Moving and new tank!

[csquare77]

Hey everyone:

I'll be moving to a new apartment soon and along with my move I will be upgrading my salt water tank from a 29g. to a 55g.

A few questions I have are:

I have a medium sized Eheim canister filter from a freshwater tank I just gave away. After cleaning ect... Should I add this filter to my new Salter water 55g? I do have LR probably about 50 pounds, and was wondering if the extra filtering was needed (can't hurt right?)

With the lager tank size i will also need a power head for added circulation correct?

As of now in my 29g. I have 3 clowns and two yellowtail damsels.

I would appreciated stocking ideas.

I was thinking of adding a dwarf angel of some kind, among others, Only one angel per tank correct?

Any other pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

 

[austinsdad]

I'd consider getting rid of the damsels. They won't like new fish most likely. Replace'm with chromis or cardinals to have schooling possibilities.

50 lbs of live rock is easily enuf to sustain the new tank. You can add more rock as you add fish too.

Think gobies, blennies, wrasses (reef friendly stuff). Those get my votes in a 55g

Thought about a sump? That'd be a good thing for more biological filtration and water volume.

 

[csquare77]

So you think if I add some more rock I wont need to use the eheim filter?

Also thanks for the ideas on fish.

 

[austinsdad]

IMO opinion, 50 lbs of rock easily sustains those fish and a few more. No filter needed.

 

[austinsdad]

How old is the tank and how long has the rock been in there?

 

[csquare77]

The tank has been set up for over 2 years, and about half of the Live rock I bought was already curred.

 

[pitt420dude]

Wait you mean to say that you can have a SW tank with just circulation and no filtration, so long as it has enough LR in it?

 

[roka64]

Yep, the bio-filtration takes place in the rocks and substrate. Filters are use to add media, lr rubble, for water movement and for trapping fish waste.

 

[cmor1701d]

I would want to add some more base rock to that tank and a protein skimmer to remove DOCs.

The LR is part of your filtration. The PS and/or PWC's is the other part. No PS means more frequent pwc's.

I would use the 29 as a sump for the new tank.

 

[csquare77]

Oh I already have a protein skimmer too, So I'll drop the filter, how would you make the 29 into a sump?

 

[melosu58]

When I had my 55 All I had was Lr and a skimmer. Biological filtration is the best IMO. And of course a few PH`s.

 

[csquare77]

What have 2 PH's one on each end to create a circulation effect?

 

[roka64]

Sounds good to me. I have two on the back of my tank pointing a little toward each other.

 

[csquare77]

Thanks for all the help guys, any other ideas on stocking amounts and types of fish I should get?

 

[cmor1701d]

Check out Melev's Reef - Sumps & Fuge's for some design ideas. You just need to cut some glass/acrylic to make partitions (baffles) inside the 29, add an overflow box to the back of the tank to move water down to the sump, and then a pump to return water back to the tank.

 

[austinsdad]

Pitt429dude I guess I was being a bit cryptic. Assuming filtration would be in order by way of a skimmer. I wuz only thnking about not needing the media from the Eheim and having the rock. Forot to mention about the filtration need.

Even still, I do frequently run my reef tank for months without the skimmer. Maybe 3 at the most sometime. 4 to 6 week water changes. Sometimes 2 months prolly. I have heard some swear by natural filtration from rocks only.

 

[csquare77]

Even still, I do frequently run my reef tank for months without the skimmer. Maybe 3 at the most sometime. 4 to 6 week water changes. Sometimes 2 months prolly. I have heard some swear by natural filtration from rocks only.[/quote]


Ahh how big/stocked is your tank? to do a bi-monthly water change?

 

[austinsdad]

3 tangs, 2 clowns, 2 blennies, 2 shrimp gobies, 3 cardinals, 4 chromis, 2 neon gobies (tiny), and over 200 lbs of rock. Fuge. 155g tank.

 

[Jimbo7]

I agree with the previously mentioned post of ditching the damsels, you will be more open to fish choices down the road. Depending on how many fish you end up getting you may want to throw a few more lbs of LR in there. Ideal is 1 to 1.25 lbs per gallon. If you can afford it, definatly make the 29 a sump, they are awesome for holding skimmers & such and if you can squeeze a fuge in there i would. Also, invest in a nice skimmer, i had so many algea/nitrate/misc problems untill i upgraded.
what skimmer do you have, is it a HOB or in-sump?

 

[csquare77]

Remora HOB