HOB Only Tanks

[Reef Shepherd]

I've got some work to do to get my tank even close to that....

I think my first step is getting a HOB w/skimmers on the tank to help control some slime I'm having now. I hardly have anything in the tank. Only two fish about 5 inches combined (a flame and a 6 line), 7 nassarius snails, and two cleaner shrimp. How many inches do you have in your 60? I like your mix of fish as well.

 

[ocellaris123]

I've got some work to do to get my tank even close to that....

I think my first step is getting a HOB w/skimmers on the tank to help control some slime I'm having now. I hardly have anything in the tank. Only two fish about 5 inches combined (a flame and a 6 line), 7 nassarius snails, and two cleaner shrimp. How many inches do you have in your 60? I like your mix of fish as well.

The tank inhabitants were all sold, as I am moving soon which gives me the opportunity to redo the tank. I'm not sure what you mean by inches, but the tank is 48 inches long, but if you mean inches as in fish, I'm not sure, but I kept a fairly heavy bioload with around 13 medium to small fish in the tank. Inches isn't necessarily the best way to go about when stocking a tank, as many factors come into play when determining bioload.

 

[89Foxbody]

Nothin really special.

Equipment's in my sig.

This is an old pic, the caulerpa is gone now and I added another 5 lbs of rock or so, as well as a couple of corals. Everyone seems really happy though. I'm upgrading to an Emperor 400 filter and getting an AquaClear 70 to set up a fuge, as well as a Phosban 150 reactor. I don't know how much more crap I could fit on the back of the tank haha.

 

[Frogmanx82]

I'm not running an HOB because I have no room behind the tank, only about one inch, just enough for hose to the canister. I run two intank skimmers and an intank filter. For surface film I really like these http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=12703 which you can see in the back left. The intank filter by tunze also can pull surface film.

 

[Meggie2409]

Here is my 55 gal mixed reef that is run on a prizm hob skimmer and a canister filter and 2 ph's with abt 70 lbs of lr.. It has been going for 10 mths and have not lost a fish or a coral and my lta is 12in wide now lol so I would say doable

 

[Original Fin]

I started my 55 in stages, which alowed me to spread equipment costs. I ran it strictly HOB with no sump for a while, but I do have a sump system now. I'm still using an HOB skimmer though...does that still qualify?

The tank started as an Aqueon kit, came with tank, HOB cartridge filter and 2x 21" T8 lighting (only good for FW or SW FO). I added a 150 watt heater, a Koralia 1050, 60 lbs sand, 20 lbs LR.

Weeks 0-4 Stuck with kit equipment
Week 4 Added 4x48" T5 lighting
Week 8 Added CPR Aquaforce HOB skimmer, 40 more lbs LR
Week 16 Added sump system. 2 x 10 gal glass tanks, partitioned w/ 2 fuges. Mag 7 return. HOB U-Tube overflow box. 6 Gallon ATO drip system on a float valve. Still using CPR HOB skimmer, but it's been relocated to the sump.

Tank is now 7 mos old. I change 10 gals once per week, dose vodka and just started dripping kalk from the ATO. I've been using store bought RO water for changes, and that's led to a fair amount of hair algae and diatoms. Next upgrade is in the mail...an RODI filter. Bye Bye TDS. This should have been my first purchase even before the tank. If algae is still an issue after that, I'll probably look into a phosphate reactor. A more powerful in sump skimmer wouldn't hurt either. The Aeroforce is only rated for up to 75 gal, and I estimate my total volume at about 60 gals

 

[saltym3]

Been running with HOB equipment for 8 years. First 2 years was with a canister and powerheads and last 6 years only using biological LR/LS with powerheads. Recently installed reef octopus bh-100ss skimmer a few weeks ago. I have had my clown for 8 years. Not seen in FTS because hiding but below with 6 line.

 

[Paul B]

Here is my HOB Home made skimmer, no sump. Tank is 39 years 8 months old.

Well I dont think youre going to get to many posting in here. Ive been reading everything on this forum and I can tell you that most of the folks think that if you dont run a sump you will fail.

Dam, I wish I read this before I set it up

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.

I don't know if you could see Atlantis in there. Maybe if you look close.