hello i have a 58 gallon oceanic tank and am installing an wet/dry filter. i want a refugium in it but i also want bio balls. i have come up with an idea that i think will work but not for sure. comments are appreciated.

Attached Images

sump idea.jpg (19.0 KB, 48 views)

__________________
:shakefish: lovin it

looks like a standard issue diy sump to me. should work fine

__________________
why buy, when you can DIY

Will this be a reef tank or a FOWLR tank

FOWLR? im sorry not use to all this forum talk.still kinda new. my plans are ... i have the tank 50 pounds of live rock, protein skimmer, magnum filter, and 90 pounds of live sand. tank has been running for 4 months and has 1 cinnamon clown 1 blue damsel one diamond goby, 5 blue leg crabs and 5 snails. i would like to make this a reef tank but i know nothing about the standards and water levels of keeping corals. im still reading on that subject.

__________________
:shakefish: lovin it

FOWLR = Fish Only With Live Rock

__________________
why buy, when you can DIY

OK then for FOWLR they are fine but for a reef there are not good. Wet/Drys are the best filter for what they do and that is convert ammonia to nitrite to nitrate but that is where it stops so you need to clean the bio balls and do regular 25% WC's to remove the nitrates. With a skimmer a DSB and larger pieces of LR it they will do the same thing but the DSB and LR will also create an oxygen deprived zone that converts nitrates to nitrogen and that in turn keeps your nitrates down even with out WC's but thats not to say you dont need to do WC's. I would say to get rid of the bioballs and put a skimmer in its place if you think you will convert to a reef and at the same time it would be even better for a FOWLR system.

thanks right now it is a fowlr tank but it will have corals eventually.

__________________
:shakefish: lovin it

I would only use the magnum filter for running carbon and or phosban in

thats what i use it for. it is only a 250 though. i am going to put it on my sump. i am also taking my heater and protein skimmer and putting it in my sump that way there is nothing on the top or back of my tank.

__________________
:shakefish: lovin it

okay so, i know about keepin my nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, low and my ph at 8.3 and my alkalinity high, but what else do i need to know about water levels for growing corals... oh and i know 3-5 watts of light per gallon of water

__________________
:shakefish: lovin it

Watts per gallon means nothing at all we need to know what type of lights you have PC's, VHO's, T-5' or MH's. You need to balance your alk, calcium and mag and that can be done with 2 part dosing or with just WC's depending on what corals you are keeping. You also need proper flow and that can be just as important as your lighting.

sorry bout that. i have t5 nova lighting. i also have a kyroilla (sp) 2 and 3

__________________
:shakefish: lovin it