Nice looking tank.
I am nnot a big fan of the "live sand in a bag" that you can buy off a shelf at the local aquarium shop. YOu don't buy fish that have been in a bag for weeks or months sitting on a shelf so why would you buy any other living organism that way. I would use oolitic / aragonit sand & gravel and buy a few cups of either sand out of a healthy established reef tank or order in a few pounds of wild collected live sand. THis works real well. I agree that there are better skimmers than the red sea berlin but it's really hard to beat for the price. I have them on many of my systems and am very happy with them. Besides, with the live rock and live sand methos, you don't want or need an overlt efficient protien skimmer, espcially if your going to have live corals in the future. The will remove stuff you want left in the water.
Side note, that trigger, as cool as it is, need to go. It will start killing and eating it's tank mates sooner or later. YOur shrimp is very high on the list of causalties. Now is the time to get him out before it gose on a killing spree and before you get your tank all set up. YOu may have to remove everything to catch 'em.
Joel
I am nnot a big fan of the "live sand in a bag" that you can buy off a shelf at the local aquarium shop. YOu don't buy fish that have been in a bag for weeks or months sitting on a shelf so why would you buy any other living organism that way. I would use oolitic / aragonit sand & gravel and buy a few cups of either sand out of a healthy established reef tank or order in a few pounds of wild collected live sand. THis works real well. I agree that there are better skimmers than the red sea berlin but it's really hard to beat for the price. I have them on many of my systems and am very happy with them. Besides, with the live rock and live sand methos, you don't want or need an overlt efficient protien skimmer, espcially if your going to have live corals in the future. The will remove stuff you want left in the water.
Side note, that trigger, as cool as it is, need to go. It will start killing and eating it's tank mates sooner or later. YOur shrimp is very high on the list of causalties. Now is the time to get him out before it gose on a killing spree and before you get your tank all set up. YOu may have to remove everything to catch 'em.
Joel
