Running a 90 gallon with HOB

[Gatorbait101]

I currently am running a 90 gallon freshwater aquarium ( running for 8 months now) with HOB filtration and have negligible levels of nitrates, nitrites, ect. Needless to say it is perfectly balanced and cycled. I also have a 20 gallon saltwater tank (with HOB filtration) that I started running about a month ago and within the last few days I added in 2 fish and an urchin with no issue/ affect on nitrates. I started out with about 15 pounds of live rock, but as I begain to think about moving my saltwater to my 90 gallon, I traded for some more rock and probably have about 40-50 pounds of rock currently in the tank. The 90 gallon obviously isn't drilled and where I have it at, the stand I built is only 12" tall so that my TV and be above it, thus I can't have a sump below my tank. Basically my question is, with a HOB filtration and live rock, will the tank be successful. I plan on only doing fish/ inverts with no coral.

 

[Delapool]

Sounds like you have to go with HOB anyways?

 

[The Shadow]

Different strokes for different folks.

I ran a 30 gal. reef for about a year with nothing but a Aquaclear HOB, and had no issues at all, i think the key is in proper maintenance, regular water changes etc.

You might enjoy reading this article > Feature Article: Jaubert's Method, The 'Monaco System,' Defined And Refined — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

 

[Gatorbait101]

I would much rather go with HOB if it can be successful, but if worst comes to worst I can stay in my 20 gallon or do some serious piping to have a sump next to the 90 gallon.

 

[Gatorbait101]

Thanks for the link! I will check it out right now

 

[Sniperhank]

You can run systems with HOB equipment. It will all be about maintenance routine on keeping things in pristine order. You might end up discovering that you want a HOB skimmer to assist with things, for example.

 

[The Shadow]

Uhhhh yeah, lol.

I forgot to mention that when i first started the 30 reef i borrowed a CPR BakPak from a friend and ran it for about 2 months after startup, and it initially made a lot of goop, but as i got my maintenance settled in and the tank settled down in general, the skimmer made almost no goop, so i quit using it.

 

[Gatorbait101]

That's insane! Haha. Just because of the location that the tank is at, I don't have the room for the equipment that would be sufficient to take care of the fish needs, so rather than risk it and possibly waste money on fish, I may just replace my 20 gallon with a 40 gallon so I have more room for the rocks to allow copepods to grow (I originally had a dragonet and the fish store owner told me it was trained to pellets and it wasn't so it ate all my copepods, thus I had to return it. Long story short I would love to have enough rocks to then have a stable copepod population to thrive.

 

[The Shadow]

If you're talkin Mandarin Dragonet, ive never seen one that would eat prepared food, and dont recommend that fish to anyone that doesnt have a very well established reef, so as to keep up enough food supply for this fish. IMHO

 

[Sniperhank]

If you're talkin Mandarin Dragonet, ive never seen one that would eat prepared food, and dont recommend that fish to anyone that doesnt have a very well established reef, so as to keep up enough food supply for this fish. IMHO

It is extremely hard to keep these things fed. One peck = one pod consumed. I kept one for several months, each month having shipments of thousands of pods arrive to feed it. In the end, still slowly starved to death. This even with it eating mysis shrimp. A fish best left in the ocean.

 

[drew300]

I currently am running a 90 gallon freshwater aquarium ( running for 8 months now) with HOB filtration and have negligible levels of nitrates, nitrites, ect. Needless to say it is perfectly balanced and cycled. I also have a 20 gallon saltwater tank (with HOB filtration) that I started running about a month ago and within the last few days I added in 2 fish and an urchin with no issue/ affect on nitrates. I started out with about 15 pounds of live rock, but as I begain to think about moving my saltwater to my 90 gallon, I traded for some more rock and probably have about 40-50 pounds of rock currently in the tank. The 90 gallon obviously isn't drilled and where I have it at, the stand I built is only 12" tall so that my TV and be above it, thus I can't have a sump below my tank. Basically my question is, with a HOB filtration and live rock, will the tank be successful. I plan on only doing fish/ inverts with no coral.

I've been in the freshwater hobby for several years and just jumped into the saltwater side. My tank is a 55 gallon with an aquaclear HOB and have had pretty good success. It's been running for a year now and I have fish inverts and corals...the only thing is it's a lot more work since I don't have reactors or a suml to help with my nutrient export so you really need to be on your toes. Iive had some hair algae problems for a while now and really wish I would have added a sump to this system