Skimmer or no skimmer??

[somebody]

hi,

i'm currently running a 2 ft tank, only have 2clownfish, 1 yellow goby, shrimp + snail.

wish to stock up a little more on my tank, and have just got a sump and getting ready to set it up.

the tank's in my room, so any noise, would obviously affect my sleep. =( that's why i went to upgrade skimmer, from a weipro(too noisy in my room), i just bought a Macro needlewheel 350, thinking it'll overskim my tank =) But, from what i realised, it might heat up my water too much. =( so i dunno whether to run a skimmer anymore, esp since it might actually make some noise too....

so was thinking of doing a refugium instead, but thought the lights needed might heat up my tank too. haha... this is such a contradiction.

basically got 2 choices for me :

1) run the AS 350

- will it heat up my tank too much?

- will it be too noisy.. =( (will test it over the weekend. )

2) run a refugium filled with macroalgae and do away with a skimmer

- will the lights heat up my tank too much?

- will a 1ft compartment filled with macroalgae sufficient to maintain an equilibrium to export nutrients from my tank??

wah!! this is such a long post... thanks for ready guys.... really hope to get guidance and direction.

[Eric]

hi,

i'm currently running a 2 ft tank, only have 2clownfish, 1 yellow goby, shrimp + snail.

wish to stock up a little more on my tank, and have just got a sump and getting ready to set it up.

the tank's in my room, so any noise, would obviously affect my sleep. =( that's why i went to upgrade skimmer, from a weipro(too noisy in my room), i just bought a Macro needlewheel 350, thinking it'll overskim my tank =) But, from what i realised, it might heat up my water too much. =( so i dunno whether to run a skimmer anymore, esp since it might actually make some noise too....

so was thinking of doing a refugium instead, but thought the lights needed might heat up my tank too. haha... this is such a contradiction.

basically got 2 choices for me :

1) run the AS 350

- will it heat up my tank too much?

- will it be too noisy.. =( (will test it over the weekend. )

2) run a refugium filled with macroalgae and do away with a skimmer

- will the lights heat up my tank too much?

- will a 1ft compartment filled with macroalgae sufficient to maintain an equilibrium to export nutrients from my tank??

wah!! this is such a long post... thanks for ready guys.... really hope to get guidance and direction.

Get a venturi skimmer then you can run an external pump.

Eric

[acidjazz]

add a fan

[csloo]

hi,

i'm currently running a 2 ft tank, only have 2clownfish, 1 yellow goby, shrimp + snail.

wish to stock up a little more on my tank, and have just got a sump and getting ready to set it up.

the tank's in my room, so any noise, would obviously affect my sleep. =( that's why i went to upgrade skimmer, from a weipro(too noisy in my room), i just bought a Macro needlewheel 350, thinking it'll overskim my tank =) But, from what i realised, it might heat up my water too much. =( so i dunno whether to run a skimmer anymore, esp since it might actually make some noise too....

so was thinking of doing a refugium instead, but thought the lights needed might heat up my tank too. haha... this is such a contradiction.

basically got 2 choices for me :

1) run the AS 350

- will it heat up my tank too much?

- will it be too noisy.. =( (will test it over the weekend. )

2) run a refugium filled with macroalgae and do away with a skimmer

- will the lights heat up my tank too much?

- will a 1ft compartment filled with macroalgae sufficient to maintain an equilibrium to export nutrients from my tank??

wah!! this is such a long post... thanks for ready guys.... really hope to get guidance and direction.

2 feet tank no need to have refegerium,it will make no effect on ur water parameter cuase 2 feet parameter can be change very easily. you can just maintain change water every week. change water is the best solution to remove all unwanted materials.

about ur skimmer, u can run a venturi skimmer (any type lah) with a external pump. this kind of skimmer not so much of noise, the noise is only come from the bubble.

u can stocking some life stock maybe not more than 5 gua... depend on ur water parameter loh.

[Kelmen]

IMO: Its good to have refugium stocked with macroalgae, an effective approach over the denitrator.

Also recommend skimmer, its practically a "trashcan", where the device will dump "garbabge" in it for you to help cleaniness.

Not to mentioned the air-bubling help aerating your water too.

Heat concern is more on what pump you use. Can invest in a good one. Cheap pump give you "free" heat.

HTH

[ervine]

skimmer bro... the pt is to remove the "trash" before it starts to foul up your tank... the macro algae will only remove all the already broken down trash...

So to play safe, just have both...

[dust_to_debris]

i did a 2ft test tank with a 2ft sump. the 2 ft sump is filled with macroalgae to the brim with 1cm of carib sea aragonite as base except for a area where the return pump is placed without any skimmer. tank is kept for 2 years already. tank inhabitants include:

2 leather toadstools

3 rocks of recordias

1 finger leather

2 leather corals

2 tubeworms

2 clownfishes

1 mandrin goby(first inhabitant growing fatter by the day)

1 hermit crab

2 neon goby

1 sand shifter goby

nitrate is low so is phosphate. (water paremeters done with redsea test kit)

fish is only fed once every 2-3 days not with much food as the macroalgae breeds hordes of copepods for them to eat. supplements to tank are: kent marine luggol solution, kent KH buffer and coral food once a week.

think the strict feeding schedule and softies helped in controlling nutrient levels. IMO the bigger the sump tank and the more macroalgae you have the better

[somebody]

dude,

so your WHOLE sump is filled with macroalgae ah? hmm.. so my 1 compartment won't be sufficent eh?? =(

[somebody]

the pump, got "no choice" one mah, come with the AS350 one.... hmm.... so how lehz? got better more efficient ones to recommend?

[shoelevy]

why not u just try running the macro skimmer for a few days and monitor temperature then decide what to do.

scarlee it turns out your water can remain cool then all is good

[somebody]

true true... will do that