Daily WCs

[bigbris1]

I'm coming home every day to siphon snail logs & other detritus that accumulates in the front of the 26 BF. Ends up being like 2-3 gal WC per day. I'm trying really hard to remain sumpless, but what can I do besides adding a HOF?

26 Bowfront running for 1 month:
72W T5
MJ1200
Remora w/heater
30lbs LR
30lbs LS

50 Corals, SPS, LPS, Softies
2 firefish
2 clowns
2 shrimp
2 Nerite, 2 Turbos, 2 Zebra hermits, 1 Astrea

80 deg avg
Ca 450
Alk 10 dKH
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5-10 ppm
PH 8.2
P04 undetectable with crappy API test kit
Reef Crystals mixed w/a little Oceanic
B-Ionic everyday

 

[fritz]

What's the problem?

 

[Deanos]

What would you be hoping to accomplish with a hang-on filter? It seems you have alot of live rock for your sized tank, so I'm not sure how much additional filtration you'd get.

Also, I would think your nitrates would be much less, if not zero, if you're siphoning detritus and changing about 10% of your water daily. :scratch:

Water Changes in Reef Aquaria

 

[bigbris1]

I know, seems like it right. I forgot to mention I'm feeding frozen plakton after the rinsing method.

I would like to have less crap on the sand & not to have to siphon. I just picked up a bucket-o-detrivores so hopefully they will help.

 

[Deanos]

For less detritus (crap) on the sand, you need to have less food. However, less food equals more dead detrivores, of which you just added a "bucket" of. Pick your poison.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

do u have a skimmer on that tank if u do then add more flow to see if u could lift up the crap and keep it suspended so eventually the skimmer will get it

 

[bigbris1]

I know Deanos, catch 22.

Yeah Tony, I have a Remora w/MJ1200. I was thinking of adding a Koralia for more flow, but I think I'm just going to pick up a Whisper 40, this way I can run carbon & Phosguard also.

 

[masterswimmer]

In a perfect world you'd change 100% of your water multiple times per day. That's what happens on a natural reef. Changing 2-3 gallons per day is great IMO. You haven't mentioned that you have any problems. Keep up the good work.

swimmer

 

[bigbris1]

Hmmm, never thought of it that way, thanks!

 

[masterswimmer]

Hmmm, never thought of it that way, thanks!

No problem. Glad I could shed some light.

Russ

 

[Domboski]

I know Deanos, catch 22.

Yeah Tony, I have a Remora w/MJ1200. I was thinking of adding a Koralia for more flow, but I think I'm just going to pick up a Whisper 40, this way I can run carbon & Phosguard also.

I added Koralia 1s aimed at the base of my live rocks and sand to prevent mysis shrimp from settling on the bottom. I turn them on at night only (because I have seahorses otherwise they would be on all of the itme). This has worked out perfectly. Nothing settles on the bottom and is all sucked out my overflow. The one problem is sometimes there is buildup on the Koralias that needs to be cleaned. It is cheaper to clean the Koralia's once every two weeks rather than engaging in water changes everyday.

Hope this helps!

 

[bigbris1]

Thanks Dom, I just bought a Whisper 40 so that I can run floss, carbon & Phosguard. Hopefully the added flow will help. At least now when I use the turkey baster it will kick up the crap & the filter can get it.

The food never really gets to settle, as the cleaner shrimp, CBS & hermits get those pieces the fish & coral miss. I heard that fish crap was good for sps. Getting good polyp extension on my green slimer, pink pocillipora, 1 of my 2 acros & the montis.

Just wanted to make sure my sps were OK, the rest of my coral love the nutrients.

 

[Domboski]

Let me know how the whisper works out. I may give it a try down the road on a smaller tank. I used a fluval 404 on a 20 gallon hex I had and that worked out pretty good. I even plumbed the return through a HOB fuge and grew chaeto there.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[bigbris1]

Will do. I had 2 before & used them on my 40L to polish the water, they worked great in the past.

Also had the Fluval 404 on my first 20H reef. I liked it because I had the spray bar on return, but cleaning it was a pain, even with the quick disconnects. The HOB type filters are so much easier to clean, & you don't have to worry about the tubes getting gunked up.