Getting Started

[pledosophy]

I've done a few types of tanks and have always wanted to setup an NPS. I finally have a chance.

I am looking at doing a 34g tank with a 20g sump. The tank is predrilled for a closed loop, so I will run that intermediately as well as a wave maker style powerhead on a low setting.

I picked up a refrigerator with a dosing pump for feedings. I am culturing phyto and pods now, but plan to supplement with a few other foods. Thinking Oyster feast, reef roids, brine shrimp.

I have a couple different skimmers to choose from, a recirculating reef octopus rated for a 135g tank, and a cone style reef octopus rated for a 200g tank. Can you over skim these tanks?

I was thinking of having a very low return so that the water had a longer contact with the filtration for the skimmer and the GFO reactor, letting the CL and the powerhead provide most of the flow. Thought maybe it would be a good way to keep food concentration in the tank a little higher.

The tank will be on a wall with a drain and water line, so I was hoping to setup automated water changes as well.

I plan to carbon dose with vinegar by a peristaltic pump.

I would like to keep:
Tube Anenome
Sun Coral/Dendro
Gorgonia
Sponges
Scallops
Sexy Shrimp
Starfish

I see recommendations for a Copper Banded Butterfly, will my tank be to small? Any other butterfly fish that would be happy?

I would also like to keep the orange spotted filefish, also called a long nose file fish. Any experience with these in this type of tank.

Is it possible to keep a sea apple with the need to keep an aiptasia eating fish?

Any other advice would be great.

Little background on me. I've been in the hobby 14 years. I started by keeping and then breeding seahorses. I still have seahorses but started into reef corals in 04. I currently have a 265g reef "system" with a couple tanks plumbed together. I have also kept macro algae tanks. Just looking for something different and a bit calmer for the bedroom tank.

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[noy]

I am looking at doing a 34g tank with a 20g sump. The tank is predrilled for a closed loop, so I will run that intermediately as well as a wave maker style powerhead on a low setting.

That is a nice size for NPS tank.

I picked up a refrigerator with a dosing pump for feedings. I am culturing phyto and pods now, but plan to supplement with a few other foods. Thinking Oyster feast, reef roids, brine shrimp.

I have always found culturing phyto to be not worth the trouble especially since you can pick up a bottle at the LFS and have it last for a while.

I have a couple different skimmers to choose from, a recirculating reef octopus rated for a 135g tank, and a cone style reef octopus rated for a 200g tank. Can you over skim these tanks?

You can "overskim" in the sense that you are skimming out potential plankton/food from the water column. But if you supplementing regularly that is less of a concern. Those seem like rather large skimmers for a 34 gallon system.

I was thinking of having a very low return so that the water had a longer contact with the filtration for the skimmer and the GFO reactor, letting the CL and the powerhead provide most of the flow. Thought maybe it would be a good way to keep food concentration in the tank a little higher.

Get a DC return pump and plumb a drain off in conjunction and you can tweak all you want. Your return shouldn't be considered part of the flow. The flow through to your GFO reactor can be regulated with a valve from the pump.

I plan to carbon dose with vinegar by a peristaltic pump.

If you carbon dose I would recommend vinegar only - watch for cyano growth. Automated water changes would be great as WC a effective means to keep NO3/PO4 down.

I would like to keep:
Tube Anenome
Sun Coral/Dendro
Gorgonia
Sponges
Scallops
Sexy Shrimp
Starfish

You may want to start with some of the easier photosynthetic gorgs from the Caribbean. Sun/Dendros are fairly easy if you feed regularly. Don't know much about sponges/scallps - never kept them.

I would also like to keep the orange spotted filefish, also called a long nose file fish. Any experience with these in this type of tank.

They have been known to pick polyps off corals esp nps gorgs. I have never been able to keep a CBB long term.

 

[pledosophy]

Thank you

I keep photosynthetic gorgs now, so nps is my next step I guess.

Any recommendations on fish?