SW switch

[Muske]

Thinking of converting my 110 FW to a FOWLR with a couple of softies and inverts (shrimps, snails, hermets etc.)

Currently running a wet/dry w/Mag 12 (have several Koriala's laying around) and a 48" PC fixture. Needing to get new bulbs (4) and unsure to get days, 50/50, or Actinics and Days. I plan on running LED's for night cycle, or LED's for everything, but that would blow my rock budget. I also have a regular 48" flour that i could throw Actinics in to run during the day and have more day type PC bulbs.

Do I need a skimmer?
Is all PC's plenty for good coraline growth and a few shrooms, a colt or leather and anemone or two? Will probably throw some GSP since a buddy of mine has carpets of them.

Water changes are not a problem, and was hoping to do away with getting a skimmer for now or forever since my tank in a flat backed hex and does not allow for much gear under it. Will be doing a small DIY fuge after I have things running for a while to feed extra algae to the fish and help with water quality.

Thanks in advance, and sorry for all the Q's.

SW has changed a lot since my old SW days in the early 90's....

 

[BigCountry]

since you do not have room for a skimmer, why don't you set up an algae scrubber in your fuge?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1977420

basically it grows algae (removing excess nitrates and phosphates) on the screen. they are very easy to make. I made one this weeking for 40+- dollars. 19 dollar waterfall pond pump at Lowes, coupled with some pvp and the screen. 8 dollars the CF flood bulb and 12 dollars for the light fixture.

you will need to keep nitrates under 10ppm and phosphates out of the water for coral and anemones to grow.

your PC fixture should be good enough light for soft coral (LPS) and anemones. just get some new and fresh bulbs. use the money on rock for now versus light fixture upgrade. rock is very important, it's the backbone of these tanks.

 

[Otherone]

If your going to do any coral or anemone that photo feeds symbiotically with zooxanthellae algae you'll want a stronger lighting system (which is just about all of them) - LED's, Metal Halide, VHO, or T5HO. I'd also highly recommend a skimmer with corals and anemones - fuges and scrubbers aren't going to remove dissolved solids @ rates up to 750 to 1400 gal per hour depending on the skimmer pump. Po4 isn't a real issue with softies and anemones as it prohibits calcium uptake, more a concern with calcium skeleton corals. However high phosphates usually walk hand in hand with high nitrates. Long term exposure to high nitrate can be piosonous. Nitrate and Po4 are more an obnoxoius algae issue. If you can afford large volume w/c's it might help with this issue w/ no skimmer however large volume w/c's can be detrimental to corals and anemones. Removing 50% of the water a week removes 50% of their food in the water column - planktons, bacteria, and zooxanthallae. Corals also need stability, large volume changes can throw off PH, Temp, and other things. I'd recommend using a 50-50 combo with bulbs - deep penetration from Blues, strong intensity from whites.

 

[Muske]

I do have a 150 watt HQI in the hood of one of my Nanos that I don't use that could retro into some fashion for the center of main tank, but didnt really want to since I turned the old canopy into firewood last year. I could build a new canopy, but it will make the tank to tall for easy maintenace which is why I chucked the old one. I don't mind the low profile look of my PC's sitting on top of the tank. I do have other strip lights that could be used to house some LED's which I am now leaning towards for some more lighting?

Could I a run a Skimmer part-time? IE one week on, one week off. A hang on model on my sump could work in my stand and still have room for other stuff that I like to keep out of sight.

Water changes will only be 10% or so weekly. No room in my little house for RO unit or storage, I will be buying water from my LFS.