i need help please questions on protein skimmer and a fluval 205

[jmarkey83]

hello everyone,
let me start by thanking you all for reading this post. i am new to the hobby and have some questions regarding a fluval 205 and my protein skimmer. i have been running the tank for about a month which by the way is a 30 gallon with a few fish and a couple corals now with just the hang on protein skimmer on the back. i was going to build a sump but my stand has no space underneath. so i wanted to know if it is ok to run this fluval my girlfriend bought me along with my protein skimmer and if so what medias should i put into the chambers.
my tank is 30ga with about 35 pounds of live rock like 40pounds of live sand. i have a couple coral and like 4fish. please any info will help

 

[beth]

Hi, mjark. I'm going to move your topic over to our Equipment Forum which would be the right place to talk about your canister filter and skimmer.
Give us some info about your tank? Live rock, live sand? What brand is your skimmer?

 

[wattsupdoc]

Absolutely

you can run the skimmer and the canister along side each other. There some who will tell you the CF is not good for a reef. I would say that they are fine and do do a good job at collecting junk. HOWEVER, they must be kept clean. Otherwise they can aid in accumulation of nitrates. Not a great thing for a reef. So keep it clean. Remember to clean the sponges etc in used SW(or new, just not FW) so as not to kill the biological bacteria. Now, I have to say, this is inferior filtration compared to a good refugium, but will do fine. Especially if you wanted to set it up by filling it with LLR.
Now, what kind of skimmer do you have? There are a few really decent HOB skimmers and even more really crappy ones. I firmly believe that a good skimmer is a extremely beneficial piece of equipment.
BTW,

your girlfriend deserves some kudos for the gif

. However just make sure she realises that pet store gift certificates really are a much better choice.

 

[beth]

Well, lets keep in mind that the reason that mechanical filters are not used in reef tanks is because they filter out vital food sources used by the reef tank's filter feeders. That is a very important factor to consider.
Personally, I'd set up a refugium, that doesn't need to be hidden away, and can be an interesting componet of the overall set up.

 

[jmarkey83]

To Beth
and also Wattsupdoc,
thank you both for the suggestions and for helping me clear up my mind of this subjet. i spent alot of the night trying to find info on this subject with very little success. so thank you very much. like i said im new to the hobby so i would hate to watch my live stock die if i was to do something stupid.
and i agree with u Beth a refugium i think would be a great addition but is kind of out of the question. i cant have it exposed. i really dont belive my gf would let me get away with it. if i could put it under it would be great but i have a divider in the middle of the stand my tank is on it runs vertical so height is fine but im 12 by 12 on width and length in my space maybe a 10 ga tall tank could work but i really dont know.
i think i will have to go with using the the fluval along with my skimmer. i think beth brought up filter feeders and i have heard that in my reaserch online. but i could if i have to replace those elements am i correct. i believe the only filter feeder i have in there at the moment is my cleaner clam.
once more i want to thank u both for responding..................................

 

[wattsupdoc]

Anytime Jmarkey,

And welcome to SWF.com

 

[beth]

Originally Posted by jmarkey83
http:///forum/post/2807669
i think beth brought up filter feeders and i have heard that in my research online. but i could if i have to replace those elements am i correct. i believe the only filter feeder i have in there at the moment is my cleaner clam.
If you have live rock, you have much more filter feeders then you think. And no, you can not replace that food. Its created as a natural component of a reef system. However, there's nothing wrong with starting out simple.
I'd suggest you invest in a good reference book. The Conscientious Marine Aquarist is an excellent book for beginning's.