New type of tank!

anita

anita

Member
Hey. I went to 3 fish stores now, probably another on Friday. Anyways all 3 stores told us about a new tank that's supposed to be great for beginners. Well, this is how it's supposed to work, the system has a skimmer combined with a filter, but instead of going underneath it goes behind the tank & is completely hidden from front & side viewing. The filter has 2 sponges all stores say it's easier to clean the filter because you just remove the 2 sponges & clean them off with regular tap water & put it back in the filter. And, the skimmer doesn't come with the tank, but there's a place for it the back...& there's skimmers built just for this type of tank. The stores also say that it's a better value because you only have to buy the skimmer & not the skimmer + filter. This kind of tank apparently only comes in acrylic.
This isn't my opinion, it's just what the store told me. Has anyone heard of this? And if so, what are the pros & cons of it vs glass tank w/the regular sump underneath? Which is more expensive? Which is easier for beginners?
I'm now more confused, lol! Please help! :help:
Anita
 
angelsrock

angelsrock

Member
that tank you described sounds like it's gonna be more trouble than it's worth. i am a fan of glass tanks only for the reason that they don't scratch as easily. the way you described the filter and protein skimmer in one kind of way is a skilter and not the greatest filtration for your tank. i would buy a regular glass tank with a filter and a skimmer seperate.
 
robchuck

robchuck

Active Member
I've seen a few tanks like the one you're referring to. They're nice, but also expensive for what they are. If you don't mind piecing a system together with a tank, sump, skimmer, you would be doing yourself a favor. By doing some shopping around, you should be able to piece together a nice system with a sump for what it would cost you to buy an "all-in-one" tank. Plus, your selection of accessories wouldn't be limited to what can fit in that small chamber in the back, and the total water volume would be much greater with a sump and give you a larger margin of error ("dilution is the solution to pollution").
If you have some patience, I would recommend looking into aquiring a used system. Complete and successful systems can be picked up for pennies on the dollar of what the equipment cost when it was new and usually come with all that you would need. Though it might take a month or two for the right system to come along. Almost every tank that I've had over the years has come to me used, and I've saved a substantial amount of money going that route.
Oh, and be careful taking the LFS's advice on cleaning the sponges. After awhile, the sponges will have denitrifying bacteria on them (a good thing), and rinsing them in tap water would kill the bacteria and make it difficult for your tank to process ammonia and nitrites. A better method would be to rinse them using the old water after a water change.
Best of luck!
 
jmick

jmick

Active Member
I’m very skeptical of skimmer/filter combo units. IMO, you are better off buying a skimmer from Aqua-C or another high quality product and a separate filter. I agree with the above poster, you need to be skeptical of what your LFS is telling you.
 
marvida

marvida

Member
It sounds like a type of nano cube. If it is, a skimmer in the back is not really a combo thing, i.e. skilter, but just a skimmer sitting in an in-tank sump. They are kind of expensive but are great in some applications.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
anita, darling...lol i've come to enjoy our little chats.
Ok, all-in-one setups seem to be the easiest way to go about it, however, i'd strongly suggest against it. Rule of thumb is that the easier something is, the crappier it will be...lol that's just in my experience. I also agree with the above poster that i like glass better than acrylic. I haven't had any experience with acrylic tanks, but i know they can scratch really easily. If you use the wrong kind of brush, the wrong kind of anything, you can get unsightly scratches in the tank that will never go away. Since you're setting this all up for the aesthetic value, i'd suggest going with a glass tank. Glass tanks are heavier and easier to break (if you hit it with a hammer...), and that's why some people would rather have acrylic. But either way, with a 60 gallon tank, you won't be able to move it after it's setup, so the weight really doesn't matter.
Ok, having said that, i'd suggest getting a glass tank with a protein skimmer and a sump. A sump is the following: It is another tank that goes below your tank (in the cabinet below). It holds things that you don't want to clutter your tank, such as a protein skimmer, heaters, etc. It's not really a filter, but it a great idea to have. It allows your tank to hold more water without taking up more space. As i'm sure you've read all over the place, the bigger the tank the easier it will be. With a sump, you're increasing your water volume. With a bigger water volume, you have a larger margin of error to work with. Here's a great example. Say you have a 30 gallon tank with 40ppm nitrates. This can be deadly. Well, if you had 60 gallons of water, that same amount of nitrates would only be 20ppm. See? If you're really confused about sumps, do a search for "sump", and read as much as you can.
if this is too confusing for you, as it is for me... lol (I wouldn't be able to setup a sump if i had to...), you can get a wet/dry filter. This has been wonderful for me. I have a proclear 75 wet/dry, and i've never had a problem with my water quality. This also goes below the tank.
Any more questions?
Jenn
 
anita

anita

Member
Jenn-
Lol, you have become my most reliable source of info--in the sense that you reply to ALL my posts :) I'm going to a store today & I have lots of questions to ask...was wondering if you can email me you number (or I could I email you mine), so I can quickly takes some notes & have abetter idea of what to look & ask for at the fish store today.
anita_narayana@hotmail.com
Anita
PS: I'd eventually like to have a setup like:
http://www.fishexpo.net/customtanks/...anks&UID=10007
Minus the extreme purple glows.
 
lennon

lennon

Member
Hi Jenn. Can I ask what the difference is with a wet/dry filter than sump?
which is better?
thanks
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
Hmmm... from what i understand, a sump is just another tank under your display tank. This is where most people keep the items they don't want crowding their tank... heaters, protein skimmer, fans, etc. the sump is filled with water.
A wet/dry filter is only about 1/4 filled with water. The water enters a chaimber. when that chaimber fills the water begins to enter the next chaimber (in the middle), dripping down through a filter pad, and through a bunch of small blue balls, called bio-balls. These bio balls are not normal balls. They are desiged to have many ridges, and have a very large surface area. They can hold a lot of bacteria. This is kind of the same idea as live rock, where the bacteria filters out the ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. After the water trickles down the bio-balls, it is pumped back into the tank.
For a much better explanation of the wet/dry filter, follow this link: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-wet-dry-filter.htm
They're two totally different systems, both effective in their own way. My wet/dry filter has a built in protein skimmer, as well.
Hope this helps!
Jenn
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
Originally Posted by Anita
Jenn-
Lol, you have become my most reliable source of info--in the sense that you reply to ALL my posts :) I'm going to a store today & I have lots of questions to ask...was wondering if you can email me you number (or I could I email you mine), so I can quickly takes some notes & have abetter idea of what to look & ask for at the fish store today.
anita_narayana@hotmail.com
Anita
PS: I'd eventually like to have a setup like:
http://www.fishexpo.net/customtanks/...anks&UID=10007
Minus the extreme purple glows.
I emailed you.
That's a nice setup... looks like fake corals, but they may be real. Well that will be a lot of $$$. I want a setup like that eventually too! maybe over the next 5 years or so for me.
Jenn
 
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