buddy needs help, i want to hear your 2 cents...

[ryangrieder]

my buddy is soon setting up a 36g corner tank. just broke down his fresh and ready for salt. he does not have any room for a sump. so, what is your opinion for filter and skimmer. thing is, he is picky. he does not want to have a bunch of things hanging off the side of his tank. he wants it to look nice. he really likes the skilter filter style, with the skimmer built in to the hang on filter. i dont have any experience with those so i cannot tell him if thats a good idea or not. he likes it because it is space saving, and would be one less thing hanging off the side of the tank. his other option was a hang on bio wheel, and then buy a hang on skimmer for the othe side of the corner tank. im sure that is a better idea, but the thing is, he said if he gets into the hobby, he is going to upgrade, and do a sump and all, so he could do a nice size skimmer and reactor and whatever. so, he does not really want to buy a small skimmer, then in a few months have to buy another ya know. so, what should he do...

do you think it would be better to run a hang on filter and no skimmer? if so, what hang on? biowheel was always my favorite.
or more of a skilter filter style? skilter filter a good filter? or is there better ones?

 

[marrone]

I would buy one of the Remora Skimmers, you can probably find a used one pretty cheap. it's a better skimmer than what you mention above. As for a hang on filter, he could get an Emperor filter, as it has a bio wheel, or even a hang on Refug.

 

[ryangrieder]

for skimmer, thats ecactly what i reccomended, but he said he did not like that he has to have the pump just hanging in the tank. it would look stupid. i told him in sure some LR would block it, but he was like ehhhhh. and the emperor is the one i was speeking of. the one with the little jets behind the bio wheel.

 

[afernandez]

My honest .2 -

If he's going to up grade in a few months why not just wait ( I know it's tuff & easier said than done) And that way he wont have to change everything again and have to buy more equipment.

OR

Just get the bigger tank noe if possible.. And just take time to read and get the funds to set it up the way he really wants. I'm sure u will guide him thruw

Those are my .2

Also advise him to get quality stuff that way he won't have to deal with buying things over & over.

 

[ryangrieder]

money is not really the big problem, its more of if he wants to get into the hobby or not. this set up is going to be for his daughter in her room, so it wants it easy but looks clean. then, if he gets into the hobby and likes it, he will go all out. more of since the stupid tank is a corner tank, nothing fits or works right, but he loves how its a corner tank, so i could not talk him out of it lol.

 

[afernandez]

:lol2: ohh I C. Hummmm that sucks

I'll be back ..I'm going to go think of a master plan

 

[tentacles]

for skimmer, thats ecactly what i reccomended, but he said he did not like that he has to have the pump just hanging in the tank. it would look stupid. i told him in sure some LR would block it, but he was like ehhhhh.

He could paint the back of the tank so that you wouldn't really see it. I would definitely go with the skimmer over the filter though.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

He could always sell off the 36 corber and get a new/used cube to fit the same space. The problem I see is if he tries to limit his equipment in order to make it look nice now, he won't want to upgrade and actually get a viable tank. Most of the people who end up leaving the hobby out of frustration (in my experience) never set the tank up properly for any number of reasons and then became overwhelmed with the problems that followed.

The other option is to get a nano for his daughter and start there. They are all inclusive and you have all your basic needs. If he feels like spending a few hours online he could easily find a number of simple DIY upgrades for whatever tank he gets.

Once you start cutting corners to fit difficult criteria you invite problems.

 

[albano]

My honest .2 *

If he's going to up grade in a few months why not just wait ( I know it's tuff & easier said than done) And that way he wont have to change everything again and have to buy more equipment.

+1...if he does enough water changes and doesn't overstock/overfeed, he doesn't need a skimmer, yet. Wait till he figures out, what he really wants to do.


*BTW .2 is 20 cents, Ryan owes you 18 cents change!

.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

I think Ryan is saying the smaller tank is a test run and if his friend likes it he'll upgrade to a larger well equipped tank.

 

[ryangrieder]

thanks. yeah, i think im going to have to just make him go with the skimmer... on convince him that even though corner tanks are cool, they are a head ache for saltwater. i was just unsure on the whole skilter filter. never used one. is there a reason why they are garbage or has no one owned one?

+1...if he does enough water changes and doesn't overstock/overfeed, he doesn't need a skimmer, yet. Wait till he figures out, what he really wants to do.


*BTW .2 is 20 cents, Ryan owes you 18 cents change!

.

uh ohh... ok whats paypal address? lol

 

[ryangrieder]

I think Ryan is saying the smaller tank is a test run and if his friend likes it he'll upgrade to a larger well equipped tank.

yyyyuuup lol. thats exactly what he told me... even though money is not a big issue, he does not want to waste it. cause if he sets up the corner, and wants to upgrade. he will upgrade, and keep the corner running. so no waist

 

[lfsmarineguy]

If I had the choice of using a skilter or drawing a picture of a skimmer and hanging it on the tank, the actual skilter would win only slightly. From the sound of what he is looking for I think selling the 36 and getting a nano even if it is smaller would fit the requirements better. I don't know what his skill level or husbandry is like, but if he is up for the extra work than stick with the 36.

If he is planning on upgrading and the new tank isn't going to be that much larger I would size the equipment for the new tank so he doesn't have to buy everything twice.

 

[ryangrieder]

i just spoke to him about getting a new tank to start, and he agreed, but told his little girl, and **** flipped a s###. she is 10 and got all upset because she wants it in the corner and blah blah blah. so he said the corner is staying. so, i think what i got him to do is go with the remora skimmer, and maybe a hang on biowheel. then all we will do it extend the pipe a bit further into the tank so you will not see the rock. does anyone know if the remora bubbles alot back into the tank?

all thats going into the corner is a pair of purcs, NO hippo i told him lol, maybe a firefish, damsel, and a fairy wrasse and a starfish. 30 pounds of rock. thats it. maybe a goby too...

when he upgrades, he said nothing smaller then a 100g.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Go with a HOT with 2 biowheels so you have more room, then get rid of the wheels. Fill one side with rock rubble and the other should have the flat case for carbon and another slot for something else. Biowheels can increase the nitrates over time, plus with all the biological in a saltwater tank with rock they aren't going to contribute much anyway.

 

[jerl77]

i would tell him the best i can think of
dont listen to ryan lmfao:banghead::Blurp::happysad::fight2::type::inlove::smokin::bunnies::bunnies::bunnies::screama:

 

[mbg75]

CPR makes a hang on skimmer/fuge combo. Then its only 1 pump in the tank

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