FISH ONLY TANK - ??

[Mountfordr]

After much deliberation I have decided to do a fish only tank, due to my space I thought that I would be able to grow some beauties and the variety would be better. I went into my local store who seems really keen on selling me a couple of hundred pounds worth of live rock. It isnt that I dont want the live rock in my tank, but that is just far to expensive for me in one hit, also call me impatient but I would like to spread money between rock and fish:dive:.

He also said not to have media in my powered filter as this would be detrimantal to the tank. Surely if I run my fiter for the obligitory four weeks and add a small amount of rock at a time, adding the odd fish in between this will be ok. I thought the whole idea of the filter was to build up the bacteria that would be in the rock so if you wished you could use normal ocean rock. I am I naive or is this bloke a Pillock!?

Could some one please enlighten me?

Thanks

Rob.:read:

 

[Reefscape]

Hiya Rob, Welcome to forums..

As this is going to be a fish only system, you are going to need to have adeqate machanical filtratuion for the system. Normally, the live rock in an aquarium will provide this for you, but, as your not going down the live rock route, an external hob filter is your only real option. As you mentioned above, yes, people do replace the media with live rock rubble, however, just that alone is not going to be good enough, in my opinion, so your best off sticking with the origional media that comes with the filter. This will provide you with some good surface area for bacteria to colonise on..

One of the reasons people put live rock rubble in their power filters is either as an addition to the existing live rock for filtration, or convert the power filter into a refugium to reduce nitrates and phosphates in the system and to promote copepod growth...

So, your only real option, in my opinion, is to have a power filter and run with the supplied media..

Niko

 

[Mountfordr]

Niko, cheers for that, I take it if I do use the power filter along with the protein skimmer, would it make any difference whether I put live rock in or not. What would the benefits of live rock be if I use a powered filter?
In that case could I just use ocean rock and ornaments to dress my tank?.

Thanks Rob.

 

[Mountfordr]

Niko,

In addition just to clarify. The bloke in the shop was telling me remove all media from the filter, leaving just sponge and wool?, and to buy a large £200 box of live rock to do the job for you ??, would this be a waste of money?

Ta Rob

 

[Reefscape]

All the live rocks will do is provide you with a little filtration, places for the fish to hide, areas of territory...

Nope, would not make any difference...Personally, on a "fish only" system, i always suggest that a protein skimmer is optional. That is down to your personal choice. Yes, its going to aid the system, but not a must have product.

Ocean rocks (boiled) and normal ornaments are fine. Just ensure that when you look at ornaments, they are marine safe.

Niko

 

[Reefscape]

Niko,

In addition just to clarify. The bloke in the shop was telling me remove all media from the filter, leaving just sponge and wool?, and to buy a large £200 box of live rock to do the job for you ??, would this be a waste of money?

Ta Rob

How much live rock were you getting for the £200?

The average ammount you need to provide filtration is 1KG per 2 gallons of tank water..so, example 55 gal tank, you would have roughly 22 - 25KG of live rock. If you have this type of ammount, the external filter is not needed as the rock does that job...

I suggest that the bloke in the shop does not know his filters then. If he is telling you to remove all filter media leaving just the sponge and wool...that does not make sense because the sponge and the wool ARE the filter media..

Niko

 

[OldManOfTheSea]

Welcome to AC, I not see if you mentioned what size tank this is, but from the sounds of it all, the tank couldn't be all that large. In which case if your planning to do this tank as a F/O system, you not need to overcrowd the tank with so much L/R for you will be needing much open swimming space for the fish your in mind to keep.

You also first want to list your tank size and from there going to which fish species you might find ideal to keep in it and in what order you will add the fish to your tank, and if you can manage a small 20 for a QT, this will prove helpful for you. You not would want to add cooper to your main tank, for it would be a long wait before the tank could be normal again as from when you first began.

As our friendly Niko saying on the HOB filters, if you can go with a sump, this would be much better in anything else with a proper skimmer for the tank size you be having. It is however a very long time since I had any HOB objects. Im not knocking them, for some do work better then others. Besides all that, if your tank be smaller then a 65, then in doing a F/O tank, you shouldn't have too much a problem for a good HOB skimmer.

Niko I believe was saying something I think to do with canister filtration that you can have LR as your media with carbon and the carbon you would replace monthly. However when the time comes when this all begins, you not change the carbon and a tank water change at the same time.

Niko, if I miss anything, I not have my reading glasses with me for im at my daughters home doing some 5-6 wash loads of clothes, They really slave drive me over here You also not say when it be that you might be coming down this way. If it were right now, I not have the time at all, LOL

I see on the media and LR comment, yes, it would somewhat make no difference in which he might use.

OK, back to work I go LMBO

Buddy

 

[Reefscape]

You also not say when it be that you might be coming down this way. If it were right now, I not have the time at all, LOL

OK, back to work I go LMBO

Buddy

ha ha ha...slave driving you? rightly so, there is still some work left in your bones Buddy, and yes, i shall contact you to arrange a visit in the very near future my friend...

Niko..

 

[saltie keeper]

I run this same style of setup. Here is what I did, and do for maintenance.

I have a 2 inch deep bed of crushed coral. (I know..it's so bad..yada yada yada). I have some base rock that I made, and about 2 lbs of live rock that i just recently added that was given to me by a friend. The live rock isn't necessary at all. I use a Penguin Bio wheel rated for twice my tank volume..I think that is the key first of all. Use a HOB that is way over rated for your tank. I do not run a protein skimmer. I have a nano setup (10 gallon), and you may find you don't need one either. You will find your tank will cycle very quickly..mine was 5 days using a piece of shrimp. Day 6 I had the diatom blooms start. That was when I added my pair of Blue Leg Hermit Crabs. They have since molted twice. As a side note..keep some extra shells in there for them.

Two weeks in I added a single Humbug Damsel a friend had that needed a temp home. He stayed for about 3 months..then went back home to a new tank. I now have a firefish and a Oc. clown in the tank, the two hermits, and am adding a turbo snail this weekend. You do need rock..something for them to hide, sleep in etc. Personally I would add a couple of pounds of live to a bunch of base, and let it spread. It will do so naturally and you won't have any mini cycles from die off that way. I do 10% water changes (with walmart RO water) monthly, and I vac the CC at the same time. I replace the filter cartridge monthly, and I always use the ones with carbon in them. I use a pair of PC 10 watt t5/6000k bulbs in a standard hood. I keep my temps between 76 and 80 depending.

Now I do alot of things "wrong". I use CC, I don't skim, I tend to overfeed, I use a biowheel, I have inverts in a FO tank, temp swings etc. The list of things I do "wrong"..well it's long. My setup only cost me about $200..then again it's only a ten. That said..my animals are happy. My clown will eat out of my hand..literally. My firefish and clown sleep together, and share a hole under my homemade rock, best of friends. My Crabs molt all the time, and have doubled in size. My tank survived a 2 day power outage. The key is testing your water, and doing your maintenance. Period. Almost any gear can work..if you do your part. I think sometimes people get to caught up in what to buy, what to use..and forget that without us as keepers..any setup will fail. Don't add anything to your tank for chemicals unless you test for it. Add livestock that is compatible, and slowly. Acclimate them as best you can. And do what works for you..not what someone thinks is right. And do your maintenance. If you need any more help..PM me. Be glad to help with this type of setup.

Saltie Keeper

 

[SHK_ATK]

ha ha ha...slave driving you? rightly so, there is still some work left in your bones Buddy, and yes, i shall contact you to arrange a visit in the very near future my friend...

Niko..

woot Andy is comming to the states??!!:bday: