Running without a skimmer, re 47g

[Gdbyrd]

Due to the location of my tank(being in a corner), and the bottom glass being undrillable(tempered)..I'm setting up this tank to run without a skimmer.

I know, it sucks. But it's the only option I have if I want to keep this thing in my living room. Otherwise it's going to be hidden away in some room.

The tank is a 47g tall Marineland. I currently have a little over 150 lbs of LR in the tank, I'll supply a picture after I finish aquascaping. It's curing right now, I have my coral and some fish in another tank hanging.

I've been reading about how this can work, and it's a natural balance. You use nutrient exports like cheato and calpera, along with pretty stuff like sponges, clams, and xenia for extra nutrient export...this combined with a low bioload, and weekly water changes 10-15%..it should balance itself out.

For current livestock, I have: 2 clowns, 3 damsels, and a coral beauty. Plus a red brittle star. Corals include, frogspawn, button polyps, zoas, green tree coral, two different forms of xenia, and a whole bunch of mushrooms. Plus a squamosa clam.

I have a 150w hqi metal halide I'm gonna be topping this tank with. I'm going to do a lot of the lower light stuff so I hope I'm going the right way with this.

If I can I might be trading in a few of those damsels while they're easy to catch. But I wanted to ask you guys for any advice you might have for me while I'm setting this up. Do you have any recommendations towards livestock or anything else I should look into?

Thanks and pictures will follow after I get the rock finalized. I'll start this over here so I won't have all my questions spread out. Thanks again!

 

[little_fish]

I would suggest and algae scrubber, from everything ive read they are better than a skimmer, and you can build one for under $100 and you can do it in a 5 gal bucket. There is an awesome sticky on this in the DIY section.

Also damsels are NEVER easy to get out. I did this myself a week ago and i had to take out every single rock in my aquarium. However for livestock suggestions there are a lot of really nice reef safe wrassies, and gobies are also very popular.

 

[Gdbyrd]

I would suggest and algae scrubber, from everything ive read they are better than a skimmer, and you can build one for under $100 and you can do it in a 5 gal bucket. There is an awesome sticky on this in the DIY section.

Also damsels are NEVER easy to get out. I did this myself a week ago and i had to take out every single rock in my aquarium. However for livestock suggestions there are a lot of really nice reef safe wrassies, and gobies are also very popular.

Sadly I have no holes drilled in my tank, and I couldn't do an external overflow where I have the tank right now. So it's not a possibility :*( But I've read the same as you on that.

The damsel issue is PERFECT! They're in a small tank with all my coral. So I can take all the rock out..then all the good fish out..then get them while I can! I can't decided if I should keep one or two or not. They're very pretty and they're super hardy.

 

[Ulta]

Also damsels are NEVER easy to get out. I did this myself a week ago and i had to take out every single rock in my aquarium. However for livestock suggestions there are a lot of really nice reef safe wrassies, and gobies are also very popular.

I cought mine one time just b/c he was being a jerk and I put him in time-out(Specimen container) =P
Its easy Just scoop em with a net after feeding them some pellets or anything else that floats on the surface :mrgreen:

 

[little_fish]

Mine would run for the rocks the second i put the net in. But also remember that you may have a very hard time introducing new fish because the damsels have their territory. There are so things you can do, like rearrange the rocks or keep the lights off for a few days but its not always a guarantee and i think several members have had fish bullied to death by them

 

[Gdbyrd]

Just a small update. Let the tank settle and rearranged some things. I waited about a week or so, checked and all levels were at 0. So I went ahead and added my coral and 3 small fish. I stuck with the coral beauty, 1 clownfish, and I have this one little yellow/purple fish I got from my dad when he took his tank down. They're all tiny, under 2 inches each.

Anyhow, on with the pics.

 

[Gdbyrd]

I'd really like some suggestions on where to go with this tank. I'd like to focus on stuff that does better in slightly dirty water. Also looking for suggestions on fish.

Right now I'm running two 65w pc lights over the tank. Still waiting to get that 150w mh.

 

[little_fish]

I dont have any fish suggestions but i love your aquascaping, but i cation you about rock slides. Hopefully those rocks are lashed down and sitting on the glass not the sand.

 

[Gdbyrd]

I dont have any fish suggestions but i love your aquascaping, but i cation you about rock slides. Hopefully those rocks are lashed down and sitting on the glass not the sand.

Thanks! And yeah, I made the bottom solid before adding sand. All of the rocks are solid. I shook the hell out of them and they will not move. There are a few smaller rocks that need to be epoxied down, but I'm not 100% sure I like them staying there. So that'll have to wait.

 

[Adrastos]

I think many people forget. that you don't need all of the the fancy gadgets and gizmos running. I think many people over-do their tank filtration setups.

If you have enough life rock and you have the proper enviornment (lighting, waterflow) you do not need anything more than a pump to circulate the water.

 

[Bifferwine]

I have been running my 90 skimmerless since May or so. My skimmer pump keeps the water too warm in the summer, so I'm just keeping it unplugged until the weather cools down. My tank has been fine. And I haven't even been doing water changes. :shock:

 

[Gdbyrd]

I have been running my 90 skimmerless since May or so. My skimmer pump keeps the water too warm in the summer, so I'm just keeping it unplugged until the weather cools down. My tank has been fine. And I haven't even been doing water changes. :shock:

You're a bad girl Biff!

Alright, well that makes me feel a lot better. I think I'm going to order some macroalgae for the tank tonight. I'm not sure what to get though. I know culpera is very invasive, but I know not all are as bad as others. I just want some color, movement, and nutrient export in the tank and I think this is the best way to do it. Any suggestions?

 

[Bifferwine]

You don't want caulerpa. You want chaeto!

https://www.livingreefs.com/chaeto-you-want-t24752.html

 

[Ulta]

Sorry I don't have any advise on what your asking about.

But if you get to the point that you are looking for better filtration I can throw 2 ideas at you:
- You can set up a small (Specimen container sized) refugium box(on the inside rim of your tank) and grow macro algae in there with some sand/mud in the bottom with slits on the top to allow water in/out. (This would also create a great place to grow pods). But might be too visually impairing :dunno:
- Or hang a bag of carbon or something in the tank to filter out most of the bad nutrients. (Replacing the carbon Monthly)

But like Adrastos said, you don't need that much filtration usually.

 

[reeffreak]

You're a bad girl Biff!

Alright, well that makes me feel a lot better. I think I'm going to order some macroalgae for the tank tonight. I'm not sure what to get though. I know culpera is very invasive, but I know not all are as bad as others. I just want some color, movement, and nutrient export in the tank and I think this is the best way to do it. Any suggestions?

I recommend chaeto if you have a fuge.If not,chaeto isn't very pretty in a display tank.Try some shaving brush and red kelp,both need more light then chaeto,at least moderate lighting.

Marine Plants: Saltwater Plants, Aquarium Marine Algae and Turtle Grass

 

[little_fish]

Those both are really hard to grow in the typical aquarium and im not really sure why, but many people dont have great success with them

I personally just order the two below for my tank. They both arent as bad as some capulara species, but they look nice and grow well in the typical aquarium. The seller also has the best prices around.

<head> <title>Macro Algae : Your Source For Quality Marine Plants and Macroalgae

<head> <title>Macro Algae : Your Source For Quality Marine Plants and Macroalgae


ill try and post some pics of them later, i just got them and havent had a chance to photograph them

 

[sen5241b]

I have run skimmerless for about a year and I rely on other methods to keep 'trates low. Skimmer use has been studied and found that they don't redcue 'trates a whole lot.

 

[Gdbyrd]

I have run skimmerless for about a year and I rely on other methods to keep 'trates low. Skimmer use has been studied and found that they don't redcue 'trates a whole lot.

Aside from frequent water changes what else do you use for reducing nitrates? I'm going to do a 5g water change(tank is a 47g, but there's about 150lbs of LR in there), so I figure that should be at least 15% weekly.

 

[Gdbyrd]

Those both are really hard to grow in the typical aquarium and im not really sure why, but many people dont have great success with them

I personally just order the two below for my tank. They both arent as bad as some capulara species, but they look nice and grow well in the typical aquarium. The seller also has the best prices around.

<head> <title>Macro Algae : Your Source For Quality Marine Plants and Macroalgae

<head> <title>Macro Algae : Your Source For Quality Marine Plants and Macroalgae


ill try and post some pics of them later, i just got them and havent had a chance to photograph them

I've ordered from them before. I also really like codium but I'm not sure how well that'd do. Please post a pic up of your tank when you get a chance, love to see what it looks like under water.

 

[little_fish]

The seahorses really love this stuff

I forgot to get a pic of the banana stuff, so its kinda out of focus in this pic. Im leaving for Portland for a few days, ill post a better pic of this stuff when i get back.