29 gallon filtration systems

Brittlan92 · Oct 13, 2023

Curious to see what everyone with a 29gallon tank has for filtration. We currently have a filter that hangs on the back. Water quality and stability of the tank has been pretty “normal”. I have just been trying to do more research on refugiums or algae scrappers. I’m under the impression those help keep nitrates and phosphates lower. Ours are not out of control or super high but I think having them lower would be nice. Or what are those systems compared to with a protein skimmer. The more research I do I’m all over the place trying to understand what would help my tank more… we want to venture into corals but I’m under the impression those need low nitrates and phosphates. Or a sump under the tank that houses all of it… wanting to stay simple but learning that may not be possibly? Lol help unclog my brain.

themcnertney · Oct 13, 2023

Recently started a 29 gallon biocube. I have a sponge in the middle chamber as the water pours over from the first chamber. After that I have skimmer. That's it. I rely on water changes to keep water stable.

fish farmer · Oct 13, 2023

I'm probably running a more complex 29 gallon than most. Standard sized 29, drilled with an overflow. 20 high sump with an area for chaeto/extra rock, 110 reef octo skimmer, return pump, small reactor for carbon(was used for GFO briefly). Couple of circulation pumps in tank. 10 percent water changes every two or three weeks.

When my N was 30 and P was 1ppm I had lots of green hair algae and LPS were gone. Chaeto and WCs helped to get the tank growing lps again.

Brittlan92 · Oct 13, 2023

themcnertney said:
Recently started a 29 gallon biocube. I have a sponge in the middle chamber as the water pours over from the first chamber. After that I have skimmer. That's it. I rely on water changes to keep water stable.

How big of water changes and how frequently did you do them? Do you find the skimmer keeps the nutrient levels lower?

Brittlan92 · Oct 13, 2023

fish farmer said:
I'm probably running a more complex 29 gallon than most. Standard sized 29, drilled with an overflow. 20 high sump with an area for chaeto/extra rock, 110 reef octo skimmer, return pump, small reactor for carbon(was used for GFO briefly). Couple of circulation pumps in tank. 10 percent water changes every two or three weeks.

When my N was 30 and P was 1ppm I had lots of green hair algae and LPS were gone. Chaeto and WCs helped to get the tank growing lps again.

The only time we had nutrients drop down to 0 was when we had dinos but those are gone and now phosphates and nitrates are back up not terribly high would just like them to be lower. Already did frozen shrimp and feed every other day. So I’m thinking maybe just need an extra something to help combate it… I don’t know if I’m really ready to fully go big with a sump under it.