Post house move crash :(

[Paddy]

Hiya there,

I’ve been recommended these fourms as a good place to get some help!

I have been running a marine aquarium for a few years now with reasonable success, but since a recent house move things have gone pear shaped.

I moved house about two months ago and at the same time increased the tank from a 36x15x18 inch to 46x18x30 inches.

I made the move with out managing to make any fatalities, and apart from a shaky start things were definitely improving. I managed to move the entire contents of the old tank saving both the water and the substrate. I topped the new tank with de-chlorinated, salty tap water.

The corals were a bit battered in the move, but over a period of ~one month they were restored to their former glory. A few weeks ago one of the corals started to go down hill, it just failed to open every morning. It had taken a bit of a beating in the move and I bit the bullet and removed it from the tank.

I went away this weekend and (sods law) three more corals are dead. They have simply fallen off their rocks. Now I am running my tank with two external canister filters and 4x3ft T5 tubes. I’m aware of the decreased penetrance on T5 light, so I made sure that my corals were suitably placed near the surface. I am not using a protein skimmer or RO water.

I checked the salinity, nitrates/nitrites and pH and everything was acceptable. I cant help but wonder how high the phosphates are here as it is quite a rural area (South Wales, UK).

I am having to cut my losses and try to preserve as much stock as I can by replacing the water with re-buffered RO water. I will probably install a sump tank with a protein skimmer too.

I know there is a big to skim or not to skim divide and I have always had the stance that if it were essential, then everyone would have it…

Anyway, I am delving into the realms of the unknown for me, and I would be grateful for any advice you guys could give.

Thanks in advance.

Paddy

[Hi-Rise Reefer]

There are two options really, either you use a good skimmer or change the water very frequently. Like 10-20% a week, every week. Hell, you dont have to have ANY filtration AT ALL if you are willing to change the water....alot. Myself, I am a filter/skim freak. My system has 3 skimmers, mechanincal filter, a refugium packed with macro and a small UV. Run carbon 2-4 times a month for a day... Plus the prefilters on powerheads, overflow boxes and large brick sponge in sump... And my system is clean and happy. That being said, my first reef was a 30 gallon and I changed out 5 gallons every week, without fail. I always used distilled water and that tank was great, too. But I am lazy now and change my water alot less frequently, so lots of filtration/skimming is vital for me.

[Geoff]

Welcome to TRT!!!



there are a lot of ways to keep marine systems. either filter heavily or heavily change your water. skimmers are filters. LR is another filter.

G~

[ObsessiveProgression]

I collect deceased fish and corals. Send me your dead so that I may pin them to my wall and paint them with the blood of the innocent.

[Phishnoob]

Welcome to TRT Matey!!!


Sorry to hear about your tank. I would take a five week vacation and cure some rock and get your skimmer going. It is like magic. Those external filters are okay to polish the water a bit but on the most part trap detritus and phosphates.

I go to Belfast all the time on business and am taking Mrs. Phish to Wales and Scotland for our honeymoon. I will see if we can smuggle in a couple of rocks.

[Paddy]

Cheers guys!

I have space for a small sump in one side of the cabinet.

I was hoping to create some sort of refugium with integral skimmer. This would also make topping up the tank much easier (It is ~6ft 6'' from the floor).

I will also look into replacing the lighting in the tank.

Would you recommend a DIY style overflow, or a shop bought one?
My tank is ~500L, what skimmer would you recommend?

Id really like to recondition the tank, but I have nowhere to keep my livestock, so I'll have to do this on the fly.

Thanks for all the replies?

[Krux]

i would look at getting a euroreef skimmer appropriately sized for your system. they are pretty easy to set up and get going. a sump is a definatel. between the two your water quality will dramatically improve.

[Paddy]

Should I go for an 'in-sump' or external skimmer?