converting tank to natural system

Discussion in 'General Reef Topics' started by dbates, Sep 23, 2004.

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  1. dbates

    dbates Plankton

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2004
    Messages:
    15
    Location:
    Chicago,
    Hey everyone, hows life? i hope good. I am writing today to get some opinions before i begin converting my tank to a "natural system." Here are my specs.


    55 gal reef tank
    approx 75 lbs of live rock
    approx 60 lbs of live sand
    outside power filter (emperor 280)
    canister fiter (fluval 303)
    Uv sterilizer (9 watt corallife)
    Protein skimmer (seaclone)


    inhabitants:

    1 hepatus tang
    pair of maroon clowns
    mandarin goby
    royal gamma
    shrimp goby
    2 green chromis
    2 cleaner shrimp
    1 pistol shrimp
    approx 25 snails
    approx 15 crabs
    croacea clam


    corals:

    various mushrooms
    button polyps
    starburst polyps
    colt tree coral
    pink fiji leather
    red brain coral
    galaxea
    bubble coral
    leathers

    ------------------------------------------------------------------

    While most of that is irrelevant, i figured i may as well tell, maybe in case anything is sensitive or won't do well with natural filtration. Whlie i plan to keep the skimmer on, i want to begin removing all of my filtration and i was looking for some advice on where to begin and how long to wait etc. I'm not sure if i want to take off the biowheel first, or the Uv sterilizer, or maybe leave the sterilizer on becuase of my hepatus, which is the reason i got it in the first place. I also would like to know if i should start to slowly remove media instead of all at once, and if so, which media to remove.

    The other fact of the matter is water movement. I have one powerhead in the tank right now. while this may sound stupid, i am looking for some advise on powerhead placement, so that i can get good water movement, but not disturb anything etc...
    THe one in there now is in the top, back, middle of the tank shooting at the front glass. I plan on probably moving it, and adding in at least one more. So im looking for advice as far as height, corners, gph, placement, etc.

    I appreciate any replies and advice

    Dan B
     
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  3. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

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    13,466
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    So are you planning on using a sump?

    If it were me that is what I would do. Then I would take the media from the canister and the biowheel and put it in the sump for a while. Any loose stuff I would put in filter socks.

    Also if you have a sump you can put a SWCD - inline current splitter - on the return line. This will help get away from a lot of powerheads in the tank.
     
  4. inwall75

    inwall75 Giant Squid

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    First off, WELCOME TO 3REEF!!!

    I would definately leave the sterilizer on. Sure it kills some of the good things but it also kills the bad things. It is a good insurance policy IMO.

    If you don't have a sump, your instincts are right...you should remove the media a little at a time.

    On the powerhead placement, it is really trial and error. Put them somewhere and see how the tank reacts. I have had good luck on some tanks using powerheads aimed directly at each other so the water jet columns hit each other and scatter. I have never tried that on a 55g before though.
     
  5. dbates

    dbates Plankton

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Yea,

    I actually have a 20 gal. right next to the tank that im using as a species tank right now for an octopus, but once that passes away (short life span) and i get sick of trying to get a new one i think i wil try to conect it to the 55, and have a 20 gal refugium. It has rock in it and is a healthy little tank, and once i go off to school there would be little other use for it.
     
  6. dbates

    dbates Plankton

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    Location:
    Chicago,
    I already started with the outside power filter. I first took out one of the media inserts, waited like 5 days, then my ancy side got the best of me and i took the whole thing off. WIth reason though, because i moved it over onto my 20 gal fish only tank, which only had an undergravel and a lousy whisper power filter.

    But i know taking it of that quickly may be a little rash, but i figured the other tank needed it because i added in more livestock and it needed better filtration, and i figured that removing it from the reef would not be to detrimental, i'll just have to wait a while until i try anything else.

    ??? thoughts?
     
  7. aseidman00

    aseidman00 Astrea Snail

    Joined:
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    Messages:
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    Location:
    Staten Island, NY,New_York
    I am no guru yet dbates but that does not sound like a natural system to me.

    Whay not loose the canister, powerfilter and the sterilizer ? and instead go with a refugium (or ecosystem brand filter). THis seems to be the new trend (a few years already). People seem to debate if you even need a protein skimmer but either way the refugium model seems to work well and to me seems the most natural.

    By the way... I own most of the equipment you mention and use it on some fish opnly tanks but for a reef, the experts seem to beleive that the refugium and lights are the items that do the job. Not much more is needed. In fact the UV can do damage on a reef.

    Check out the ecosystem products.. I did and I bought one. My new reef is going well so far. Fully cured and cycled. Here's the website:

    http://www.ecosystemaquarium.com/index.html
     
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  9. dbates

    dbates Plankton

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    miscommunication,

    thats what ive been planning on doing, i have all those things on the tank right now, im just looking for advice on how to start taking them off, ( in what order, and how long to wait in between)

    I also have the problem of when to connect the reef to my 20 gal to act as a refugium, because im putting an octopus in that tank for the time being
     
  10. dbates

    dbates Plankton

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    What i have just been wondering is what do to next. I took off the power filter, and now i am just waiting for the tank to stabilize a little bit. I dont know what to take off next or how long to wait though. Any idea
    ?

    i dont know wether to leave some things on, or make it totally natural.
     
  11. inwall75

    inwall75 Giant Squid

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    What is the benefit of being natural?
     
  12. dbates

    dbates Plankton

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    less matinence, more "realistic", more self sufficient with filtration and chemical balancing, stability.... ALl of these things and more that i probably cant think of. THe real reason is that i have to go to school in a year and there will be no one other than my parents to take care of the tank, which cant really extend beyond occasional feeding and replacing evaporated water.