So I downgraded from a 75 to a 30

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayner 

I felt that 75 was to big for my room, and also to expensive to get it where it should be. So I downgraded to a 30 gallon.

 

Benefits:

Dont have to buy any more live rock. Maybe a rock or 2

Will be alot cheaper to upgrade to LED lighting.

Now have a thick sand bed.

Have more space in my room.

HOD filters from 75 gallon will do even better in the 30.

Can put a 10g sump under the 30 gallon stand.

Less water will have to be changed during water changes.

 

Disadvantages:

Limit to the amount of fish I can add

Have to watch my water parameters more often

 

With a sump you won't need HOB filters.  all you need is a goiod skimmer...I have a 30g tank with a 30g sump under it. The Tunz nano skimmer for $150.00 is the only filter you need. I split the sump tank into 3 chambers and made one of them a refugium for maco algae. The heater also goes in the sump clearing your tank space.

I made a foam rock wall on my 30g so I would have the live rock but save space. In the site search line... Foamback Project 101...it looks awesome.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayner 

Is your 30 gallon drilled? Also how loud is your setup with the protein skimmer/sump pump? Would you say its quieter or louder than the hob setup?

No it isn't drilled. I use a CPR overflow with a lifter pump. I have an Ehiem 2000 for the return pump. It sounds like water running in a creek close by,  I like it, others may not.

I use a Tunz nano skimmer (love it) It doesn't make any noise.

Here are some pictures, it's on one of those metal stands...This is a sea Horse/reef tank. The light is a TH5O linkable 1 X 10K bulb and 1 X actinic 36" FOR $119.00

My first sump/refugium, the baffles are messy with silicone but it functions like it should...the black in the 1st chamber is the skimmern 3X5 foot print

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayner 

can you explain a little bit how the sump/refugium works?

The plumbing ... water is pumped to the main tank, from the sump...it overflows into the box designed for it, there is a hose with a Y (turn it upside down) connector that drains into the tank below. One hose goes to the refugim chamber, and the other hose is in the first chamber with the skimmer. The refugium baffles (dividers) are taller in the fuge section (far left)...

The center chamber is the return, I have a heater in there. Both chambers flow into that one and is returned to main tank for it all to go again.

The baffles in the skimmer chamber have three panels...the two end panels are flush with the bottom but the center baffle is lifted up about an inch..this is a bubble trap...if microbubbles were being spewed from the skimmer or the hose...any bubbles must travel over, then under and then over again before being sent back to the main tank, no bubbles can survive the trap. The refugium only has two panels..the first is flush with the bottom..making the refugium chamber... and the last baffle, toward the return chamber is lifted up 1 inch...it prevents splash making bubbles

I put shut off valves on all hoses to control the flow of water to each. I also put all pumps on a single power strip, so I have an emergancy shut off, should I ever need it. On the return hose going back into the tank I have a small hole drilled so it breaks the siphon when power is shut off and it won't overflow the sump. The lifter pump holds the siphon in the overflow cup and as soon as power is restored...it all runs like it never stopped working.

There are many designs for sumps and you can make it to fit your needs...Acrylic51 and 2Quills designed my system in the 90g...so I copied it for the 30g using flex hose (some use PVC pipes)...it really is a simple system and it requires the least amount of maintenance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayner 

alright its all clear now. Nice. As for the macro algae, do you need to have light on it? What is its main purpose in your tank?

Macro algae grows and feeds on the extra nutients in the water, then when it gets crowded we remove it and give some away, trade a friend for a coral frag, or get some credit at the LFS..or toss it (but it must be removed). As you remove (called harvesting) the new growth you remove phosphates and nitrates from the system...keeping your tank water pristine.

Yes it needs a light, but nothing fancy...I have a 40w bulb on a clip on lamp I got from Walmart for $4.00...a fancy grow light however would really make it grow. The type of macro is up to you. I chose Botryocladia (red grape) it makes a great hitch for the horses and I love the bright color.
 

I like the looks of that tank flower  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric B 125 

I like the looks of that tank flower  

Thanks, but since the 4 day black out it doesn't look that good right now...I used sunlight ( I usually keep the blinds drawn) to try and get my seahorses to eat, they wouldn't in the dark...now I have hair algae...but the horses survived and so did the coral. SIGH..it sure was beautiful, it will be again.