Are we doing this right,Or are we way off?????

[Reeferdude]

I'm glad you said oldskool and not just 'old'. LOL. It's not so much stick'n with that old school stuff it's just this time around (with this tank) I'm using less technology. Ya know, bells and whistles. Gadgets and gizmos. Buttons and bows. Besides aren't you building a tank as we speak that's gonna be skimmerless? That's using less technology/oldskool isn't it? When's the completion date on that project?

 

[DonW]

I'm glad you said oldskool and not just 'old'. LOL. It's not so much stick'n with that old school stuff it's just this time around (with this tank) I'm using less technology. Ya know, bells and whistles. Gadgets and gizmos. Buttons and bows. Besides aren't you building a tank as we speak that's gonna be skimmerless? That's using less technology isn't it? When's the completion date on that project?

My tank is up, I just need to get a new camera. I dropped it in SW like an idiot. Not going oldskool and am avoiding the skimmer but its not short on technology. I'm using a dialisys system with a real dialisys (kidney), Multistage filtering system along with chem injection. 24/7 water changing and 24/7 nutrient feeding. All through one 1/4 rodi line going to my laundry room.

Don

 

[Reeferdude]

Sounds nice. I know what you mean about dropping the camera in the water. And cell phones...What ever happened to that tube of Chaeto your were growing with natural light? Still got it?

 

[DonW]

Sounds nice. I know what you mean about dropping the camera in the water. And cell phones...What ever happened to that tube of Chaeto your were growing with natural light? Still got it?

Ya thats first stage of the multistage filtration system.

Don

 

[krisfal]

T
Conflicting information is everywhere.

Even here!:lol:

Shane and John,
You are getting a lot of good advice here. I would just add to make the changes gradually (Nothing GOOD happens quickly in a reef tank) and understand why you are making the change. The more you understand about what is occurring in your tank to cause your problems, the better choices you will make with your decisions to change things.

Having said that I will say I have not regretted the time, effort, and money spent to move from a HOB skimmer (Same crappy brand you are using) to a sump with a large skimmer. Mark (Skimmerwhisperer here on RF) at Barrier Reef spent part of an afternoon helping my husband and myself understand skimmers, sumps and what my tank would need and I have been very satisfied with the advice and equipment I got.

Also I just got the book "the Conscientious Aquarist" for Christmas and am about 1/3rd of the way through it and am impressed with how well it is written to help people understand the processes occurring inside their little pieces of the ocean.

 

[Shane and John]

Krisfal...well thank you for adding to the thread..With each and every reply we are getting a better idea of what is needed for us..We are definatly getting a better skimmer...with that,We have decided to go with a sump and possibly a refugium..we would like to clean up the look of our tank and think we can achieve that better with a sump,skimmer in sump,slowly getting out as much of the crushed coral substrate and eventually getting to a nice sand bed..We do realize now the importance of water movement and will be upgrading our power heads.....Wow...we do love this hobby though!!!!!!!!

 

[Reeferdude]

Read as much as possible about sand beds. It may very well be one of the most important aspects of the system. Depth and granular size play a large role in the desired function of the bed itself depending on what you're looking for in a bed. While you're at it look closely at as many pictures of sand beds/tanks as you can find. Notice how they look in the areas up against the front and side panes of the tank because over time that area which is exposed to light may not be a look you're trying to achieve.

 

[Reeferdude]

Forgot to add in the previous post that if you're planning on getting a sump and or refugium, and you're looking for the benefits of a deep sand bed you could do it in the sump or refugium and leave a shallow one or bare bottom look in the display tank. That way if the bed gets saturated and needs replacing you don't have to worry about the rock work/inhabitants/water in the display as much when and if you ever need to remove the bed. Just an idea...

 

[Shane and John]

Well..we do want to get a sump and refrugium...I guess our next step is how we are going to set it up..our tank is all glass ..Not drilled or there are no overflows..We have seen a few sand beds and like the look of sugar sand and is it argonites?anyhow...today we did some water change on the 29,removed almost all of the crushed coral and added a small powerhead near the bottom of the tank...Oh yeah...and got our r/di unit....I just got to get it installed now...Any ideas on the sump would be greatly appreciated...
Btw...thanks everyone...we were told we would get great help here and have gotten more support than we ever thought we would.....

 

[mmkeeper]

You will need an overflow to get the water to the sump. http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~overflow_boxes_cpr.html

 

[NC2WA]

As far as the fuge and the glass tank, have you consider a hang on fuge??

http://www.cpraquatic.com/pdf/aquafuge.pdf

http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/CPR_refug.htm

Just throwing out ideas here..
Kirk