Plumbing small Azoo tank in with 200g system???

[Fieroguy19]

Was wondering if it was possible or if there are any examples where people have plumbed in a 20-30gal Azoo tank into their 200+ gallon reef tanks. If you know of any examples that would be great, otherwise do you think it would be possible to continuously feed a small Azoo tank and still have low N and P in the large display tank? Just thought that having it plumbed into a larger system might help both systems by keeping nutrients lower in the Azoo tank and good food in the big tank. Thoughts???

 

[stunreefer]

If done correctly, I believe this is the best way to run a non-photo tank honestly. You'll want to have a slow turnover going from the large tank to the NPS tank allowing the food to be most dense in the azoo tank, but slowly but surely some makes it back to the big tank feeding those corals, and the equipment on there removes the excess.

Pieter van Suijlekom’s: http://glassbox-design.com/2009/pieter-van-suijlekoms-non-photosynthetic-azoox-reef/ and Chingchai Uekrongtham’s azoo tanks both are ran like this.

 

[TheH]

I would suggest a smaller tank, possibly 15-20 gallons. I have thought about this a lot and I also think that slow turnover is better. Just remember to use a small heater in there as well. Also, you may want to use air-stones instead of powerheads.

 

[slapshot]

I would suggest a smaller tank, possibly 15-20 gallons. I have thought about this a lot and I also think that slow turnover is better. Just remember to use a small heater in there as well. Also, you may want to use air-stones instead of powerheads.

Heating is not that important. Stability is. Most of the azoo corals come from deep water. It is cooler then average but steady. What you need to do is design the flow first. Let that determine your plumbing. Your in would be providing a horizontal leinear flow. In at one end out at the other.

otherwise do you think it would be possible to continuously feed a small Azoo tank and still have low N and P in the large display tank? Just thought that having it plumbed into a larger system might help both systems by keeping nutrients lower in the Azoo tank and good food in the big tank. Thoughts???

It is possible but it takes a lot of sump, Cheato and water changes. My display is 150 but my sumps total 400 gallons. I grow a lot of cheato and change a lot of water!

 

[TheH]

slapshot: Do you not feel that a small tank with low turnover from a large system will constantly change temperature as the ambient temperature changes? That is to say, a 15 gallon tank with no temperature regulation will shift much more dramatically than a 200 gallon tank with no temperature regulation?

 

[slapshot]

slapshot: Do you not feel that a small tank with low turnover from a large system will constantly change temperature as the ambient temperature changes? That is to say, a 15 gallon tank with no temperature regulation will shift much more dramatically than a 200 gallon tank with no temperature regulation?

No, I think it will be consistant without a heater. I believe a small heater will introduce temp fluctuations plus the possibility of a run away. My heaters are in my sump in the basement. My tank upstairs (150 gallons) with two 400 watt MH over it varies less than 2/10s of a degree from morning to night. The heaters and fans are all on the sumps. You would have to have really really slow flow through a small tank like that to have a problem.

 

[TheH]

I was thinking a dosing pump; i.e. use the pump to perform a 12 hour total water change.