I need advice on everything!

[aquakid1]

right im in big trouble with the whole thing! so i will start by telling you all my problems one by one
firstly i dont have a drilled overflow and ive also heard that overflow boxes are very unreliable ( siphon ones) my parents wouldn't let me drill the tank if i asked either. i tried making a sump, i pumped the water from the tank with one of my canister filters and it was sprayed back to the sump..... my other canister filter sucked it up and put it back up to the tank, soon after i realized that a balance can never be acheived. so now i dont have a sump. I know that canister filters arent very good as the waste accumulates heaps. But im very prepared to clean them as often as needed , even once a week! im in need of a protein skimmer too.... but how do i use it without having a sump. could i have a hang on skimmer with a water pump or something ( im stabbing in the dark here) i dont know how i will have a protein skimmer but could you plz tell me. also i have crushed coral substrate that came with the tank (bought it second hand) i need a DSB so sooner or later im going to have to do the change! i also run UG filters ( hahahaha writing this makes me realize im dumb as) they came with the tank also... i removed them and the nitrates went sky high but when i replaced they dropped. im only 15 and can't afford the most expensive things so i run on a tight budget ( im trying desparatly to get a job) so any other ideas would also be gratefully appreciated.
cheers -brendan

 

[beerbaron]

IMO hang on overflows, while not fail proof, are safe to use. i used one on my 55gal. reef for the 1st 8months until i could afford a 75 RR. if i wer you i would invest in that, and use your canister filter(s) to return the water from the sump. make sure they are self priming(they can start pumping after the power goes out). and i would also invest in a good skimmer. if you are tight for money, dont worry about comletly filling the tank with live rock. some of it can be dead rock(tufa) and the living life will spread onto it. Plan on spending at least 180$ on this. it may seem like a lot, but anything less is not fair for whats in your tank.
BB

 

[ReefLion]

What is your sump made of? You could possibly drill the sump, put it above the level of the tank, and gravity feed to the tank. Not a great arrangement unless you have a safe place to put the sump up high.

There are hang on the back protein skimmers. I would start a separate thread on that for recommendations.

Here's how I would transition from the UG's:

- Add sufficient live rock
- wait for any cycle (at least 2-4 weeks)
- turn off one of the UG filters
- wait at least two weeks
- remove that UG filter and half of the CC over that filter (1/4 of the total CC), add sand over that area of the tank
- wait at least two weeks
- remove the other half of CC over the removed filter and replace with sand
- wait at least two weeks
- repeat from step 3 with second UG filter

All this waiting will allow time for your rock to gradually take up any filtration duties that the UG and CC had before.

Tim