New To Nano - But Not Too Marine

[Stu1210]

Hi people...

Having kept marine in the past i have decided to go with a Nano set up due to limited space...

I have managed to aquire an amazing set-up at a great price...

The system has been running for over a year now...

18g - 2' x 12" x 15" Glass tank

9kg of Live Rock, Live Arog Substrate

Maxijet 1200 x 1000 Powerheads for movement

T5 Overtank Luminaire....

At the minute it is housing a Percula Clown and a Purple Firefish...

I am thinking about adding an Internal Filter to aid in the removal of Deritus from the tank, I could also run different filter media in this filter.

My question is this, can you add a new filter to an already established tank with no problems?...

My other tanks have always been set up from new so the filters have established along with the tank...

Any thoughts on this?...

I was thinking of just adding a small fluval with a spray bar fitted horizontally near the surface to aid in the surface aggitation...

along with the 2 maxijets....

Anya dvice guys?...

Cheers

Stu1210

 

[@ombomb]

You'd be much better off with an external IMO.

You'll get much more room for media, more water movement and less chance of it getting clogged.

 

[Stu1210]

You'd be much better off with an external IMO.

You'll get much more room for media, more water movement and less chance of it getting clogged.

Yeah i agree but i am very limited on space and don't really want the unsightly pipes and the huge canister that come with an external....

Would it be ok to add a new filter straight to the tank!?...

The ehiem Aqua Ball Range don't look too intrusive for a Nano... It's not much bigger than a power head and Inlet cover....

 

[@ombomb]

As long as it's clean there'll be no issues, but personally I think it will do more harm than good in the long term.

 

[SkiFletch]

I agree with @ombomb, longerm, a manmade filter will trap detritus and become a nitrate factory if not regularly cleaned. And cleaning internals is a PITA in my experience. I prefer to work on things external to the tank

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Hey stu

Glad to see everything went well

One thing i reckon might be a good idea is to use a HOB filter, that is great for surface agitation without getting saltcreep on the luminaire through spray. Also you could remove the rubbish sponges out there and then put some rowaphos in there to remove any phosphates. They don't take up much room either which is another bonus.

Just thought i'd mention peeps this is my old setup and i know its gone to a good place

Dan

 

[SkiFletch]

Oh sweet, Dans old tank . Since you just moved it Stu, it may take a couple days for the water to settle, give it time and you probably wont find a need for a filter

 

[steelhealr]

If you are simply looking for a way to remove particulate matter, I would agree with a small HOB. You could use an AquaClear. What SkiFletch said is right.....any filter material you use can add nitrates. What I do with mine is use filter floss but pull it weekly. Sponges, although rinsable, still trap crud in the middle of the sponge which may not rinse out easily. Welcome aboard.

SH