Small, but it works

[duggy]

Okay. I've got a 35 gallon tank. I have about 25 lbs of live rock, mostly Fiji. I have a Ocellaris clownfish, a Valentini puffer, a number of hermit crabs, and a number of snails. I also seem to have a small spider crab that hitched along with some live rock, and a few bristleworms. I am using a Prizm skimmer and a Millennium 2000 filter. I just got a Coralife 50/50 96 watt light.
We would like to start a sump system for the tank, and replace the 2 tank-side filters. What is the best way to do this? Should we get an all-in-one from the LFS, or build our own with a tank or bucket?

The tank is well established, having run continuously for over about 2 years. We previously had cichlids, so we are really enjoying the reef aquarium a lot more.

duggy

 

[IslandCrow]

I would definitely suggest building your own sump. If you can even spell do it yourself, I'd say you're qualified. I'd go with a second hand tank over a rubermaid container, but that's just because I find the actual tanks easier to work with. From there, all you need to do is install baffles (well, you don't have to, but it's a good idea), which is as simple as cutting some acrylic sheets to size and securing them with silicon. GE type I silicon is what most people use. Just make sure it doesn't have any anti-mold chemicals.

A few other comments. . .you may want to eventually get a little more rock. 1 pound per gallon is usually considered the minimum. I'd also definitely get rid of the filters. The rock is your biological filter, and the skimmer is your mechanical. You really don't need anything else unless you chose to run carbon for some chemical filtration. When you say your tank has run continuously for 2 years, are you counting the time you used it for cichlids? I only ask because it looks far too "clean" for a two year old tank, and I don't want to advise you to remove the filters quite yet if your tank hasn't established a good host of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria in your rocks and sand.

 

[duggy]

Thanks for the reply. I think the reason it looks so clean is we were using a low wattage light. We bought a 96 watt 50/50 last week, and everything went brown :? so now it is acting like a new tank. Unfortunate for the snails and crabs, and I hope the puffer and clown
We will certainly look into a DIY solution for the sump.

Thanks