So I now have a 28G JBJ nano cube sitting in my basement waiting for me to find a home for it, so I'm trying to plan everything out the best I can before I start. My plan is to have argonite as a base and between 25-30lbs of live rock. I might start with much of that base and seed it with just a little live to save $$ but that depends on what I can find. My plan is on once the rock is cycled to add a CuC and then start slowly introducing fish and eventually corals. I know I can only mostly keep softies and a few LPS cause the lighting is only 105W for 28g, but I want to be able to add as much coral as I can eventually keep. What I and to know for planning purposes is should I start off with a good skimmer and the stock media included in the basket or turn the basket into a fuge with cheeato, or try to have both ready when I start. For the purpose of cycling with rock and then just having a few fish which would be more beneficial? Eventually I know I'll need a skimmer, phosphate reactor, chiller, and all that good stuff, but for starting out what is the most important and which should I focus on? Would it do me any good to run a fuge and a cheap $40 air driven skimmer, or are those skimmers worthless and should I just save up for a hob-1 that will be more than efficient enough for anything I try to throw at it? Any advice or help is well appreciated.
Skimmer of Fuge
- Thread starter Inglorious
- Start date
I would focus on live rock, IMO that is the most important part of a marine aquarium.
Also you need to know which direction you want to go with the tank.
Sent from my iPod touch using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Also you need to know which direction you want to go with the tank.
Sent from my iPod touch using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Since you are in the planning stage, explore algae scrubbers. I've been using them for years. They take a lot of the work out of the up keep.
http://algaescrubber.net/forums/
http://algaescrubber.net/forums/
If I was going to run a sump then I would definitely incorporate an algae scrubber into it, but since this will be in a all-in-one unit I won't have room for one until I start doing major modifications to it. Doesn't having cheato in a refugeum basically serve the same purpose as an algae scrubber anyways?
You might also want to research "carbon dosing". Carbon dosing via a dosing pump and a skimmer - if done right is probably one of the most powerful weapons in the saltwater arsenal.
There are advantage and disadvantages to having a algae scrubber though.
Generally speaking in purely skimmer vs fuge...skimmer wins hands down.
There are advantage and disadvantages to having a algae scrubber though.
Generally speaking in purely skimmer vs fuge...skimmer wins hands down.
They do 2 different things - skimmers remove dissolved solids, Flora fuges remove phosphates, co2., and nitrogenous gases. Algae scrubbers the same as fuges but is a refuge for micro algaes not macro algae like cheato - both reguire lighting
You can use chemical reactors and media to achieve the same thing as the flora. With a new set up and limited experience the skimmer is better - 2 years from now when the tank has matured and your experience has grown things can be different.
You can use chemical reactors and media to achieve the same thing as the flora. With a new set up and limited experience the skimmer is better - 2 years from now when the tank has matured and your experience has grown things can be different.