Question concerning skimmerless zoa/softie system possibilities...

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Pallobi

CTARS, BRS & OSRAS Member
Ok, so I have this 180g which I originally wanted to do jus polyps, which of course isn't gonna happen cuz I jus know me, and my mind changes all the time, lol...

My 180g system, as well as my QT setup is actually located at my folks house, which I go to jus about everyday to care for... This isn't an issue for me at all, as I enjoy seeing them and going there, but I really want to have something small, and simple, where I live (about 10 mins away)... Basically a daytime and night time fix to my addiction if you will, lol...

After having a couple folks comment on my 180g thread abou having zoa systems that are skimmerless (another board here), and then researching them a little more, I thought a nice easy softie tank would be the way to go if I was to keep one here with me... Basically so I'm never without the addiction that feeds my being, lol, as well as experimenting with a skimmerless system, which I have never done... I have jus about everything I need, minus the stand I think, at this point...

I'm pretty sure I can get my roommate, whom owns the house I live in, to allow me to do this... So if I can keep it very simple, and enough opinions and info, I'd like to give it a shot...

It would be a 40g breeder, with a 20g sump... Most likely a deep sand bed made of reef grade carribsea aragonite, and lit with some basic Chinese LEDs and a mag 3 or 7 return pump, as I have both... And a 300 watt heater... Water changes would consist of 5 or so gallons, every other week, or once a month I'm thinken... I'm thinken a carbon reactor, to be plumbed in if I need to utilize on occasion, but certainly not 24/7...

So if some of you would, please share your thoughts and/or experiences, I would appreciate it greatly...
 
Maybe some thoughts concerning a algae scrubber? And going skimmerless on the 180g is not something I'm willin to do...
 
i went skimmerless for a 7 month stretch and everything did fine except my SPS. I did not notice any large differences good or bad. My tank is a 210 though so I don't know if the added volume helped or not.
 
Seems pretty perfect on your set up though I would rather have the real estate for coral placement instead of sand and throw a RDSB in the stand if you are wanting benefits from that.

The only thing I would add is either a sea swirl on the return or a sea sweep with a tunze nano since you are wanting movement in this tank.

No?
 
I run a 22 CADLight tank with tons of zoos/palys, acans, fe other softies as you describe without a skimmer. I have a shallow sand bed for aethetics. I have 2-mp10s on the lowest setting. A 4 bulb t-5 light. I have a small fuge with chaeto and do weekly 10% water changes. Everything thrives! Sounds like a good idea!
 
KafudaFish said:
Seems pretty perfect on your set up though I would rather have the real estate for coral placement instead of sand and throw a RDSB in the stand if you are wanting benefits from that.

The only thing I would add is either a sea swirl on the return or a sea sweep with a tunze nano since you are wanting movement in this tank.

No?
Click to expand...

Good call my friend...
 
If your doing only z's and p's then you can get away with it but I would suggest weekly 5 gal or bi-weekly 10Gal WC's' as your skimmerless. Since your not using reactors are you dosing? Also depends what your doing? The WC's will help give your corals the necessary trace elements and such if your not dosing. For food are you dosing for feeding ( liquid or phyto )? are you going light feed or heavy feeding?

Your not doing any SPS so no need for a zeosystem. I dunno about DSBs as I heard of people having issues with DSBs after a while and the system crashes. Just a thought do a search here on RC.
 
ya the DSB idea is scratched... also, im really not sure weekly water changes would be necessary... i often wonder how many trace elements zoas use up, but i have no clue to be honest... there would be water changes, jus not weekly... i really feel the carbon reactor utilized here and there will do a good job filtering the water and clearing it up a bit, but my goal is really to jus have a little more of a "dirtier" system than i do now...

this would be stricly zoas and palys, not sure why i even bothered to mention softies other than them...

i dont know anything about zeo, but i have done well with sps in the past without it... but that is another topic for another forum and time...

i would maybe keep about 3 to 5 small fish, and that 5 being a stretch...

i have never fed my zoas, and im not sure they consume phyto??? i would probably consider feeding them if they were in their own system im sure... jus have to learn more about what to feed and what not to...

as far as dosing, i would get levels up to where they should be (IO salt i use sucks for elements, but its cheap and its what i use)... mag, alk, iodide, etc...

thanks so far guys... some good food for thought so far...
 
Pallobi said:
as far as dosing, i would get levels up to where they should be (IO salt i use sucks for elements, but its cheap and its what i use)... mag, alk, iodide, etc...

thanks so far guys... some good food for thought so far...
Click to expand...
I also use IO salt. I had the benefit of seeing emster's 180 last night and he speaks very highly of IO salt. I am interested to see how your tank does without the skimmer.
 
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