mufret Posted October 9, 2005 Share Posted October 9, 2005 I am working on a little setup (2.5 gal w/ 2.5 gal sump) for my office and was wondering if you had the option to either have a fuge or use a skimmer, which would you use? Link to comment
jmorris Posted October 9, 2005 Share Posted October 9, 2005 What kind of corals? For sps, I'd probably use a skimmer. For softies I'd probably just use a fuge. For lps, I'd probably use a fuge too... but no matter what, a skimmer will allow more bioload and healthier corals IMO. A little air driven skimmer (like a picolo or RedSea Berlin) or a Wetworx DIY job (see DIY forum -> DIY library -> skimmers) would work well. The latter is what I will be using on my sps only 2.5 for the contest. If at all posible, have a skimmer and a fuge, with the skimmer before the fuge. A HOB filter (like the AC300 with a smaller impeller) as a fuge, with a sump and skimmer below would really do the trick! Speaking of the contest, you should hold off just a bit, and enter this new tank of yours! the more entries, the more competitive it gets, and the higher the $$$ gets in the Jackpot catagorry! For more info see the contest thread... oh yeah, it is a monster of a thread! Jared Link to comment
coralcrazy Posted October 9, 2005 Share Posted October 9, 2005 i would go with a fuge...althought skimmers are great..you have such a tiny tank that a skimmer would do more harm then good..a fuge is great for a small tank..keeps nitrates and other stuff down..just my 2 cents Link to comment
mufret Posted October 9, 2005 Author Share Posted October 9, 2005 Hi Jared, Thanks for the input! I might just do that. Have they decided when the contest will start? The skimmer I will be using is a Sander Piccolo that I've had for probably 20 years. I haven't really decided what I would have in the tank but was thinking of going mostly zoas and such since it will be in my office. I do have a DIY 70w pendant that I have been toying with putting on this but not sure how that would work from the heat and evaporation standpoint. I guess then it would have to be a predominately SPS tank. Thanks again, Mike Link to comment
jmorris Posted October 9, 2005 Share Posted October 9, 2005 The rules for the contest will be out tonight hopefully, and they should establish a start date Piccolo skimmers are really quite good for what they are. Go ahead and use that. Just be sure to add a little salt to your top off water and watch your salinity carefully, skimming can remove minerals/salts from the water, but you'll have to see how muich in your situation. Also, you may want to put the skimmer on a timer to only skim at night when there is less oxigen in the water (O2 is higher in the day due to photosynthesis, then at night the skimmer will oxygenate the water instead). Also, nigfht skimming will assure that that when you feed and add minerals durring the day, they have plenty of time to be used before any excess is skimmed out. Zoas do fine with MH IMO, so go for it! Just get an Iceprobe (there's one in the classified right now for $90 OBO) and put it on the HOB fuge or the sump to control the heat. Good luck, Jared Link to comment
mufret Posted October 9, 2005 Author Share Posted October 9, 2005 Thanks for the input coralcrazy and jmorris I guess the decision might come down to what is the easiest to maintain. Since the tank will be in my office, there will be a couple of days each week when there won't be anyone to look after the tank and it's parameters. That being said, the fuge might be the way to go, if I'm limited to only one option. I have so much old equipment laying around that I've started seeing if I can find something else I can use for a HOB fuge. I'm also toying with the idea of mounting the Piccolo in an AC mini I have. Thanks again, Mike Link to comment
bluebastion Posted October 9, 2005 Share Posted October 9, 2005 Hi Jared, Thanks for the input! I might just do that. Have they decided when the contest will start? The skimmer I will be using is a Sander Piccolo that I've had for probably 20 years. I haven't really decided what I would have in the tank but was thinking of going mostly zoas and such since it will be in my office. I do have a DIY 70w pendant that I have been toying with putting on this but not sure how that would work from the heat and evaporation standpoint. I guess then it would have to be a predominately SPS tank. Thanks again, Mike If I remember correctly, I think you might be able to fit that Sander Piccolo into a AC300 fuge. As for the MH lighting... I've got 150W running over my 2.5... it's now 12 1/2" over my tank with a fan running but it stays at 80 or a little under. So your 70 should be fine. Link to comment
icenine Posted October 9, 2005 Share Posted October 9, 2005 Are you looking for filtraton? A fuge does little to remove nutrients.... esp in a nano or pico set up. Looking to improve water quality? Get a protein skimmer rather than a fuge the two are like apples and oranges. In a nano a fuge would be for raising microvetrs away from predation and little more. Link to comment
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