ready to get rid of the filter?

[tygerfifteen]

I have a 68 thats been running for 7 months.
I have a fluval 404 and a prizm skimmer,
sixline,small yellow tang,cherub,2 percs and 100 lbs reef that's almost seeded from 40 lbs live with a 2 inch sandbed.
my question is do you think I can get rid of the filter and run a refugium? will my tank be okay?
thankx

 

[leigh]

what are your water params like? what i did was go ahead and set up the fuge but keep the filter running. over time run the filter only during the day. then only a few days a week. then one day a week. then eventually filter go bye bye. but be sure to keep track of nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia and make sure they aren't climbing. also your 2 in sand bed is likely not deep enough to be providing a whole lot of help with the nitrogen cycle. you may want to consider deepening it, or if you like it the way it is aesthetically, then consider putting a dsb (~4 inches) in your refugium.
-leigh

 

[tygerfifteen]

I'll probably go with the dsb in the fuge , but I have no drilling done on the tank would having a fuge under the tank with two return hoses back and forth just asking for trouble?(power outage or one pump goes bad)

 

[squidd]

You probably want to run only one pump. And probably a hang on overflow.
Use an overflow from the upper tank (either one) and pump up from the lower tank.
If power goes out, water only drains so far through overflow, everything stops.
You dont have to worry about matching pump/flow or oversiphoning upper tank to overflow lower tank.
It doesn't matter if your "fuge" is above or below your main tank as long as you pump up and overflow down.

 

[tygerfifteen]

how do I make an overflow without drilling or cutting the tank?

 

[tlk]

Originally posted by tygerfifteen
how do I make an overflow without drilling or cutting the tank?
you can buy overflows that hang off the back of your tank anywhere from $60+ depending on what flow rate you want