new to reeding, lighting help. and more.

[peddy10181]

i have a Coralife 4 X 65WT PC i got new befor i really looked into what i should have got. and i have bulbs comeing for a 2nd corlife 4 X 65 WT. this is for my 75 gallon tank. what can i safely keep in the tank that will grown.

so its 520 watts of power compact that i hear is not the best. but its what i have.

2nd i have 2 power heads 1 is a cheaper one thats has a moveing head. 2nd one is a good one forget the name tho. do i need more ?

filtering is done by a canister filter that i clean out every other weekend when i do my watter chang. i hear canister filters are bad but this tank is not drilled for a sump will it be ok if i keep up with the cleening every other weekend? there is illways a HOB skimmer.

but the main thing is what i can keep with the lighting i have and if i should maybe dich the crapy power head and get 2 more good ones for 3 in all?


thank you for the input. patrick

 

[returnofsid]

Welcome to Reef Frontiers!

With your lighting, you'll be able to keep soft corals and some LPS. LPS will need to be kept higher in the tank. You MIGHT be able to keep Montipora SPS corals, very high in the tank. I've kept Orange Montipora capricornis under PC lighting and it held it's color very well. Any other Montipora I've kept under PCs has browned out on me, but still grew well.

Unfortunately, you won't really have any luck with most other SPS corals. You won't be able to keep clams either.

I'd ditch the canister filter, as it'll quickly become a nitrate producer. In our reef tanks, filtration is accomplished through quality live rock and good flow. There's really no need for mechanical filtration, other than possibly a Protein Skimmer.

Your "moving" power head is probably a Power Sweep. They aren't the best, but will do.

You want a combined flow, from all of your power heads, of a minimum of 750 GPH. The more flow, above the 750, the better. I'd ditch the power heads and get at least 3 Koralia 3s or 4s. Another option, and a good one, would be to get 2 MJ1200s with Sureflow Mods and Suregrip Magnet holders.

 

[peddy10181]

so run the tank with no filter at all? is that safe if i have fish in there?

 

[returnofsid]

Completely safe. The vast majority of successful reef tanks are ran with no mechanical filtration, except a protein skimmer. Natural filtration, made up of quality live rock and live sand, good flow, maybe a refugium with Macro Algae, and a protein skimmer is all that you need.

Most forms of mechanical filtration work great for fish only systems, or freshwater systems. However, they become nitrate factories. Nitrates are one of the worst enemies of a reef tank.

 

[mal1099]

+1 with what returnofsid said. the new kor 4 are alot smaller also now.

 

[freakin]

Yep at it's simplest you can do a reef tank with water, live rock and a powerhead to move water around. This isn't ideal for many reasons but it is the basis of your filtration.

Its more common to use filter media to grab particulate matter, a protein skimmer to reduce bioload, and a refugium to grow macro algae or mangroves to absorb nitrates and phosphates (largely to prevent nuisance algae from absorbing it by growing in your display tank). You can also do some chemical filtration like activated carbon or gfo (Chemipure elite accomplishes both). Once you start dealing with sps or a large number of other stony corals your calcium (and mag) will be depleted and will need to be replenished.

Weekly water changes of 10-20% are also common to export nutrients and should be considered part of basic maintenance.

 

[MGDMIRAGE]

Yeah I'd pick up 2 or 3 of the new Koralia 1400s they can be used with a wave maker if you choose.

If you wish to have something to remove detritus you can use a hang on back filter with cheap polyester floss in it that you change out once a week(craft stores carry it cheap, pillow filling). Lots of flow in your tank will keep the detritus suspended allowing the filter to remove it. People with sumps typically use a filter sock down in the sump to accomplish the same thing.

 

[returnofsid]

Yep at it's simplest you can do a reef tank with water, live rock and a powerhead to move water around. This isn't ideal for many reasons but it is the basis of your filtration.

Its more common to use filter media to grab particulate matter, a protein skimmer to reduce bioload, and a refugium to grow macro algae or mangroves to absorb nitrates and phosphates (largely to prevent nuisance algae from absorbing it by growing in your display tank). You can also do some chemical filtration like activated carbon or gfo (Chemipure elite accomplishes both). Once you start dealing with sps or a large number of other stony corals your calcium (and mag) will be depleted and will need to be replenished.

Weekly water changes of 10-20% are also common to export nutrients and should be considered part of basic maintenance.

It's actually NOT more common to use filter media to grab particulate matter. Most reef tanks are ran with absolutely no mechanical filtration.

 

[lvsuckerfish]

isn't a skimmer mech filtration? is sure isn't the biolagical way for riding waste from the ocean.

most tanks I have seen in person either use filter socks and or filter media I use filter media easier to replace then a filter sock and last longer also. it is in the same cat. as a skimmer in my book both are ment to pull particals out of the water column. are both needed no but both can be used or just a skimmer can be used. i would not use a filter media or sock with out a skimmer unless you are going with a ATS "algea turf scrubber".

 

[returnofsid]

As I mentioned, several posts ago....

There's really no need for mechanical filtration, other than possibly a Protein Skimmer.

IMO, most reef tanks that use some type of filter media, don't have said filter media changed often enough, leading to nitrate problems. Granted, I'm sure there are those that are changing their filters often. However, I feel that most get "lazy" and their diligence wanes. IMO, filter pads, filter socks, etc, are not needed, as long as you have adequate flow, to keep particles in suspension, to be picked up by the skimmer.

 

[lvsuckerfish]

I was reading post #8 where you also stated " Most reef tanks are ran with absolutely no mechanical filtration" nothing mentioned in there about a skimmer!

I used filter padding change once it is over flowing out of the container i have it in. I have undetectable Nitrates and Phos both on elso kits soon to have a Hanna meter. since they are nice and cheap now!

and i have seen cannister filters used on tanks with great success also. most use them as a carbon and gfo reactors with filter padding in them also. and yes cleaning regularly is a must for them to work good in the salt water world.

 

[Inconservatory]

Something to keep in mind with the 'biological filtration' is that you will have hundreds of little organisms which all need to feed. This can include brittle stars, sponges, copepods, feather dusters, or even miscellaneous coral polyps. These take particles of various sizes, but it's better to feed these guys than to let the debris just decompose on a filter pad.

Other chemical byproducts will need to be filtered out using media bags containing a phosphate remover/carbon. Do make sure to clean them out regularly so that no organic debris can decompose in the sock, adding to nitrate problems. You can also get phosphate reactors for a more effective cleaning (but at 75g, water changes will be the bulk of your cleaning).

The protein skimmer helps to remove dissolved organic wastes, the slime found on most meaty foods. A skimmer is very useful, particularly in the beginning stages of a reef tank, where not enough life has bloomed on the live rock and is not yet a capable force for removing larger particles. Get a good skimmer and your life will be so much easier.

Macro algae is another great friend to you. In understanding the Nitrogen Cycle, you will note that all forms of algae consume nitrates as a form of fertilization. This includes microalgae, macroalgae, cyanobacteria, and even the regular diatoms known to bloom in a nutrient-rich aquarium. The more macro algae you have in your sump or display tank, the less nuisance algae will have a place in your aquarium. This will also tend to keep your nitrates at a "zero" level.

 

[peddy10181]

TY i picked up a new setup from a guy on here. 2 250WT MH, and 2 96WT PC with 4LED. should work out nicely. thankz for the help and input.

 

[vimal]

guys,i got a question..can i connect the output of canister filter to sump then pump it back to main tank..??