Yet Another New Tank Question Thread

[Keithbaxter]

Right to start with Im not buying anything yet or rushing just asking questions and getting a feel for the change!

I have running a Juwel Rio 180 tropical tank with many inhabbitants and they are all happy and breeding.

In the new year around march time in considering a change over to marine. I understand cycling, and live rock and have read lots about sumps and skimmers and everything else but.


My questions are these:

Live rock can be used as filtration can it be a sole filtration? (would love to have no other tanks or water elsewhere)

Apart from water flow from skimmers and lighting is there anything else that needs to be added?

Making saltwater seems similar to declorianting with tropical in the sense of get the measurments right and all is straight forward enough is this right?

All advice and tips welcome

 

[ben1987]

My questions are these:

Live rock can be used as filtration can it be a sole filtration? (would love to have no other tanks or water elsewhere) Yes it can. Provided you have enough and there is enough flow. Usually you need about 1kg of rock ot every 2 gallons with around 20x volume in flow. You wont be able to keep as much having no sump though. I would recomend it beause it will up your water volume and hide your equipment. A skimmer would also be reccomended.

Apart from water flow from skimmers and lighting is there anything else that needs to be added? Powerheads. Skimmers dont really contribute to the flow, They take out dissolved crap in the water.

Making saltwater seems similar to declorianting with tropical in the sense of get the measurments right and all is straight forward enough is this right?
Yep, best way imo, is in a bucket or tub with a small heater and powerhead. Add RO water and weigh the salt chuck them in the bucket and leave it for a bit.

 

[Keithbaxter]

Whats the main difference of a skimmer and a normal filter?

May sound silly to someone who knows but the mechanics of it still completely lose me.

 

[Keithbaxter]

A filter draws water through itself and through sponge or fine matted material to collect the gunk and stuff in the tank. Aswell as providing a breeding ground for good bacteria.

A skimmer uses bubbles within the water to draw out gunk to stop as much decomposing in the tank.

So putting it very simply can you explain the sections of a simple sump with skimmer?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Dont worry about it. It is all pretty confusing to begin with so definetely ask as many questions as you want.

Completely agree with Ben on all the above as well.

Basically a skimmer works by sucking in water from the tank and mixing it with really small air bubbles in a chamber. These air bubbles form a foam which moves up the chamber and overflows into a collection cup. As the air bubbles ris through the water it pulls the dissolved organic compounds out of it. The foam gets collected in the cup that you empty and the water returns to the tank.

If you are thinking of going for corals then I would recommend getting good lights from the start (or dont upgrade them with any "halfway" measures until you are ready to start with corals.

Flow is very important so 2 or 3 decent powerheads are a must have. These with the LR (if you have enough) is all you need for filtration (though adding a skimmer will increase the water quality a lot).

As Ben said making up the saltwater mix is easy. I would recommend getting a refractometer to check the salinity of the water as (for me at least) they are quicker and easier to use than a hydrometer.

If you havent done so already I would recommend taking a look through some of the marine journals on here. Lots of information on how people have set up their tanks in there and when I was just starting in marines I found it really helpful.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

For a basic setup with a sump:

You have an overflow drilled in your main tank which drains down to the sump.
The sump is normally then divided into sections but doesnt have to be.
Normally in the first section you have your skimmer.
Middle section you have whatever you want (deep sand bed, macro algae, live rock rubble, etc) You can also put your heater in here.
In the end section you have the return pump that pushes the water back up to the display tank.

There are lots of ways you can set a sump up. About all they have in common is that you have one bit where the water comes in from the display and one bit where it goes back to the display. You could if you wanted just have a small empty tank under the display tank with a skimmer and heater in.

 

[Keithbaxter]

Hey Barney

I have been reading loads on here but they are mostly written with ever first hand knowledge or more reading a questions. i did ask at my LFS but the guy kinda waffled like he was repeating what he has heard rather than telling me what he knew.

If I go marine I will go for live rock obviously, then clean up crew, then some hardy corals then some fish like nemo (the misses has choosen the fish already but she understands as with the tropical tank she will have to wait until the cycle completes)

I understand the powerheads and flow of water, and lighting i understand although im not going for complicated corals just simple ones, its the extra bits people put in the cabinet below the tank I really dont like the idea of things being outide the tank. I would rather lose tank space and have it all on the one level and witihin the tank.

How would a skimmer work within the tank if i sectioned off one corner lets say?

 

[BigC]

Hi Keith,
No problem placing a skimmer in there or you could get a hang on one.
better still but would need a bit of planning for weirs and returns, Section the tank lengthways at the back (glass drilled etc) and disguise this with something like this thread
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...40&start=40
Barneys gonna kill me for mentioning this again to someone. Anyway
You will then be able to incorp all your electricals behind the scene as it were and still remain within the confines of the tank, you could have return pumps, heater even a fuge area for cheato.
As I say it would take some planning to incorp everything but might be worth pondering.
Regards
BigC

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Basically think of it as a FW filter in this regard. You can get ones that go inside the tank and attached to the glass at the side or you can get external ones that hand on the side of the tank (with the main body on the outside and pipes going in and out of the tank).

Edit: lol BigC, you are just going to make sure I keep seeing it until I finally cant stand it no more and have to go do it as well

 

[Keithbaxter]

I read the whole thread with the crates and stones looked good in the end.

I just dont wanna be drilling holes in the tank. How safe will a live rock filter be?

I mean are we just talking more water changes? Or serious problems once fully cycled?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

You dont have to drill any holes. You can have a skimmer that fits on over the edge of the tank (like a canister filter in a way) or one that goes inside the tank (liek an internal filter).

You can run with just LR. I run my nano for a year with only LR filtration and didnt have any major problems. However I would recommend a skimmer though. Since I have started using one and seen how much crap it pulls out the water I feel much better about having one on there.

 

[ben1987]

once you see how much a skimmer actually pulls out you wont want to run without one.
Drilling a tank is also really really easy, if not local glas works will usually do it for a small fee

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yeah I have drilled tanks before and as long as you have a good drill bit and take your time it is easy. That being said though I have only ever drilled cheap tanks that where no big deal to replace

 

[ben1987]

So long as they arent crazy thick or tempered its a doddle tbh