• Looking to buy a cephalopod? Check out Tomh's Cephs Forum, and this post in particular shares important info about our policies as it relates to responsible ceph-keeping.

best bio media?

im still not clear on one thing. i heard you wanna cycle the water in your tank 6+ times an hour. will a SeaClone 150 put out "skimmed" water fast enough for an 800 gph pump to return? im assuming the type of filter im getting with the bio balls cleans water at about the rate it goes in. ive been lookin at a lot of skimmers, and i dont really seee what the difference is between a $87 skimmer and one of those crazy $1,200 skimmers.
 
the 6 + an hour thing is for the return pump. the return pump's purpose is to push the water you siphoned out of the tank, back in. I don't recommend a seaclone. The seaclone is generally reffered to as the inferior product. The skimmer it's self is not as important as the skimmer's pump. The pump mixes air with water making bubbles. You want smaller bubbles and more of them. This gives you the most air:water ratio to throw out proteins before the decompose into other molecules that crap your water(nitrite/nitrate). I have a nautilus te which is rated for a 150 gallon. IMO your skimmer doesn't have to be rated for anything higher than the tank you have as long as you have sufficient live rock and a good refugium.
 
Are you planning to have your overflow from the main tank go directly into the skimmer? This is the most efficient way to skim. If so, you will need to T of the overflow and put a gate valve on it. This way, if you are using a skimmer that cannot handle the entire output of the overflow, you can adjust how much goes into it via the gate valve.

There is a big difference between the cheap skimmers and the expensive ones. However, the differences get smaller when comparing mid range skimmers to high range skimmers. Much of the differences are in the pumps used and their ability to chop up the bubbles.

The octopus brand skimmers have been known to be good skimmers without the crazy price. I would also advise looking for used equipment for there are typically a lot available on Reef boards or even craigslist.
 
good thing i checked in, i almost went and bought a seaclone 150 today! good to know. ive never used a refugium before, what is there purpose? and is that one of those things i'd be better of doin myself or purchasing one?

-Keith
 
i really wouldn't refer to a refugium as a quarantine tank as a quarantine tank is separate system from your maintank system. It is used to prevent the introduction pathogens and detrimental organisms from new livestock. While a refugium is plumbed to your maintank system and is a safe haven/breeding area for beneficial organisms such as macroalgae, copepods and amphipods.

erin
 
ok. so it looks to me like a sump. if i just put an area in my sump for some live rock and grass and mud and whatnot, would it have the same function? and if it did, would i want to put it before or after the skimmer? or make the skimmer a hang on? and should i use an overflow or a bulkhead to lead to the sump. or, again, both? sorry if im startin to be a pain in the ass with all my questions guys.

-Keith
 
Keith;120459 said:
with the question about the overflow or a bulkhead (or both) leading to the sump, i was talkin about this sump http://www.elmersaquarium.com/h153_megaflow_sump.htm its got 2 inputs, so i figure both is better? yes? no?

Elmer's is a great fish store, it's where I got my first salt water aquarium (decades ago...). You should contact them and see if they can answer some of your questions.
 
anyone here use a dual bak pak skimmer? im tryin to find out if they're any good. if they are would the pre-skimmer and bubble trap be good additions to get? id like to get a KZ Revolution, but they're EXPENSIVE.
 
i have a single sided bak pak on the side of a nonceph tank and use the preskimmer. I like it and haven't had to adjust it in years. I have the bubble catcher, but don't use it as it doesn't put out bubbles.
 
It sound like your putting together a good system don't make it too complex remember you have to clean it. Don't skimp on the skimmer or you might regret it and also say some pretty bad words especially if you had bought a seaclone:banghead: I have one and have managed to get it to work adequately but it fought me every step of the way. You can section off part of your sump as a refugeum. Overflow or bulkhead? I would use an overflow especially if your still planing on using a canister filter as well. Oh yeah I've heard bakpaks work fine but I think a big part of the price has to do with there construction ( labor intensive )
 
cool. well if i dont need any other holes drilled besides one behind the overflow, im not gonna mess with it. yea i think my plan is gonna be to run an eheim professional II straight into the tank, a hang on dual bak pak (which happens to have a biological filter with bio-bale in it too), and an all glass aquarium megaflow model 4 sump (that way i can put a refugium in there). so it'll be really well filtered, have a good skimmer, and have a refugium to grow some good bacteria and add some water to the system. then of course a bunch of live rock and sand and all that. sound like a good plan?

-Keith
 

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