Let's see some Skimmerless tanks

[SMS76]

Has anybody tried skimmerless LPS tanks? If so few questions :
-> How was/is your overall experience?
-> What's the size of the tank?
-> What equipments you have?
-> What fish do you have and what's tank feeding schedule?
-> How many times do you do water changes?
-> Any other maintance of the tank?
-> Can you please post a picture of your tank?
-> What's the secret of your success?

Thanks

 

[baja_01]

My old tank was a 70 gal rubbermaid trough tank that I had set up for a year before I moved everthing into a 36 corner.

I had about 2 years of experience at the time.
70 gal.
Mag 4.5 and a maxi for flow, 250w mh, 10k.
No fish, feed the corals once a week or there abouts.
Changed it maybe three times total.
Cleaning the scum off the surface was a pain.
I dont know if I have any pics.
I had Halimeda growing on every spot possible, and pulled out a big hand full a week.

 

[gflat65]

I run a 20 long with no skimmer (the 'wife's tank'). As long as you have a surface skimmer of some sort, I have had no issues. I ran it with a skimmer and had mediocre results. I added the surface skimmer to the HOB filter, then removed the skimmer and at 5 months with no skimmer, it looks beter than ever. It is more of a softie tank, but I have a nice piece of Pectinia, some frogspawn, some Leptastrea, some sort of Favia, Monti caps, Turbinara (reniformis and the larger cup-forget the species), and Galaxia.

 

[ReefDoctorMicromussas]

I like that yellow rimmed cap

 

[gflat65]

It's actually more of a whitish purple on the growth edge. It is very similar to what I have seen called the Idaho Grape undata (baby blue polyps). That is my wife's pride and joy. I had someone over looking for things they wanted frags of and was quickly told no.

 

[SMS76]

Your wife's tank rocks. you mentioned that you added surface skimming with HOB, can you please give more info on how you did it?

 

[gflat65]

Here is a pic from Marine Depot of the item. It is a simple thing that suctions to the glass and hooks into the HOB inlet. I had to cut the inlet tube shorter on the HOB, but then it just presses together.

$10 at most online stores.

 

[gflat65]

BTW, mine came with no instructions... The only adjustment is to turn the black rod in the center of the main tube. Clockwise makes the plastic crown pull more water and counterclockwise reduces the pull through the crown. I would hook it up with the rod turned all the way CCW and adjust after connecting by turning it CW until the crown starts to make a gurgling noise or starts bouncing up and down. then it is a fine adjustment to get it right where you want it in terms of surface flow through the crown. It's a lot easier than I made it sound...

 

[jessp]

here is my 37 gal aga/ mix of lps and softies. a ghetto hob diy fuge.

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/vbcoach22/d8dfb87f.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

 

[SMS76]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8045443#post8045443 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gflat65
BTW, mine came with no instructions... The only adjustment is to turn the black rod in the center of the main tube. Clockwise makes the plastic crown pull more water and counterclockwise reduces the pull through the crown. I would hook it up with the rod turned all the way CCW and adjust after connecting by turning it CW until the crown starts to make a gurgling noise or starts bouncing up and down. then it is a fine adjustment to get it right where you want it in terms of surface flow through the crown. It's a lot easier than I made it sound...

Sounds good, thanks Do you think snail or fish can get in to this overflow? How deep are teeth? Sounds like you can adjust it but does it have any limitation with powerful HOB filters?

 

[SMS76]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8045618#post8045618 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jessp
here is my 37 gal aga/ mix of lps and softies. a ghetto hob diy fuge.

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/vbcoach22/d8dfb87f.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

Good setup. Can you give more info on your getto hob diy refugium? Also what do you have for lighting? What fish do you have and how often do you feed your tank?

 

[anathema]

40G skimmerless

 

[jessp]

i have a wet dry that i'm currently removing the bioballs from, i run chemipure in the sump and keep my heater in there. I have a rio 2500 and have 130 w pc 65w blue and 65 watt 10k.

I have the rio because at the time i didn't know anybetter, will be replaced soon. in addition never had any problem with nitrates but have been scared into taking them out from people in here.

I have an aquaclear 70 hob filter that i converted to a fuge with some sand rubble and chaeto. just remove the guts and add the stuff mentioned. I used a clamp light and a 6500k screw in pc bulb from walmart.

only 4 fish two clarkii's, a golden cori and a yellowtail damsel.

 

[jessp]

and i do 5 gallon water changes every two weeks and top of about every other day if not more

 

[gflat65]

SMS76,

it would be difficult for a fish to get in the overflow. The crown is 1 3/8" from top to bottom and the teeth are 3/4" tall (included in the 1 3/8"). The total diameter of the crown is 1 3/4", but the hole in the center of the crown is only 3/8"-1/2".

 

[SMS76]

Sounds good. Thanks guys

 

[RayD]

Nice!!

 

[imtay]

jessep very kind thought through your avatar steve irwin is sorely missed especially here in Australia we should all apprecite his work as an environmental warrior.

 

[SMS76]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8052449#post8052449 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gflat65
SMS76,

it would be difficult for a fish to get in the overflow. The crown is 1 3/8" from top to bottom and the teeth are 3/4" tall (included in the 1 3/8"). The total diameter of the crown is 1 3/4", but the hole in the center of the crown is only 3/8"-1/2".

DO you have auto -top off or do you add top - off manually? What happens when water level drops with evaporation?

 

[SMS76]

^^^