions you have. Bob
Fenner> New nano setup w/refugium 9/10/08
Hello,
<Hello Jim.>
Kudos for your site and all the knowledge,
time and effort you've put forth to help!! I've read just about every
entry!
<Wow! Thank you.>
My wife purchased a CAD 39g nano for my
birthday and it should arrive soon. My question has to do with the built
in refugium. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the CAD 39g, so here
are the spec's before I ask about the refugium.
Tank: 39 gallon:
(L)24" x (W)20" x(H)20"
150w 14k HQI w/2 24w Actinics
Direct
overflow Refugium: (L) 23" x (w) 5" x (H) 19.5 " with PC light strip
w/flow control
Pin-wheel skimmer w/silencer and ozone
6w Drop-in
UV
70g cooling unit
500GPH pump
Automatic top off unit
I've
left out the details of the tank construction and the overflow
filtration since I only plan to use the filtration area for poly,
Chemipure and Phosban.
Since I haven't received the tank yet, I'm
still in the planning stage of what I want for live stock but will most
likely keep a small reef w/1-3 fish (read very small fish). I'll be
using live rock (35-40lbs) and maybe 1/2 inch of live sand for the
"break-in" period, which I plan to extend well past the initial
stabilization period.
<All sounds good.>
My real question is the
refugium. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, when would be
the best time to add the refugium substrate and what if any suggestions
would you have for the type of substrate I should use? Or any other
suggestions for that matter!
<I would add the refugium as soon as you
can, let it mature with the tank. As for substrate, I like a fine
aragonite, deep sand bed in the refugium. The more DSB the better, whys
not have one here?>
I've kept fresh and saltwater (but no reefs) for
many years and currently have a 55g FOWLR that's been up and running for
about a year. (got to love that AquaC skimmer)
<Yes, nice skimmers.>
Thanks in advance!
Jim Ferguson
Canyon Lake, Texas
<Welcome to
reefing, you will undoubtedly enjoy it! Scott V., somewhere in the
Sierra Nevada range tonight.>
Aquarium Setup and Pump/Overflow Questions 6/25/08
Hi there,
<Hello.>
I am in the planning of 40 gallon breeder with external
coast to coast ( I like the setup and that there’s no space taken inside
my tank) that goes to a 25 gallon sump. My plan is to keep softies and
SPS corals with little LPS (if I cannot avoid the temptation @ all).
Anyways, I am planning to follow same system as
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=25431f8f03640480f5d7cce63c204925&threadid=1310585&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
with 1 inch drain pipes. To give you the brief summary, there’re two 1
inch pipe draining water but most of the work is being done by 1 pipe
(3rd pipe is for fail safe). I had some questions over here:
1. I am
planning to bring water back from sump to display via Eheim 1262. It’s a
simple return from bottom that will split into 2 pipes (I need the size
recommendation from you) and will be connected to ¾ or ½ inch LocLine
(as you recommend) over the top. The pipes will move water upwards about
5 ft.
Do you think this will work?
<Well, yes and no. As far as
the overflow, this employs one drain as a full time siphon, with the
second gravity fed taking a bit of flow. The third is a gravity fed
backup. The problem is that a gravity fed 1” drain can handle just a bit
more than 300 GPH. The siphon 1” drain can flow 900 GPH or so. What
happens when (not IF in my experience) the siphon to fails? The other
two drains (one of which already had part of it’s flow used before #1
failed) cannot handle the flow. There are many of these “overclocking
overflow” designs, all end up relying on a gravity fed drain for a
backup. The reason is that the gravity fed drain is far and away the
most reliable. If you have enough gravity fed backup capacity to
accommodate the flow of the siphon fed drain if it fails, why have the
siphon drain to begin with? It is an overflow design that does work most
of the time, I am just not a fan of it after many (hundreds) of hours
building and actually flow testing/trouble shooting overflows. In regard
to the return, the issue with bringing it through the bottom of the tank
is the potential for sump flooding. In the event of a power outage the
water will siphon or simply drain down to the level of the sump output.
Even if the return comes through the bottom and you bring it up, you
risk the possibility of a leak in the line somewhere (LocLine is NOT
watertight) leading to the same problem. All of this seems paranoid, but
this stuff does happen, if you plan on having the tank for any length of
time you will likely end up experiencing these events first hand.>
What size returns should I use?
<A few ½” or a single ¾”.>
Can
Eheim handle such load and is it fine for this kind of setup for optimal
working of sump (which may contain refugium to it too)?
<Yes, this is
my personal favorite return pump.>
2. I am planning to add 2 Maxijets
1200 (modded) and two Koralia (need size recommendation) to move water
inside the aquarium too.
Do you think it’s sufficient for SPS?
<Yes, definitely. You will not need so much flow, either the MJ mod.s
(another personal favorite) or the Koralias (fours would be my choice)
will be more than enough for a SPS tank this size. >
Do you think
water will get too hot?
<It may, especially with the MH, time
actually set up will tell.>
I live in Seattle so it really is not
that hot over here except for occasional heat wave.
<The occasional
heat wave is what can get you.>
3. I am planning to add 1 250 WH
Metal Halide with 2 VHO on the aquarium as light?
Is the light
sufficient?
<Oh yes, quite.>
Other questions may come up but I
need your recommendation on #1 and #2 so that I can start ordering
plumbing stuffJ
<OK>
Thanks
Ghazni
<Welcome, have fun
setting up, Scott V.>
HOB refugium on a 10G nano 05/31/2008
Hello lifesavers!
<<Hello Sonny, Andrew this evening>>
Right now I have a 10G nano
tank with 20 lbs of live sand, and approx 15 lbs of live rocks. For
filtration I run a Marineland C-160 canister and a AquaC remora nano
skimmer+ Hydor Koralia powerhead. The tank has been set up about 7
month ago. I have a six line wrasse, a cleaner shrimp, some
Nassarius(or something like that:-) sand snails, few crabs. I have a
trumpet and colt coral, a chili cactus, red and blue mushroom
colonies, a GSP, some zoos and a clam.
<<A very busy 10g nano
there>>
I am seriously thinking about set up a HOB refugium. What
do you think about the Ecosystem 40? Sounds like a great, beneficial
refugium. I've never had one before. Would that be enough for
filtration?
<<Yes, I think it would be very good for your
system. A nice piece of equipment indeed>>
In case I'll set up
one, can I get rid of the canister filter?
<<You have adequate
amounts of live rock to provide the filtration, so, yes, you can
remove the canisters>>
The one I keep my eyes on has a built in
modified Prizm skimmer. What about the chemical filtration? Can I
place Chemi-pure or carbon anywhere inside the refugium?
<<No, I
would not. all you want in a refugium is sand, rock rubble and macro
algae. You could remove the media from the filter, and run chemical
filtration in that>>
O.k., let's skip the crap.. The main
question is : A HOB refugium with all the good microalgaes and sand
inside + a skimmer would be enough filtration for my tank?
<<Yes>>
I appreciate your time,
Sonny
<<Thanks for the
questions, hope this helps. A Nixon>>
Re: HOB refugium on a 10G nano 06/02/2008
Thank you very much
Andrew!
<<No problem, glad to help>>
Just one more thing I
forgot to ask. Would that be ok to switch the canister to the
refugium right away? Wouldn't it be breaking the biological cycle in
my 10G tank? 3.5 G of new saltwater and the live sand added to the
refugium might break the nitrogen cycle..
<<No, it wont, will be
fine as the live rock can cater for dealing with bacteria levels on
its own after this amount of time being in the tank>>
Don't you
think? Is there any beneficial difference between miracle mud and
aragonite? (I know it's two questions, but hey, I love you guys:-)
<<Personal preference. I am a sand lover, where as others i know are
mud lovers.>>
I really appreciate all the effort you folks put
into this website! The Harvard library can do you a favor...
Thanks again,
<<Thanks for the follow-up Sonny. Good luck. A
Nixon>> |
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>
Starting an AquaPod reef... 3/14/08
Hey Crew!
Quick
question...I've got a 12 gallon nano reef, up and running for 2
months now with one small clown, blood shrimp and 4 blue legged
hermit crabs occupying this tank. Prior to putting the shrimp and
clown in the tank I did my water tests and everything was perfect.
Since putting in the shrimp and the clown and eventually the 4 crabs
(who were supposed to be a clean up crew but as far as I'm concerned
they make more mess than they clean - I'll be getting rid of them
tomorrow and replacing them with smaller blue or red hermit crabs)
my ammonia has shot through the roof to 2.0.
<How much did you
suddenly start feeding the tank when you added the livestock? The
combination of the added livestock and food might have been too much
too soon.>
I know the obvious way to bring the ammonia down is to
do more aggressive water changes or perhaps more frequently, but as
I experienced last week; when pouring in the salt due to it's small
nature of the nano the corals get burned from the contact with the
salt (mental note....pre-mix)...can you recommend any piece of
equipment that can help me with keeping the ammonia down? If it was
a normal setup I would immediately purchase a protein skimmer but as
I am now realizing, these nano tanks aren't all they're cracked up
to be
<Bingo. They're often without adequate filtration.>
as
there is NO space for a skimmer or at least not one that I can find.
Any of the nano skimmers I have found involve me altering the hood
which I am not confident in doing. Is there a nano skimmer out there
that will help me, perhaps if I threw in a mangrove plant?
<A
mangrove won't help. It wouldn't do well in such a tank anyway.
Honestly, there's not a whole lot you could do that wouldn't involve
altering the hood to add filtration or drilling the tank to add a
sump. This is the trouble with nano tanks systems. If you don't want
to alter the tank, you'll have to find a way to do the heavy,
frequent water changes (i.e. pre-mix your water, etc.).>
HELP ME
PLEASE!!
Thanks so much! I've been a reader for over 5 years now
and have enjoyed every minute of it!
<De nada and good luck,
Sara M.>
Re: Starting an AquaPod reef... 3/14/08
Hi Crew,
<Hi>
This is in response to the above heading in today's questions. The
person has a 2 month old 14 gal nano and has problems with ammonia
and one clown in the tank. I started a 10 gallon over 5 years ago
and lost quite a bit of fish and critters during my first 6 months.
Then I found the Crew. I
still have the 10 gallon and 2 of my
fish are over 4 years old. So if you follow the advice of WWM you
can be successful with a nano. And rule
number one is patience.
You can't load your system with more than it can handle.
<Indeed, this is true of any tank of any size.>
Give your clown a
break and ask the store to hold it for a while.
The only reason I
am responding is because the crew has the tendency to shrug off nano
problems because they can be difficult to control.
<Hmm, I
certainly didn't mean to "shrug off" the writer's problem. The
person who asked the question said he was reluctant to alter the
tank in any way that would allow him to add equipment or water
volume. He also said he was reluctant to do more aggressive water
changes. Thus, I was at a loss to offer him any other solutions.
Taking the livestock out would only be a temporary solution.>
But
if your advice is followed then people can have a good success rate.
You can't cut corners. The systems are not forgiving. There just is
too little water to dilute problems.
<Very true and I thank you
for writing in with your support/advice. In my opinion, the best way
to keep a nano tank is with a large sump hidden underneath. It might
be "cheating," but it works. ;-)>
Thanks
<Best,
Sara M.> |
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>
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