Setting up another tank

[Pinkskunk]

Need your opinion here please:

is it harmfull to setup a 40G breeder tank to keep carpet and rose without skimmer and all?

I will have only 2 powerheads and of course live rock and live sand - a fully function reef tank that only house a selected few anemones. the biggest concern i have is the surface skimming. siince this system does not have an overflow, is it harmfull? is it need for a surface skimming? i see "film" on the surface not sure if this is bad.

 

[OrionN]

Reef tanks do not need to have skimmer to do well. Skimmer will help with management of the tank, but not essential. Film on the surface indicated that there is not enough surface agitation but not harmful to the animals. Both of my smaller tanks, an Aquapod and a Finnex, have chamber in the back. Circulation of the water prevents this film from forming. I use the back chamber for pumps and the place where I put the heater.

All my tanks are skimmer less, but I change about 1/4 to 1/3 of the water every month. 20 g from the 58 g tank and 10 from each of the other two tanks. They house anemones for years and still doing well. My 24 g Aquapod house a H. magnifica. A 30 g Finnex housed two S. malu. Both of these tanks were set up and running for about 6 years with the two Malu. The Magnifica was in the Aquapod for the last 4 months. Before that there was a green Haddoni carpet in it. I sold the carpet to make room for the H. magnifica. My 58 g house a BTA (18 months), a S. gigantea (4 months) and two S. tapetum-maxi (18 months). This tank is up and running for the last 2 years or so. BTW, my recollection may be off a few months. The point with all of this is that skimmer is not needed if you change water often. IMO, there is no subtitude for water change. I keep reeftank without water change in the past, but they won't do well long term (3+ years)

I also have a 30 g cube tank that is about to be taken down this weekend with a H. magnifica in it. I forgot about this tank because it is at GCReef.com at this time.

 

[WDLV]

I agree with what Minh said above.

However, I wouldn't recommend mixing different anemone species. Sometimes they live in harmony but more often than not they try to nuke each other.

 

[Pinkskunk]

thanks Minh and Walt. makes me feel better now that i should not worry about the surface film. i change water once a week about 20%.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I agree with what Minh said above.

However, I wouldn't recommend mixing different anemone species. Sometimes they live in harmony but more often than not they try to nuke each other.

I have to agree. Any time I have tried to mix species of anemones it didn't work out well. Many years ago I had a Haddoni in with several BTAs, and the Haddoni just looked "off" and would move often. Shortly after removing all the BTAs, it stopped moving and looked a lot better. (( Nothing else with the tank changed. ))