Skimmer or No Skimmer

[monty2302]

Just ordered my new tank 54"x28"x28".

I have bought 40lbs of miracle mud.

Fish stock

12 barltet anthias
1 multi colour angel
1 purple tang
All sps

Equipment
phosphate reactor
calcium reactor a
kalk stirer


I also have an aqua medic short skimmer, should i put this on aswell, due to the amount of fish, or would you leave it off because of the amount of miracle mud i have

Thanks Alex

[Cranners]

I would assume that you wouldnt be putting all the fish in at once.....

so I would gradually stock your fish over several months after the cycling has finished. If you take your time and stock slowly you will mature the algae bed in relation the numbers of fish within the system.

Keeping an eye on parameters as you go - with regular harvesting of the algae this will remove nutrients etc

I would suggest that the skimmer is a possible back up if anything goes wrong

J

[monty2302]

TBH mate, i would be throwing all the fish in at once.

I hm just downgrading, so using the same water, rock etc

Just Transferring to a different tank.

Got loads of algae for the in the exsisting sump.

Would this be a probem

[Sanj]

28" is this for 'getting through the door considerations'?

I have just ordered a 32”x27”x27”. I wanted go 28" but i think it would be a squeeze because of the cabinet is lightly wider than the aquarium. :(

Im kind of asking the same question except I am starting from new. In your case though I would have thought the use of the skimmer for at least for a few months would be prudent. The reason being that while you are introducing mature media – live rock, sand etc, your algae will still have to establish itself in the new mud bed albeit it might not take long. Are you using caulerpa?

Not saying it would not work without a skimmer, just appears to me to be a safer route.

[jimmyb]

what are you using to filter your system at the moment? you have to take into account the mud bed isnt going to be doing anything at all when its first set up, it will prob take a good few months before its active enough to support all those fish on its own. you will have to use the skimmer to support the system in the mean time then maybe cut the hours you have on a day week by week until the mud bed is mature enough to cope with the full load of waste from the fish.

jimmy

[Cranners]

Okay

set up the system as you would normally with the live rock and skimming to deal with the waste load. Hook up the mud filter and do as jimmy said reduce the amount of skimming to mature the algae filter. I would say that the algae once it gets going will need to be harvested regularly to remove the nutrients which is what the skimmer did - with reasonable water changes you should with luck get the system up and runnign dealing with the bioload.

Reduce your feeding regime to help and leave the skimmer on over night perhaps?

J

[Cranners]

If you can set up the other tank and leave that running for a few weeks - water changes with your tank water etc to mature the mud filter and then gradually introduce the fish over that would be the long winded way of doing it.

J

[monty2302]

HMMMMM thanks for you reply. Atm i have the equipment lested before, the skimmer, and a deep sand bed, with a mixture of calurpera and cheato.

[jars104]

I would go skimmer less. I think it's a great method and, same as most, find it hard to let go of the skimmer. I did so on one of my tanks and the coral and fish health was amazing. If you take a look on the ecosystem site there's vids on it all. Very interesting.

HTH

Bill

[Frogfone]

there is no reason why you cant have that stock in that sized tank with sps corals as well. I assume you are planning to add more stock later as well? I would add another 3-4 fish, small wrasses, goby or blenny(or both) and a dottyback.

I would not add them all in one go however unless you absolutly have to as the nitrates will spike. run both tanks side by side for a few months if you can.

have a look at our tank of the month thread March 2008 it's running almost exactly the same setup as you are planning but a bit smaller.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?t=238924

On the skimmer either go full ecosystem or buy a skimmer that's rated for the tank. any skimmer no matter how small interupts the natural process of an ecosystem by removing essential zooplankton etc. However stick the skimmer in a cupboard somewhere just in case.

Roddy

[Cranners]

there is no reason why you cant have that stock in that sized tank with sps corals as well. I assume you are planning to add more stock later as well? I would add another 3-4 fish, small wrasses, goby or blenny(or both) and a dottyback.

I would not add them all in one go however unless you absolutly have to as the nitrates will spike. run both tanks side by side for a few months if you can.

have a look at our tank of the month thread March 2008 it's running almost exactly the same setup as you are planning but a bit smaller.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?t=238924

On the skimmer either go full ecosystem or buy a skimmer that's rated for the tank. any skimmer no matter how small interupts the natural process of an ecosystem by removing essential zooplankton etc. However stick the skimmer in a cupboard somewhere just in case.

Roddy

:applause: good advice there - are you going to take up the challenge thats the question.....