17gal Kitchen Counter Reef

[FractalReef]

Awesome tank!! I don't think you'll over skim with the skimmer. I do think however that it will be adding a large amount of micro bubbles that will take away from the perfect tank you have right now. I know how it is when you get an idea and want to try it though. Good luck either way.

 

[FengShuiCorals]

sweet tank, tagging along

 

[rockryno]

thanks guys. I've decided to skim overnight on the day prior to the water change. I'll see how it goes for a few weekends to see if its really necessary, and until I get the new fuge light to get this chaeto growing.

I tried that method last weekend and pulled a good cup full of gunk out of the water, so Im sure its doing something. Plus that chaeto catches so much crap floating in the water, if I move it it releases it all, clouding up the tank.

If I don't see a huge difference, I'll just sell the skimmer.

 

[Jekerry]

Very cool!

 

[jwright0291]

Great, now I want a tank in my kitchen..
Yours looks awesome. What else do you plan to add?

 

[FractalReef]

I like your idea of skimming at night. The amount of detritus that chaeto catches always annoyed me so I usually grow macro algae instead.

 

[rockryno]

Thanks guys! At the rate these are splitting, I may no be adding anything else anytime soon. I now have 14 btas. I was on the lookout for fancier varieties of btas, to mix up the colors a bit, but with some of the brighter ones being $500-$2000, it's not worth it to me yet.

I'll have to start selling the clones to build a "fancy nem" fund...

 

[FractalReef]

If youre ever in the phoenix area youll have to let one of the people around here know. lots of rainbow bubble tips go for between $25-$50 normally.

 

[rockryno]

I had some time today to mess around with the skimmer. Kind of an eyesore, but it's working!

The AC70 and chaeto does nothing but collect detritus, and any slight adjustment clouds the tank. Skimmer seems to be pulling nasty stuff. I'll leave it on overnight. The problem - if I want to go skimmer only, i'll need another tank with different placement on the overflow. Hnmmm....

 

[mndfreeze]

Why not flip the tank around so the equipment is on the inside of the counter so you can stand at the end of the counter and get one more viewpoint into the tank?

 

[homer1475]

Thought this was a SW forum? WTH are FW catfish doing in the first pic? :lolspin:

Seriously though, nice looking tank!

 

[Ohiostreetz]

Sweet tank

 

[hotashes]

Watching- any updates on skimmer placement or five removal?




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[hotashes]

Watching- any updates on skimmer placement or five removal?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Fuge removal


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rockryno]

It's been a while!* I now have 18 nems from splits.* They, unfortunately, have become much more stringy rather than bubbly, but they still have great colors and the clowns love them.* I ditched the skimmer*as i didn't really see any different results with it running, and it was such an eyesore.

 

[sneeyatch]

that overflow idea is awesome - simple. I'm going to do this whenever I get my little cube going again.

Tank looks great btw - nice job, glad you got rid of the skimmer

 

[hotashes]

I've envied this weir idea since seeing this thread. I just can't picture how the surface skim is taken up by the pipe/pump as usually it's submerged somewhat below the water!! I understand the weir will take all the surface water, but once inside the weir how does the surface scum get taken up?

Thanks

A.

 

[sneeyatch]

I've envied this weir idea since seeing this thread. I just can't picture how the surface skim is taken up by the pipe/pump as usually it's submerged somewhat below the water!! I understand the weir will take all the surface water, but once inside the weir how does the surface scum get taken up?

Thanks

A.

The HOB filter does all the work

 

[hotashes]

The HOB filter does all the work

I know to a degree as I have the same filter. It's just the mod I can't understand how the surface skim is drawn below water so the filter can remove from the water column.

As a standard weir just has a down pipe so that's easy for surface scum to drain, but I can't see how this filter enables the surface scum to be removed. Unless the pipe into the water has been modded also

Sorry it's just hard to explain lol

A.

 

[sneeyatch]

I get what you're saying - it's not the most effective way to make sure you're getting surface scum and stuff, but it's a pretty good set-up. as the water overflows into that pipe, it will take the surface scum with it, then instead of it going right into a sump / skimmer set-up it will mix in that tube while the HOB pulls it out.

Better than nothing IMO - I've been killing myself trying to figure out a way to do something like this on my cube because I don't want to drill it or have a sump, and i don't want all kinds of powerheads pointing at the surface either.

I think this is a good set-up - I just want to know if it's quiet or not. I would assume it would be since the water height in that pipe can be adjusted and the flow rate of the HOB is consistent and not really gravity fed.