FW Convert with Questions! AIO Startup

[tjr]

Hi All,

I've been in the freshwater hobby for the past 15 and finally decided to take the jump into salt!

I purchased the 32 G Coralife Biocube to start. So you guys can get an idea what my plans are, I'm looking to stock it with a couple Ocellaris, a Banggai cardinal, and a Firefish, followed by some "beginner" corals (more on that another time). Just looking for suggestions in areas that I'm still not quite sure on after about a year of research. Here's what I'm thinking in terms of equipment:

Rock: CaribSea Life Rock (40 lbs)
Sand: CaribSea Arag-Alive (20 lbs)
Salt: Instant Ocean
RO/DI: AquaticLife 4 Stage 100 GPD
Pump: Hydor Koralia Nano 565

My main holdup at this point is the filtration system. What do you guys recommend for a system such as mine? I'm looking for something that is sustainable, effective, and relatively easy to maintain. I see that some people use filter floss and replace it every other day or so, any alternative to that? I'm leaning towards a sponge along with a media reactor in the second chamber. If you suggest a reactor, which type would you recommend?

Please feel free to comment on any of my other points as well, or offer any advice in general!

 

[mcgyvr]

In such a small tank I would recommend you rely on the bacterial colonies in the rock/sand and water changes to do all the work..
I would avoid mechanical filtration and reactors..
Rely on a 20% water change every 2 weeks (or 10% a week) and you should be good to go..

Welcome to the hobby.. (well the salt side of it anyways)

 

[thegrun]

I agree, sponges or floss are fine if you are willing to change or clean them every three days, if you don’t they can actually be worse than nothing st all. I’ve had better luck with small systems like yours if I tried to stay with weekly 10-15% water changes, the tanks did better than with every other week changes.

 

[Jesterrace]

In such a small tank I would recommend you rely on the bacterial colonies in the rock/sand and water changes to do all the work..
I would avoid mechanical filtration and reactors..
Rely on a 20% water change every 2 weeks (or 10% a week) and you should be good to go..

Welcome to the hobby.. (well the salt side of it anyways)

Agreed. You can try and spend all kinds of money on various filtration to merely postpone water changes by a few days, or you can simply accept it as a fact of life and enjoy less hassle and cost in the long run. I would recommend weekly changes.

@ the OP your stock sounds good for a 32 Biocube. Just be aware that 40lbs is going to pack that tank. I had 40lbs of it in my 36 gallon bowfront and it was tough to keep it off the glass and stacked in a way that wouldn't cause problems. You might need to go in the 30-35lb range.

 

[tjr]

Thanks for your help!

My plan is to do a weekly 20% water change unless water parameters require something more substantial or frequent. The Life Rock is sold in 20 pound increments, so I'm going to have to buy the 40 pound pack and use about 30 in the display. The extra will be added to the filtration compartment to have more surface area for bacteria to harvest.

What are your thoughts on chemical filtration for a nano reef? I've had plenty of successful planted aquariums without the use of carbon, etc. Additionally, I see that a lot of people get away without using a protein skimmer in nano reefs, is that right?

 

[homer1475]

Only because nano skimmers are mostly junk(not large enough to have enough contact time for the bubbles to attract DOC's). There are some HOB options that work well, but look like carp in the biocube with the top on. One that does work fairly well and will fit in the biocube is the Aquaticlife 115. Best part is it's fairly cheap.


Chemical filtration is a matter of choice. Some of us run carbon 24/7, some of us don't use it at all, personal choice. With the caveat that if you have softies, carbon helps with the chemical warfare.

If you scroll down the main page some, you'll find the nano section. Plenty of biocube build threads down there to get some ideas from.