Need help!!

[reef-nut]

I guess its time to get real and ask for help! I have been in this hobby for over 15 years and I still need help. I live in a small town in Oklahoma and there is no reef clubs or reefers to really learn from. Right now I have a 90 reef and a 29 reef and they do alright but my zoos never look as good as your guys do. I am wanting to put all my zoos and rics in the 29 and change the 90 to fish only. The 29 has T-5's on it and a h.o. the back filter. I want to add a sump/refugium or whatever you guys think I ned to do. I have some killer palys coming in this week including some nukes and I want them to do great. The 29 has a lot of LR and about 5 fish and looks great, but I need a better filter. Can I just add a h.o. refugium and be ok or what should I do? I am disabled and can not build a sump. Is a undertank sump/refugium the way to go? I want the best possible filter setup I can come up with. Thank you!!!

 

[rocko918]

A sump is a lot easier to deal with but it is not mandatory. It nice to be able to stick equipment and have a fuge but again it can all work out fine without one.

I think you need to decide if you want one or not. Then work from there. The lights on your 90 are not enough for your zoa's (imho) I would move your zoa and palys to your 29. You say t'5s but how many and what size? Individual reflectors?

You can run a fuge on the back of it just fine. Just remember it is not necessarily a filter. Your rock and sand bed (if you have one) are your main filtration.

 

[saltwaternewb]

An AquaClear 110 HOB filter makes a great HOB fuge. I have an AC 70 on my 10g tank but I am getting a new tank this week that is drilled and I will be doing my first under tank sump. Should be interesting.

 

[tazzy695]

for a 29g i would recomend a small sump system even a redy built one and put a goog skimmer in it say one rated at about 100g capacity yes this may sound like over kill but most skimmers only preform well on tanks 1/3 their rated size

imo a sump is a nesisity for any reef tank the more nutrient export you can get the better a simple 10g sump/fuge will give lots of room for a macro algae some sand and extra lr to sit along with room for your skimmer to keep it out of sight

for lighting a sump simple household cfl bulbs work great on one of those $6 shoplight fixtures