Lighting or Skimming Oh my!!!!!!

[nycmat]

hey guys its been a while. I have a question.

IYHO -- Which one of you find more important of the above? Lighting or skimming?

I am about to make a big purchase and i am not sure which way to go on this. It can only be one because of expenses. So before i change my whole system around i wanted to get a opinion of some experts.

thanks for your time and patience for reading this and your responses

 

[GQ22]

skimming, by far....your tank is going to look really well lit, but algae blooms if your skimmer sucks (or worse if you dont even have one) water qaulity first, and then light. I raised zoos under low light for a while when i first started and it wasnt too bad.

Also retro fits are being sold all the time, a big skimmers are not. Im not really an expert, but just my honest opinion

 

[herman]

Definitely skimming!!! Bad skimmer plus lots of light = nutrients = algae. If you have excellent water and your lights are not as good you can always start with fish only and some low light species.

 

[jhale]

matt for your tank I think you need at least 3 x 250 watt 10k's plus two tubes of vho or t-5's.

or you could go all t-5.

as for skimming as long as you can keep the nitrates and phosphates near 0 your good. you can do this by keeping a light bio load as well, don't over stock. , DAS does make a kick butt in sump skimmer that herman has,
it's so easy to use and comes with three recirculating aquabee pumps, it's about $800, that would handle your tank very well.

check it out the DAS bx-3
http://stores.petorama.net/Detail.bok?no=72

 

[nycmat]

that is where i was leaning towards a better skimmer with recirculating pump.

johnathan i am sorry i couldnt make it the other night. i'll bring you a bottle of somehting the next time we meet.

but i have been seriously condering a bigger skimmer with a external sump with my refuge. As i have read here bigger is better LOL. see my avatar!

As far as lighting i agree with the 3 250's but i have been exploring some retro fits. this is where i want to go. i can still use my canopy i just have to add an addtional top to it. also i want to go higher because i can have space for ventialation. From what i read it is advisable to have your lights approx. 10" off the water. currently i have my compacts at about 7"

whats your thoughts on this one??

 

[Deanos]

From what i read it is advisable to have your lights approx. 10" off the water. currently i have my compacts at about 7"

PCs are usually closer to the water because they do not generate the heat or PAR that a metal halide does.

 

[jawwad2004]

I would definitely go with a skimmer first. Get the biggest, best quality skimmer you can afford, so that way you dont have to keep on upgrading. In my 1 and half year of the hobby, I have gone through about 4 skimmers and I just reached my deltec apf600, which is gonna be the last for my 90 until I upgrade.

 

[jhale]

matt, don't worry about the party, there will be others

I have my lights about 8" off the water, I also have three 4" fans in the hood, two blowing in on each end, and one on top blowing the air out.

what are the lights in that strip you have?

 

[KuyaMark]

skimmer go for a better skimmer

 

[jackson6745]

Do I have to answer?

 

[masterswimmer]

Damn, I'm about to get flamed here. Matt, it depends on what you want to keep. If you're going to go fish only, then get the best skimmer your budget will allow.

If you're going with a reef and a low bioload of fish, then get the best lighting you can afford and do very religious water changes (like twice a week) until you can get the biggest skimmer you can afford.

Ok, flame away! But remember, I fight back :Starwars:

master

 

[House of Laughter]

No, Russ, I think you're right on point - Matt's problem (dilemma) is that he likes his fish and want to go SPS - so, Matt, for now, go skimmer - upgrade the lights when you are ready to pu in corals.

JMHO

House

 

[Sean]

I would hold back on fish set up the reef with some kick ass lights.

I feel setting the environment for the fish first is more important. If you upgrade your lights you may have to start moving corals around to compensate for the new lights and they don't always like that. Hold back on fish for 6-8months if you do things right you wont run into problems. This is what I'm doing at my shop and my home. Sometimes I wait 6 months before putting a skimmer on a tank with no problems just hold back on fish a bit. Oh and you don't need to be doing weekly water changes if it's done right.

 

[masterswimmer]

Sean, reread your first sentence in your second paragraph. I think you mean setting up your reef first, not fish. :hug:

master

 

[Sean]

Thanks yes that is what I meant

Hey Masterswimmer no ones flaming us at all I guess they all have seen the way.:Starwars:

 

[masterswimmer]

Thanks yes that is what I meant

Hey Masterswimmer no ones flaming us at all I guess they all have seen the way.:Starwars:

Russ :beer: :beer: Sean

Together we drink! Nostrovia, Salude, L'Chaim, Cheers, BURP! :fishhit:

master

 

[loismustdie]

New tank, lighting, assuming in about 6 to 8 months, you can get enough money for the bad a$$ skimmer. Existing set up, skimmer. My opinion.

 

[nycmat]

hey thanks
johnathan currently i have the 72" fixture with 2 96 watt power compacts ands 4 blue actinics with the moon lights lol

this is my plan. let me know what you think:

i am going to purchase a 55 or 75 tank to put on the side of my tank and put a skimmer in it. I want the biggest that i can arfford. Problem is i dont want to go over a 1000$ and i want it to be in sump, with the least electrical costs that i can maintain. Then i need a better pump that is more economical and save on elect cost. the refugium i already have will be plumbed seperate and have that returned into the other sump. Liek the way house has his set up.

Now as far as lighting. --

I will have to wait a while to get this because of the cost of the skimmer. I am planning on 3 250's with 4 strips of actinics or maybe just go to 12000k bulbs for the time. again with the main concern being electrical costs. I hear that retro fits are cheaper.

Nowas far as skimmers go. I have looked at the following :

Bubble king looks awesome but not affordable :
Detic looks great again over my budget:
Euro reef still looking into it.
hsa by mtc-- been there done that nough said.
Asm g6 probably the best candidate for affordability unless told other wise.

All skimmers must be recirclulating to get maximum performance IMHO.

what do you think

oh yeah house is right. the system needs to be able to carry a bio load of fish and the reef will be SPS.

 

[nycmat]

PS bigger is better jackson except for

see my avatar LOL

just a joke didnt mean to offend anyone LOL

 

[kimoyo]

All skimmers must be recirclulating to get maximum performance IMHO.

Why?