Sumpless & Refugiumless tanks

[Don424]

Any members out there running a successful sumpless and refugiumless tank? If you are, how is your tank set up with regards to substrate, siltration, lighting, etc?

[Don424]

Sorry people.........I meant to day filtration...not siltration

[icebear]

i am now.... my remote sump fuge (RUMP) just wasn't ashetically pleasing and my design, though fun to make, wasn't all that efficient....

plus the fact that my bioload, consisting of only 2 fishes and one brittlestar in my 46 gallon, has been reduced since i evicted all other finned inhabitants....i didn't feel it was worth it to keep.

my tank is a bare bottom with LR and i run regular powerfilters with the media cartriges, i siphon out the detritus as often as i can. i havn't hooked my skimmer back up because i have to find where the clog is in the powerhead, and i simply havn't found the time to do that yet.

[Loverotties]

I have a 40 gallon livesand reeftank.Remora aqua C Pro caniserfilter and a old(BioLogic) HOB wet/dry that is gutted out(I use it as a skimmer/prefilter) and havefour powerheads.Coralife cp 96w 10K and 96w atinic and two 3/4 w moon leds

[Justin]

a canister filter? Really? No problems? heard those things were bad news.

[ski1297]

I Have a 38 gal 30lbs of LR seaclone 100 bio-wheel 170 with carbon and a nitrate sponge 2 201 powerheads 2-3" cc base lots of live plants and 5 fish (little high) some coral. Been up for abut 1 year the water is great every thing is right were it should be.

[Justin]

bio-wheel 170 with carbon and a nitrate sponge water is great every thing is right were it should be.

- ski1297

Id like to hear more. This contradicts alot of things Ive heard past, whats your nitrate level? And where was it prior to use of the nitrate sponge? Seem s that the common observation would be to lose the bio wheel to lose the need for the nitrate sponge.

And a skimmer was not mentioned, are you not running one?

[ski1297]

I know a lot of people call the bio-wheels nitrate factorys. But i am a little light on the live rock so the bio-wheel helps me out. I have a seaclone 100 skimmer a lot of people do not like them that much but mine works very very good for me. Before i had the nitrate sponge in nitrates were up to 60ppm very high not good. After i put it in 6 months later it was down to 0ppm and has been that way for 2 months now. I change the sponge every month and every time you change it it should go down 20ppm each time. took some time to get it going but the tank is right were i want it now. I also do bi-weekly water changes of 9 gal. I also change my carbon once a week. The fish look very good and the coral is grown good to. And my live plants grow so good that i have to take some out time to time and sell them to the lfs.

Any Q's just ask love to help.

[Justin]

Very nice, I asked bout the sponge and was told it doesnt work very well, nice to hear a different perspective, and to know I have a backup plan incase of an emergency.

[ski1297]

My nitrates were at 60ppm before i had the bio-wheel.

[ski1297]

The spong works ok it takes time a lot of time but it does work. I did not want to add any chemicals so the nitrate spong worked good for me.

[Loverotties]

The caniser filter is for chemical if needed .most of the time just for flow.If your lazy and put things in it and don't take them out soon enough ,that's when there a problem.my readings are ) 0 nitraes,0 nitrites,0 amonia(spelling),0 phoshate,calcium510,Ph8.3,Alk 10,ORP 465 I also put a poly filter in it.

[bad mantis shrimp]

I had a bio wheel for a year on a 30g with a semi DSB and 35 pounds of LR. No nitrate sponge or chemicals added and nitrate was always under 5ppm. livestock was a clown, basslet, rock beuty and quit a few coral.

[rockster2599]

45 gal, 35kg liverock, 2-3in substrate, 4x39w T5 lamps, 2xmaxijet 100's, 1xmaxijet 75, 1xjuwel powerhead, Bioflotor skimmer.

Stock=mainly softies +LPS, 1 flame angel, 1 orchid dotty, 1 tomato clown and 1 coryphopterus goby.

Rockster