Equipment - Fish Only Vs. Reef

M

Matthew_sample

Ok ... So I talked to a LFS guy and he said this stuff was the best things to buy... But I have been told that for reef it is not ???


I have the following:

250 Wet Dry with Dual over flow with a 1" return
160 GAL rated Canister
250 Skimmer
80 Gal Tank
2 Larger Power heads with the rotating attacments..
UV Sterilizer
The 3 phase of light...


I have no dead spots in the tank..
no fluctuation in readings or heat,,, measured daily at differant intervals.


So now I evedently bought all the wrong stuff for a reef tank .. It only cost me $1200.00 for the equipment and if was before I found this site...

Now If I want to go reef What do I need to get or do.. differant..

It looks like I am starting fish only thenwill hae to slowly convert to Reef now becasue I spent to much on what I have now..
If I was to build the ultimate reef aquarium ( or atleast the most statble and best I can with the 80 GAL tank I have ) What do I need...
 
OK .. So after some digging I find that most prefer a refueom ...or how ever you spell t .. Some just call it a sump...

What i can not clearly find yet is the benifits of it vs. a wet dry..

i can understand the bio chamber but just do not understand the differance it would make.. Seems like less filtration to me which I thought would be more benificial...


mmmm i will keep digging the info has to be clear some where...
 
Hi Matthew,
Here's a link for you. I do suggest spending time on Marc's site, you can do a search on just about anything you can think of and find it there. http://melevsreef.com/what_sump.html

Cheers!
 
the fuge is a place you can grow macro algea and other small life forms that would be otherwise be eaten in the main tank

the macro algea will help break down nitrates and other bio load polutants

if you are planning on fish only the set up you have will work but if you want to go with corals (mixed reef) you will eventually want to do something about the wet/dry filter as it will generate nitrates as a by product of the bio load

In the long run I suspect you will want to go mixed reef and may decide to get rid of the wet/dry or convert it to a sump or fuge (refugium). The only issue that I can think of that may arrise if you do decide to convert is you will need to replace your main bacteria culture that will reside in the wet/dry with live rock - this could create a mini cycle

I know some people have sucess with mixed reefs using a wet/dry but it seems that the general direction has moved away from them.
 
So If I read this right then I can simply take the bio balls and other media out.. Put in some good live sand and live rock with the alge and i would be good...


May have to modify the baffel in between the overflow and the sump portion where the sponge is bacially block it off and put some holes in for the over flow...


Means I may need some kind of pre filter.. Could I use the canister filter I have for a prefilter?
Go canister to the refuge then over flow into the sump where my UV, Skimmer and return are..

I could still use my over flow as well to skim the top of the water just put some valves in place to slow it down.. and go to the refuge...

I have to go put this on paper and do some more reading.,. thanks for the link it has a lot of info.. I have to read in more detail..


But it looks like the conversion will not be that hard...
Got to get my live rock built up first in any case.. Gives me time to do more home work...

Also I think the filter size I bought was actually a good thing becaseu i will have room to do what I have to with what I have just some modificaitons when I am ready...


mmmm must go do more home work thanks for the help...
I think it is the hardest thing is to figure out the right things to do for the long tern goal.. Filtration I say is a biggie... lol
 
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