HOB Only Tanks

This is supposed to read like one of the "real men of genius" adds:

Mr. Sumpless Reefkeeper...

Today, we salute you, Mr. Sumpless Reefkeeper. So much equipment jammed into your glass box that it looks like the Lost Industrial City of Atlantis.

Neptune would be jealous...

Hidden closed loops, Geo skimmer in the sump and a kalk reactor placed neatly under the stand - No Thanks, you'll just hang it on the back. Who needs a fancy schmancy moonlight system, when you have that bright orange beam shooting out of your heater.

Stimulate natural spawnings...

To some, it might be a sight for sore eyes, but hey - that's their problem, because you know that it'll all be covered with coralline anyway.

Mr. Sumpless Reefkeeper...
 
That's a great looking tank!

Thanks, I have been in the game for about 6 years and I went back to my begginer days with this tank, and let me tell you that I love it. members of the local reef club see my tank and ask " thats all you are running?" and with a smile I answer " Yes!".

My next and last addition is a Phosphate reactor with some GFO. I like to over feed so I need something to help lower the nutrients in the tank.
 
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I like these zoas what are they?

After I set up my next project " a seahorse tank"

Then Im going to start a Zoa tank with all kinds of one of a kind zoas
 
I have a small CPR HOB fuge with 5 lbs miracle mud a few 1-2" rocks and the whole thing is full of chaeto. I started it last year in october and installed it on my nanocube 28 in november 09. Since having it, my nitrates, nitrites and phosphates have read 0 to barely readable on API test kits. The only thing I have done since setting it up is adding a little bit of carribsea mud and thin the chaeto. the chaeto gets so dense that it pretty much acts like a floss filter with live critters in it to get rid of excess food. Also I have not done a water change for 6 weeks now and cannot speculate that the fuge and contents has not allowed the tank to crash. It is lit by a JBJ Macro Glo 24w light opposite of the tank lights scheduled by the Apex Controller. The picture is what my wife took less than a week ago. df

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Just curious, why would a care routine be different with a HOB only tank versus a tank with a sump? I have run both (currently only running with sump) and everything is about the same. The only difference I can literally think of is that water change/top off water and dosing gets put into the display in a HOB system and into the sump on a sump system.

If you have the sump set up right it can be a lot easier to do maintenance on the equipment because you have more room. I have two tanks, my reef is set up with a big sump and my FOWLR just has HOB stuff and I have more spills, etc. with the FOWLR. The added water volume is nice because you have more of a margin for error, too.
 
I'll see if I can get some pics up later, I had ran a 20 gallon tall nano with only a AC70 hob filter and a single powerhead for nearly a year with no problems. I did convert to a sump a couple months ago with a HOB overflow box. It helped open up my tank a little and I was able to run a skimmer without it taking up half my tank.
 
i have a 25 gallon tank with CPR bak-pak 2, mj1200, and an extra tetra powerfilter with no media just for flow. 150w MH w/ 2x t5 actinics. custom canopy. no fuge.
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Here is mine.

- 57g Oceanic tank( 36x18x22) mixed reef w/ sps, lps, softies, clams and anemones.
- AquaC Remora HOB skimmer
- Ac70 HOB filter for chemi-pure and phosguard.
- MP10, MP20 and Koralia 1 or 3 switched out as needed.
- 6x39w Tek light fixture.
Ghetto light blocker because I don't have canopy..lol. it works.
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Water Changes usually bi-weekly.
dosing Magnesium, Tech A&B, Lugol's. Added to top of water so a little goes in every other day.
Currently using tap water, but once I get the faucet adaptor in I will be switching over to RO water.
 
I have a 29g with a HOB remora skimmer, it's been running fine for 3 years

I do 10-15% water changes every 2-3 weeks

I run carbon 24/7 in a bag

shallow sand bed - less then 1/2"

pair of mated clowns, bicolor blenny, softies, one lps and a banded coral shrimp and a minimal clean up crew

cheap t5 lighting

the only thing I have ever tested in the tank is salinity

tons of pods, mysis shrimp, micro dusters, chitons, asterina stars, stomilia snails and those little b-b sized snails, sponges etc thrive in the tank

tank gets pellets once a day, no other dosing or additives other then top off water

clowns are breeding, the softies flourish and coraline is plating on the back wall

I'll see if I can find a picture
this tank is my attempt at a minimal effort tank - as I also run a fulll out reef tank with all the bells and whistles
 
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What are you guys using for mechanical filtration? I'm new and need some guidance. My tank is still cycling, 2 months now. I was running my skimmer, refugium, 2 Koralia 1's and 1 Penguin 660 power head. I noticed my water was getting cloudy and a lot of debris was floating around so I threw on my Bio wheel 350 W/O the wheels to try and clear it up. Worked great but the thing is huge and I already have enough crap hanging on the back as it is.
 
you can use your Bio wheel 350 with a bag of carbon till the water clears up then remove the filter. another option is going to wal-mart and buying a small HOB filter the smallest one you can find and run carbon through it all of the time. I run an Eheim ecco canister filter but I clean it every other week because it clogs very quickly.
 
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