Tim's 54 Gallon Corner -> Going Reef

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Sounds like a skimmer is in... I'll start the hunt. Thanks for the replies and the suggestion.
 
Just add a refugium Tim. You will prob biniffit more from the skimmer & refugium than you expect. I use a Reef octopus 110 and it's outstanding.
 
Greg and TL thanks for the tip and link, I might plumb the skimmer to my inlet sock filter and see what happens. Probably gonna let the system run for a week or so to see if its the skimmer first. If the bubbles do not clear up I then will try the filter sock. Thanks for the tip. TL the link you sent me was for fresh water. Does this apply for saltwater a well? Thanks for all your help.
 
KC I saw your link for custom sumps and filters. Did you get yours there? He does great work but the guy is not cheap. TL I don't know how handy you are but if you have a shop that sell acrylic near you they may cut some to the dimensions needed and you could glue it yourself. would be a lot cheaper.
 
I called him and talked about a few things but ultimately I decided to go the MUCH cheaper route and use the sump the tank came with and add a refugium. I had a local guy build my fuge for a Bill and I'm happy with it so far.
 
Kc, you said your fuge was 12 square x 24 tall correct? How do you like the setup? Where is your inlet to your cute, all the way to the bottom? Then does it gravity flow out of the top into your sump? Thanks in advance
 
it's 13 square & I think it's great for where it fits. lol I had to mod the stand some but you could just do smaller than I did. If I remember I gained like 25 gallons between the sump & fuge. I do have the overflow run to the bottom of the fuge just above the sandbed with a tee facing the glass & some large rock. The overflow to the sump I actually cut in the wrong spot but I made it work ok, if you go back a couple of pages you can see how it's all run.
 
I'm not sure how your sump is set up katoom. Don't really feel like going back through the pages. But yea if you already have a sock you should move it to the skimmer return. You don't really want one on the overflow anyway. It's just a biological filter before it gets to the skimmer. It's not that big a deal, but you want the nastiest of your water going thru the skimmer first. Plus like Greg said it will probably knock out the bubbles. You shouldn't just plumb your skimmer back to the sump intake though, cause then you'll be skimming water that's already been skimmed. Like I said you want your dirtiest possible water going to the skimmer... ie your overflow water with nothing inbetween.
 
Ok I lied I did feel like going thru and looking at it. Lol. Did u make that sump urself? I know u guys deal with some serious sump space issues with them tanks. But it seems like that isn't going to be the most effecient for your skimmer. If you can I would try to get the skimmer outlet to flow directly into the bubble trap. But then again then the trap probably isn't gonna do much like that. Personaly I'd lose the bubble trap and just have a baffle there with the skimmer flowing over it into a sock. Then If you really want a trap closer to the return pump. I'm probably beating a dead horse, but that would get the most efficiency out of your skimmer.
 
KcTx said:
This is a bit bigger than our 54's but the WM seems to be doing fine. Hummmm anyone want to buy a JBJ system. lol I'd push my momma down for that 350 corner. I wonder if it's 350L or 350G?
http://youtu.be/ANZiPKjtR2Q
Click to expand...

Is that a devils hand at the top? How do water changes work with that so close to the surface?

How long have you had the Flame and how has it been working out? I'm apprehensive about getting one for my reef.
 
That's just a random YouTube video showcasing that a wave-maker can be effective in a corner tank. That's none of the (4) of us sharing the corner tank threads tank... ;)

I personally had a flame initially as I assumed I was going FOWLR, but unfortunately I made mistakes early on and lost a few fish of which my flame was one. I didn't have corals at the time.
 
I've had the Flame angel / coral beauty for about a month now. The only real issue I've had with him is a little bullying of the smaller fish. I've been tossing the idea around of replacing a few fish so I can add some shrimp. Not sure what I would get & it seems tough to choose something that isn't going to hide or be to aggressive.

I can tell you that the best way to keep the CB from nipping is to feed him multiple times a day. If he isn't crazy hungry he shouldn't be hunting or scavenging for whatever he can find.
 
Had my flame and coral beauty for over 10 years. Flame pokes at a polyp every now and then, the beauty never touches the coral. No other dwarf is reef safe IMO.
 
yep a lot of good info out there thanks I appreciate it, but for now im just going to let the system run for a couple of weeks and see how everything works out and make any changes then. No need for over reacting yet, time is definitely on my side. The equipment I built was from reviewing other equipment out there and of course in a perfect world I would have had a 50 gallon sump and refugium, but its not.

Het Tim I wouldn't buy the aqueon sump. I also reviewed the sumps they built and was sure I was going to go with it. After looking into DIY sumps you have plenty more options. Aqueon crams everything into there sumps and don't seem very practical unless you use their skimmer as well. Good price crappy reviews.

Just my .02 cents
 
I have the aqueon sump. The space for the skimmer and whatever else is actually bigger than you'd think. The only thing I don't like about it is that the instructions say you can easily lock the first sliding divider into place and push back the second wall. Second wall doesn't move and no where to secure the sliding divider...I'll fix that when/if I care...I might just make a fuge in another tank...but thats a ways down the road. It is pretty solid and if you don't want to or dont have the time to make one...I was really strapped for time...it was perfect. Still think it is.

But now that I have it, I see how easy it would be to make my own. If only time allowed.
 
That's exactly what I'm deciding. I consider myself quite mechanically inclined and a DIYer at heart.

However, at present my tools are an hour away at my parents house as I'm living in an apartment. Don't have too much room for projects and I'm just at the point where I am making enough money that buying has become easier than making.

Unless I can find a reason other than money to do DIY, I'm on the prowl for a nice pre-made job.
 
Hey sniper I'm glad it works for you. I've never seen one in operation. I'm sure if I was squeezed for time and space that's what I would've bought also. Just glad I wasn't in either position and could build my own. If this micro bubble thing sorts itself out I will have no complaints about my sump.
 
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