Help me make over my tank...advice needed!!!

Dani · 01-20-2006, 01:43 PM

I’m going to be moving in April/May and I think this is a good time to re-think my set –up and maybe add some new equipment. I have a long way to go to get my tank the way I want, so it’ll be a gradual process.

Here’s what I have so far:

46 gal bowfront Oceanic tank
Tetratec 300 filter/heater
Coralife 36 inch/ 192 watt florescent/actinic lights
2 maxi jet 900s

45-50 lbs of live rock
2 inches of sand (aragonite I think)
1 pink hammer coral (small)
1 green hammer coral (med.)
1 green/pink frogspawn coral (med.)
1 green botton polyps colony (small/med)
1 derasa clam (small/med)
1 purple long tentacle anemone
1 ocellaris clownfish
1 harlequin shrimp
1 sea slug thingy that is supposed to clean my sand
Some hermit crabs and snails

So what should be my first purchase? I’m thinking about a protein skimmer, but I have no idea what brand/model I would need, and I want something quiet and preferably small.
How important are UV Sterilizers, do I need one?
Do I have powerful enough power heads?
How can I make-over my tank?

Any help/suggestions would be GREAT!

Twitterbait · 01-20-2006, 03:41 PM

I would say the best thing right now would be to move on to a sump filtration system. YES you should get a skimmer for sure. i would say an aqua c remora would do a great job on a tank your size.

ChrisPrusha · 01-20-2006, 03:58 PM

An AquaC Remora (Pro?) would be an excellent choice. And a UV is not needed, imho.

ChrisPrusha · 01-20-2006, 03:59 PM

Do you have any pics, Dani? I can't recall if I saw any...perhaps I did...hrmm.

Dani · 01-20-2006, 06:20 PM

no pics yet, I'll work on that.
What do I need for a sump filtration system? (Still new at this)

Dani · 01-20-2006, 08:13 PM

okay, this is my first time trying to post a pic, so...here goes!

Click image for larger version

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Dani · 01-20-2006, 08:16 PM

K, I hope that works. I see a red x where the attachment is, but it works for me if I click on it.
And sorry for the awful pic, I don't have a good camera, just the one on my video cam and it's not too good.

dobejazz · 01-20-2006, 08:45 PM

Very Nice I like the aquascaping!

ChrisPrusha · 01-20-2006, 10:41 PM

Great pic...I love the aquascaping, too!!

Sump filtration involves an overflow box that drops water from your tank into a sump (which can be anything from a rubbermaid tub to an old tank), where you can keep a protein skimmer/heater/refugium/etc...and then the water is pumped back into your tank via a pump.

It's kinda cool, actually!

Dani · 01-21-2006, 02:14 AM

Thanks guys! and because of my anemone, I get to rebuild my aquascaping about every 2 weeks.

Okay, so what exactly does an overflow box look like? Is it something I can add on to my tank?
What is a refuguim?
How big would my sump need to be? Is it just water, or does it have sand or other stuff in it?

dobejazz · 01-21-2006, 07:54 AM

Dani this article has great info on sumps and overflows!
http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/fa..._sump_articles

ryanATW · 01-21-2006, 08:15 AM

Speaking of Sea Slugs. Ive heard those are hard to take care of and dont live very long. Is that true? They are very cool to watch.

Dani · 01-21-2006, 11:56 AM

um, well I'm not sure its a sea slug, i think it is, but not sure. Mine is very boring and just seems to get in the way. I've had it for probably around 6 months now and I don't do anything to feed it, my lfs said it just eats the crap in the sand.

Dani · 01-21-2006, 12:27 PM

Thanks kelli for that article. Now for some questions:
Where do you get a hang-on-back overflow?
What kind of pump is used to get water back into the tank, and where does it come in at?
How likely is a flood with a hang-on-back type?

dobejazz · 01-21-2006, 01:26 PM

I'm not sure on the HOB overflow but I saw you started a thread! Great idea! I have an external pump for my return but I think there are many ways to do this.