gots a question bout filtration

[sweettooth162]

hi how is everyone. my friend and i have this 400 gallon office kinda tank. right now it is just a fo. there is about 3 in cc base, 4 metal helaide 20,000k, 2 of those bio ball filter/sump combos. we don't have a clean up crew and we have no sand stirers aka jaw fish, gobies ect. and when ever we go to do a water change we get a ton of black bad smelling stuff from the cc there is also a ton of this on the fake corals. we are also running two protien skimmers. the fish we currently have is 4 hippo tang, 3 false percs, 2 saddle backs, 2 4 lined damsels. the levels are 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite 10ppm nitrate.
now my question is we are going to begin converting the tank to a reef. adding 400 lbs of lr, a 3 to 4 inch lsb we will be getting rid of the cc. we will also be getting a huge clean up crew. my partner wants to add a undergravel filter to the tank to control the black slime. i think that would be overkill because wouldn't that cause a nitrate spike? with all the lr and ls and bio balls. what would be a good way to get ride of the black slime.
another thing after we get the tank esablished should we remove the bio balls also?
one last thing ignore my profile because that is my home tank. i didn't list the 400g because i am not the primary care taker i just help out because i am the only other one in the office with a clue about saltwater.
thanks to everyone for there time

 

[fshhub]

the ugf will be near worhtless with sand, plus, even i f it did do anything, it would only trap more junk under it which is not neccessarily a good thing either, not to mention that if it does work, you would have circulationunder the sand bed which you laso do not want, you want stagnant low oxygen sones there to help with the nitrates
IMO, thouhg the ugf just wont function or will suck up the sand anyhow, so no i would not even consider it's use, it willnot be an added benefit in anycase
removing the balls is up to you, many do do so eventually, but some others never do and do have beautiful tanks, if not overstocked or heavily aggressive, i would remove them, but the choice is yours
what skimmers are you using and do you have anything like powerheads to circulate the water other than the surface where the return(s) may be located?
this black could very well be from detritus settleing into crevices in the rock or dead coral adn such, whihc has not completely broken down

 

[fallen04]

no undergravel filters if you are using sand. as far as the bio balls. some say get rid of them i say keep them until your tank recycles because they are full of beneficial bacteria. the brown is probably algae it will go after you convert the tank. watch the phosphates and you should be okay

 

[sweettooth162]

yea i have 2 powerheads to move the water. and i don't know what kinda skimmer it is all i know is there small. i am thinking about getting some seaclones

 

[fshhub]

2 powerheads, and a 4000 gallon tank,
way too low
in a 400 galon tank, i would have 4000 gph turn over every hour out of all the sources combined, and enough to spread out and cover any potential dead spots, they are not a good thing, you need the water to be in motion, big key is good circulation, between 10 and 20 times your gallonage per hour
for skimming, i owuld probably even skip the seaclones, esp on atank that size, you will only be doing the same thing later on, saying i am looking at these now, go for some good skimming, whihc can handle the load of a tank that size, PLEASE, it will cost money, but not as much as a new or 2 new skimmers every other month, these too could be the problem not adequate skimming
HTH and good luck
HTH and good luck