Thoughts on this setup

I'm just curious to see if you think this set up will be ok to grow out coral in. I have a 20 long, 20lbs live sand, 20lbs live rock, 2 powerheads, 4 t-5 lights, heater, and a biowheel that I converted to a fuge on one side and purigen, carbon, and filter floss on the other side. I reduced the flow to the fuge side and am running a light on opposite schedual as the main light, and it has algea in it. The main tank has almost no algea in it since I reduced the dlow to the fuge side of the filter. Do you think that I can get away with no skimmer? Assuming I do weekly 20 percent water changes?

 

You'll need a skimmer, sorry to tell ya, specially if you are planning to have corals. You don't have to run it all the time, but you'll need one. As for the lights, T5s are good lights, and since you have such a small tank, I don't see any problems with it. The biowheel should be fine, just make sure that whatever you are using exceeds your aquarium max water capacity.

 

I think it all depends on how many fish your planning to have. Remember that fish produce the most waste. If your going to max out the allowable fish that your tank will hold, I would get the skimmer and add more LR(if possible) If your going to go half way(fish wise) just get more LR and no skimmer. Either way, your going to have play it by hear anyways and test your parameters. Also, becareful of the bio-wheels, there known to be NO3 factories. I hope this has helped, Luna.

 

No fish at all. Only coral. I removed the biowheels, just useing it as a fuge and place for the purigen, carbon and a little mechanical filtration. If I dont get a skimmer, what parameters should I watch carefully for a problem? Basically what does the skimmer keep in check?

 

Skimming Basics 101: Understanding Your Skimmer by Frank Marini, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com

 

If you decide to not have any fish, then I really dont see the need for a skimmer b/c your refugium will take care of the filtering. As with all reef tanks, you should look for Cal, Alk/Dkh, Mag, Ph, Nh3/4, No2, No3 and salt. The skimmer takes most, in not all, the organics out of the water. Waste, uneaten food.

 

I could not read all of that but right up front it was said that the top inch of the waters surface is where all the oils and waste are collected at and thats why I would tell anyone who was trying to get by with out a overflow that just skimmed the very top inch or two of the aquarium was wasting time. And thats the short coming of all canister type filters and hang on back skimmers and anything that pulls water from deeper in the tank. And also why speed of water through the sump is very critical for the skimmer to do its job and have a rating to match that sump flow.

 

What is a good coral food that you guys are using?

 

Sump waste is my favorite aka marine snow is what they call in in the ocean .. I just stir the sump with a power head several times a night. feeds corals and keeps waste build up from the sump.

 

NO FISH - The horror