quick question about equipment and ph

[sil3ncio]

Hi all, i'm running a 29g FOWLR tank at the moment, expecting to add some coral later on...my question is, do i need a big canister filter if i'm running a hang-on refugium and a skimmer, or can i do with out a the filter? and also how do i raise ph to 8.2 and keep it there....

30" power compact 130w(65w actinic, 65w daylight)
24" hang-on refugium (24w pc light)
150 sea clone skimmer
2 powerheads

1 yellow tang
3 damsels
1 anemone hermit crab
1 spider crab

 

[KathyC]

Without even getting to your question regarding the filter..your tank is 70 gallons too small for a Yellow Tang..and ultimately is way too small for the Damsels also.
I sincerely dislike being so negative, but who sold you these fish for a 29g tank??

What is your current PH reading?
Read this...
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php

 

[sil3ncio]

ph is about 7.8 now, the tank is actually a 29L/40g tank (36"L x 17"H x 12.5"W), don't know if it makes more of a difference, and i'm upgrading to a larger tank when i move, which will be soon. But back to the original question, does the filter matter?

Also what fish do you suggest i have? and what corals?

 

[KathyC]

rodi or tap water?
Do a water change..your PH will come up
Nope..still 60 g short for the tang (sorry)
I wouldn't go out and buy a bigger canister filter (which you shouldn't run on SW reef tank anyway)..invest the $ in a better skimmer.

 

[sil3ncio]

what kind of stock should i have then, fish and coral....

 

[KathyC]

You're getting ahead of yourself..how long has the tank been set up?
When are you moving & what size tank do you plan on upgrading to?
Do you have a rodi unit? (yes, I asked that twice )

You need to have the proper equipment (doesn't need to be top of the line, but it does need to be effective) in order to keep fish & corals that thrive & not just survive.

If you can swing it..see if the Remora Skimmer on this thread is still availble
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/sale-trade/30331-remora-pfo-ballast.html

 

[sil3ncio]

its been running since march this year, no rodi unit, i use tap water that has passed through a water filter and i use conditioners, i know is not great but its what i can do now. Looking to upgrade to at least twice the size i have now, and also getting the rodi unit.

 

[sil3ncio]

 

[KathyC]

Looks like you will have a nice tank there but it will all be so much easier for you if you get more appropriate equipment first
btw - from the dimemsions you provided the tank is 33 gallons. I have the same tank as a sump/fuge on my system.

What 'conditioners' are you using?

The algae you have there is due to using just the tap water filter. Unless you get a rodi you will continue to add phosphates to the tank each time you change the water and your rock & sand are absorbing them and will continue to leech them for a long time to come which will give you continous algae issues.

IMO you should first try and find a used rodi unit..then a better skimmer...and a used Phosban reactor.
Watch our For Sale Thread..these items frequently come up on there.

In the meantime, I would be sure to do weekly water changes of about 20-30%, get some good carbon, rinse it well and put it in a mesh bag in your fuge and change it out every 4 or 5 days (to absorb more of the impurities you have in your water).
You could also use some Mexican Turbo snails & scarlett hermit crabs to eat some of your algae.
Do you have a heater in there? If not, get a 100w submersible one and get it in the tank. The nights are getting cool and you don't want to have temperature fluctuations.

 

[sil3ncio]

I have a heater in there (black thing in the left side) 150w visitherm temperature ussually stays at around 76 to 78 degrees. To condition the tap water i use seachem prime. I also have in the refugium a bag of chemi-pure and phos-zorb. I do have in there one mexican turbo snail, had a couple more in there but a hermit crab killed them for the bigger shells. Also have some smaller snails, the ones that dig into the sand and a few scarlet hermit crabs. I guess i'll buy one of those attack packs at fish town.