Which filtration is better for better growth??

[Rob361]

Hey guys! Need some advice, So I have a 32g Biocube, right now I'm running the aquaticlife miniskimmer, INTANK media basket with just some filter floss, and I was running chemipure elite, but I since took it out and am going to switch to just carbon. For lighting, I have 2 AI blades 12inch coral grow over the tank.

My goal is coral growth, and when I check my parameters everything is at zero and my dkh, like hardly ever drops, i know my corals are all still small frags but I'm wanting them to start to fill in. I've seen and heard having a small amount of phosphates and Nitrates can help so I'm wanting to bump up the phosphates and nitrates just a little to see if that stimulates the growth, but I don't want to overdo it. any guidance? i have 5 fish in there now, should i increase feedings?

So here's the question. Should I run a UV sterilizer (GKM 9v) OR setup a refugium next to the media basket OR can you do both? Which will help better for the overall health of the tank? Also, will adding phyto several times a week to the aquarium help?

 

[ryanjohn1]

IMO. No uv and probably don’t even need the skimmer. Nitrate at 10 pphos at .1. And probably doesn’t need carbon all the time either. Best chance for growth is stable parameters. Doing sps or lps?

 

[Evil1]

What types of corals? SPS, LPS softies? Mixed reef? I would remove the CP elite as you said and replace with CP Blue. Are you looking to use UV for algae control?

 

[VintageReefer]

From what you describe, a uv will do nothing for the tank. And a media basket refugium will become a place for pods to live but it will not be large enough to influence parameters. Weekly 5g water changes will keep it stable

 

[tzabor10]

Tidal Gardens and World Wide Corals both recommend targeted feeding about twice a week. All your equipment should be pulling out that waste. So run the skimmer after. Then rinse filters after that. I use UV to battle algae and fish parasites.
Best thing to do is go on vacation. Then when you come back it is like Whoa!

 

[Seansea]

Ya water changes should handle it and would keep the skimmer for alot of reasons. Feeding heavy def will help your coral. I have a 75g with 15 g sump and 20 fish. I feed 3 times a day and my corals love it. But i have an algae scrubber so keeps algae from dt. Without one if you feed heavy algae will go nuts. And fuges do not help with keeping hair algae from display.

Whats your ph? Corals really love a ph 8.3. Maybe even a little higher. Boost ph and your corals will grow. Your lighting is good so that will help. But really corals sometimes just need time. Try not to move them around too much if you can help it.

 

[Rob361]

So the corals i have now are: Hammer/Zoas/duncan/red digi/tubbs stella digi/ galaxia/ rainbow anemone/ krypto candycane/cyphastrea... so mostly LPS for movement with some easier SPS is my goal (birdsnest /stylo /digi /slimer / monti caps)

UV would help with Algea control maybe? i had a small hair algae uptick but its slowly going away now.

Fish i have 1 clown,1 bangaii, 1 tailspot blenny, 1 diamond goby, and 1 royal gramma

 

[Rob361]

im feeding brine/New life spectrum Thera small pellets/ and sometimes mysis. pellets is 2 small pinches and a half cube of either brine or mysis once per day

 

[zoasaholic]

im feeding brine/New life spectrum Thera small pellets/ and sometimes mysis. pellets is 2 small pinches and a half cube of either brine or mysis once per day

Been there and done all of above over the years. save your $ buy more corals. Keep it simple, just water change and feed the fish. No need UV , feeding the corals , adding carbon ,refugium, phyto.
skimmer is not Necessary, but recommended filter pads

 

[Spare time]

What types of corals? SPS, LPS softies? Mixed reef? I would remove the CP elite as you said and replace with CP Blue. Are you looking to use UV for algae control?

Blue is a waste of money imo

 

[Spare time]

So the corals i have now are: Hammer/Zoas/duncan/red digi/tubbs stella digi/ galaxia/ rainbow anemone/ krypto candycane/cyphastrea... so mostly LPS for movement with some easier SPS is my goal (birdsnest /stylo /digi /slimer / monti caps)

UV would help with Algea control maybe? i had a small hair algae uptick but its slowly going away now.

Fish i have 1 clown,1 bangaii, 1 tailspot blenny, 1 diamond goby, and 1 royal gramma

UV won't help with algae growing on rocks and such.

 

[Rob361]

Thank you everyone for your inputs!

 

[Seansea]

Been there and done all of above over the years. save your $ buy more corals. Keep it simple, just water change and feed the fish. No need UV , feeding the corals , adding carbon ,refugium, phyto.
skimmer is not Necessary, but recommended filter pads

Alot of this i could agree with but no skimmer isnt one of them. Skimmers do so much besides remove nutrients i consider them essential. Add oxygen and removes toxins in water that could harm fish and corals. Like after you use epoxy to mount corals or someone accidentally sticks soapy hands in tank.

 

[VintageReefer]

Soap can be toxic. I have instilled the fear of god to my household that nobody is to bring soap near the tank, nobody is to spray windex on the glass. No hands in the tank but mine. Nobody is to use the mag cleaner. The tank is my living art. No Touchies!