New sps Skimmerless! tank build up

[Jeremy Blaze]

I have been keeping a log of the build up of my new 120 gallon tank. It will be an sps dominated tank, so I thought I'd post here for you sps guys that don't get into the other forums much!

Here is the thread if interested.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=814800

Please feel free to comment, in either thread.

 

[SunnyX]

Nice setup but why Skimmerless?

I personally would never run a tank without one.

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Personal preference. I have hed better expereinces in the past with skimmerless tanks.

I get much greater biodiversity. I prefer algaebased filter systems, in fact, used to build ATSS units.

 

[MiddletonMark]

Should be interesting to watch it built, settle in, and grow
Seems like you have your plan, can't see a reason you can't do it.

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Thatnks for the support. I was hoping this would not turn into a skimmer vs. skimmerless thread.

I understand the benifits of both, but just prefer the skimmerless set up myself.

It should start progressing soon, so keep watching!

 

[Wiskey]

Is your 1200 gallon reef skimmerless? I subscribed, it should be interesting to see this come together, I am especially interested in how you will build the algae filter that replaces the skimmer.

Whiskey

 

[Amphiprion]

Should turn out quite nicely. I have seen very impressive skimmerless tanks, but then again, I am a sucker for biodiversity.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

me too....and what about the waste?

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Thanks guys.

The 1200 is not skimmerless ( too many fish) It has a 3ft tall downdraft that I built, as well as a 100 gallon fuge, iwth calurpa and cheato.

As for the algae filter, the center section of the sump, with is about 2ft x16"x16" ( I think) will be used for cheato and calupra grow out.

Also, I employ carbon and phosban 24/7.

As well as the good ol' dsb.

Heres a pic of my old 125 skimmerless, which was running with the same sump,

Heres some of the goodies growing in the sump.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

so whats the difference between an algae filter and a fuge?

nice tank by the way any shots of the 1200g? :eek1:

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Not much really. I light it a bit more than some people do their fuge, it had 2 4ft vho's on it before. I get very fast algae growth, and usually harvest several hand fulls of algae on a weekly basis. I then pick through this algae, and and snails amphipods, brisstle worms, etc.. get thrown into the display, and the algae goes in the trash.


Pics of the 1200, I have posted many times before, but here ya go,
To give you an idea of the size, this is me in it.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Awesome!
...i'm going hunting for more pics of that beast(i actually have never seen it)

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Not a lot of pics out there. I have a hard time getting good pics of it.

Not trying to hijack my own thread, but here are some more,

Most of the pics are old,

Growth over 7 months,

 

[Gundo5000]

Very cool!

 

[mntl]

Very cool, although this is not something I would do with my own sps system, If you have done your research I am sure it will be great!! I'm in, looking forward to updates, keep us posted on progress.

-John-

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Check out the thread, got my rock work finished!

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Thread updated! Have sand in the tank.

 

[reefer44]

Why would u set up a system skimmerless? When you can buy a large skimmer that is going to aid this filter and reduce nutrients to the proper levels?

Why do you have halimeda when it builts most of it skeleton out of calcium? Its just competing with the corals for there source of calcium its not reducing nitrates or phosphates significantly.

In a tank like that you can get growth if lightly stocked but much better growth would be found with a skimmer

By the way i dont mean this as rude because i have a few skimmerless systems. But they need so much more time spent on them. If I was wanting a nice display tank for my house I would set up a skimmer.

It puzzles me why aquarist do this when skimmers have been proven and are run on the best systems in the world. Plus to break down all those nitrates into nitrogen gass you need much more anaerobic areas. The amount of nitrates that algae are really composed of is rather low compared to the amount of potential nitrate leaking waste found in your skimmer.

How do u feel not having a protien skimmer leads to more life?
The amount of living material that your skimmer pulls out of the water is usually under 10% of the skimmate. Also skimmers increase the amount of dissolved oxygen, promoting even morelife in the reef. While the bi-products produced by the nitrogen cycle are partly organic acids that eventually lower pH and further more the bacteria that is involved in converting ammonia into nitrates consumes a fair amount of oxygen.

By seeing pictures of your tank and having had many systems run on biological filter only i can tell that you have at least 1 ppm of nitrates within that tank. When a skimmer is added it will go down to 0. It is a proven fact that nitrates inhibit growth...also you are probaly going to have phosphates that are more then 15X the natural level (usual .001 or less parts per million)

A tank that needs the pristine water conditions of an sps tank should have a skimmer present (if not at least something to control butrient other then live rock and algea; for example a nitrate reactor or phosphate reactor) Algae alone cant reduce nutrients to 0 in a fairly stocked sps tank (maybe you can get by with growth and ok color if you really limit your bioload).

After taking into consideration the need for sps to have low nutrients and realizing it is hard for all nitrates to break down to nitrogen gas or be absorbed by algae as well as phosphates; why would u not add a skimmer to aid this algae filter?

 

[Funky_Fish14]

Sorry my friend, but a skimmer on a tank isnt always going to bring nitrates down to 0ppm. Also, I know a few people with beautiful SPS tanks, that have nitrates at 15+ppm. You cant always be right with everything.

Also, the thread starter asked for this not to be turned into a thread bashing skimmer/skimmerless. Start a different thread about the topic, no? I'd hate to see this turn into an arguement. Observe what he is doing, think about it, then make a different thread about the topics concerning you.



To the original poster, looks like an awesome project! I wish you luck with it!

Chris

 

[reefer44]

sry buddy...but u cant have a beautiful sps tank with 15 + ppm of nitrate.......the fact that nitrates inhibit color and calcification is a proven fact (i study biochemistry). Thats not even close to debatable and basically voids your coment in my mind.

as far as argueing......im not.....i just want to know the reasons why

Brad