Mathias Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Hi guys I'm getting into the hobby once again, but this time it's quite different. I'm going for a low-tech coral-only (for now) 8g. nano to put on my desk. I'm going to run it without a skimmer to keep the noise, price and mess down. Now my questions are: - Can/should I get a cleanup crew? (No feeding should mean very little food for them in the aquarium, but maybe I could keep a turbo or two?) - What should I keep in mind when running skimmerless? What are your best tips? - Would a 1500l/h stream be way too much or should it just work? (I'm going to keep SPS). I'm so excited to get back into the hobby! Best regards Mathias EDIT: It's actually 7gal. I'm converting litres to gal Link to comment
mike c Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 I'm impressed with the 1 post...in 5 YEARS!! lol What lighting are you thinking? Link to comment
Mathias Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 I'm impressed with the 1 post...in 5 YEARS!! lol What lighting are you thinking? Haha, yeah I know, I've been mostly listening Lol I've built a 21w LED for the tank (which should be plenty ) Link to comment
dormreefer Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Most tanks <15 gallons are skimless so that is a none issue. 25% weekly water changes will be plenty sufficient even with a bio load. Without fish I'd say 5-10% a week will keep your calc/alk/mag constant of course the more SPS the more you have to focus. For best SPS color and growth if you spend on anything get some high tech lights! Glow seems fine too. You'll be fine to add some small snails once the tank is into its cycle as they will eat all the algae, if they appear to clean the tank really well throw in a bit of dried seaweed and you'll be solid. Link to comment
PwnMe Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I've been doing a filterless skimmerless 8 gallon for a year now if its any interest to you. With a CUC. They mostly concern themselves with algae and maybe a piece of seaweed is all the feeding I do. Link to comment
Mathias Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 Great, thank you guys - Perfect answers. I already started it up, got a great deal on fully cured rock and a lot of corals. Now I want to experiment a little with quite a big amount of natural sunlight (3-4 hours a day) (temperature completely controlled). Given that there will be very low nutrition levels in the tank, I imagine there would be very little chance of an algae bloom. Is there any truth to this, or am I in for an uncomfortable surprise? Link to comment
danimal1211 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 you'll more than likely still get a diatom bloom. but as long as phosphate doesn't find its way in there you shouldn't have too many problems. what kind of corals are you planning to keep Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Trust me on this. I learned it the hard way... You need to supply your corals with some source or nutrients. Generally, fish waste and dissolved solids from food is enough for corals to thrive off of. If you don't have any fish, however you'll need to put some food in the water column or your corals will whither away. They function like plants. Yes, photosynthesis will provide for energy (sugar essentially), but they need some source of nitrogen to synthesize proteins and grow. Sugar Polypeptide that make up protein Notice the lack of Nitrogen in sugar. Just like a plant that won't grow in soil without nutrients, corals will not grow in sterile water. Imagine eating a diet of all sugar and no meat or plant protein. The challenge is feeding the appropriate amount without getting nutrients so high that algae thrives. Your CUC, can help control that though. Link to comment
Mathias Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 I understand your point, but since I'm using tap water (extremely clean in my area), there will be some nutrients in the water, albeit a very small amount. I figure it'll be comparable to systems powered with highly efficient skimmers, where nutrient levels are close to zero (but where corals are still thriving). Or am I wrong? Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I understand your point, but since I'm using tap water (extremely clean in my area), there will be some nutrients in the water, albeit a very small amount. I figure it'll be comparable to systems powered with highly efficient skimmers, where nutrient levels are close to zero (but where corals are still thriving). Or am I wrong? I suppose that might be one way to go about it, but generally tap water is a big no-no in this hobby due to impurities, nitrates, and especially phosphates. Many corals, especially SPS and clams are extremely sensitive to phosphates. Also, tap water generally goes through copper pipes. Copper + inverts (pods, crabs, snails, etc.) = death. RODI is the way to go. Then, use high quality foods. Sorry, don't mean to burst your bubble here. Just trying to save you a lot of pain and anguish. Link to comment
saltt Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I have no skimmer on my 28 gal. nano, I feed sparingly and I don't think my tank is overstocked. I have all types of coral ranging from zoos to chalices to montiporas and they are all thriving. I do 4 gallons a week for a water change and stay on top of my Ca and KH. I think as long as you're getting the right chemistry in your tank you should be fine. Use some rowa phos or phosguard if you get phosphates. It's all in the chemistry Link to comment
Mathias Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 I have no skimmer on my 28 gal. nano, I feed sparingly and I don't think my tank is overstocked. I have all types of coral ranging from zoos to chalices to montiporas and they are all thriving. I do 4 gallons a week for a water change and stay on top of my Ca and KH. I think as long as you're getting the right chemistry in your tank you should be fine. Use some rowa phos or phosguard if you get phosphates. It's all in the chemistry Very nice tank! Do you use RO or tap water? Link to comment
saltt Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Very nice tank! Do you use RO or tap water? RO water Link to comment
Mathias Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 RO water Darn it. Haha. Just curious; What is the average water parameters of American tap water? I know it varies greatly, but just give or take. Link to comment
dormreefer Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 100% honesty, any TDS is bad TDS and I've yet to see a tap that produces 0 TDS without RO/DI Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 saltt has fish in there and they produce waste that the coral thrives on. Also, her four gallon water changes keep the water clean and help with Ca and Alk, but don't remove so many nutrients as to make the water sterile. With an eight gallon tank, if you kept one small goby and kept it fed every other day or so, a small CUC, plus 1-1.5 gallon weekly water changes (made with RODI), you'll have a healthy tank with minimal algae issues (granted you do a proper initial cycle). Link to comment
gonzalez78 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Man saltt is cute and she has an awesome tank too. I also run my bc29 w/o skimmer, 3 gallon water change every Sunday but I need another clown. Had a stupid damsel that killed my male, it is now banished to my sump of my 40B. Have been running my bc since march and I know I'll be getting some hate again but I am keeping a sebae anemone and a crocea clam healthy. Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Man saltt is cute and she has an awesome tank too. I also run my bc29 w/o skimmer, 3 gallon water change every Sunday but I need another clown. Had a stupid damsel that killed my male, it is now banished to my sump of my 40B. Have been running my bc since march and I know I'll be getting some hate again but I am keeping a sebae anemone and a crocea clam healthy. If the damsel is anywhere near your fuge, it's gonna decimate your pod population. Link to comment
bolling Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Darn it. Haha. Just curious; What is the average water parameters of American tap water? I know it varies greatly, but just give or take. Just for an fyi, I am a water superintendent in a small town and we inject PO4 (Phosphate) into our water to help suspent rust as we have hard water. Darn it. Haha. Just curious; What is the average water parameters of American tap water? I know it varies greatly, but just give or take. Link to comment
gonzalez78 Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 If the damsel is anywhere near your fuge, it's gonna decimate your pod population. He has only been in there for 3 days I'm waiting for my brother to take them for his tank, in trade he will get me a pod order from reefs2go. Link to comment
saltt Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Man saltt is cute and she has an awesome tank too. I also run my bc29 w/o skimmer, 3 gallon water change every Sunday but I need another clown. Had a stupid damsel that killed my male, it is now banished to my sump of my 40B. Have been running my bc since march and I know I'll be getting some hate again but I am keeping a sebae anemone and a crocea clam healthy. Haha thank you Link to comment
brandon429 Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Not possible to maintain corals without feed input as microscope said, its not possible long term. but that doesn't mean you can't be very sparing with a high quality feed, i was just responding to the part of your title that said no feed. as microscope said, photosynthetic takes a back seat to actual feeding in most of our corals. they are heterotrophs by definition. That doesn't mean they wont sit plastic for months self degrading on their own tissues Pwn you have a year old tank w corals that has only had seaweed input? must see pics man, thats a new one. Im sure anything can be done in the hobby but thats a very restricted protein situation for corals and inverts, plant only is like us living on salad alone lol, most grazers get pod meat too sometimes Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 He has only been in there for 3 days I'm waiting for my brother to take them for his tank, in trade he will get me a pod order from reefs2go. Lolz! Good trade. Good luck catching him! Link to comment
Mstefa1 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 8g nano? I wouldn't bother spending money on a RODI system. Just buy your water bottled from the grocery store. Don't buy spring water. RO or distilled will do the trick! Link to comment
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