LS Load on tank

[somebody]

Hi,

I'm currently running a two feet tank, with a canister filter and "bubble type" skimmer.

currently the LS in the tank are: (all in quantities of 1) clownfish,strawberry(dunno act name), yellow tail damsel, yellow watchman, snail, line shrimp.

I'm wondering how much bio load can my fish tank take, before i reach a critical stage where i'll definitely need a refugium and sump. If i could carry on adding more fishes without upgrading to a sump, i'll rather do that. haha. Am thinking of getting a sump, but not sure whether i really need it.

Pls advice... Thank you all!

[tineng]

i think you will have more to worry about then a sump if you are going to add a lot more fish....

I have a 2 footer without sump and at its peak was able to keep 1 tang, 1 angle, 1 clown, 1 alage benny and 1 dartfish.....never did have much problem with nusiane algae and my NO3 was <30ppm (can only keep hardy corals)... but i notice that my fishes are not really happy, their color are duller, they don't have much space to swim and worst, very 2 weeks ich breaks out....now i have cut back on the number of fish i keep in a 2 footer and i notice that fishes are healthier, better coloration, less iche....etc....

so...forget about sump and focus on the basic.....which is dicipline and patience.....

[hotlemond]

seems okay with your load here. But when you decided to add corals than you will have to be cautious.

canister are known to be a nitrate factory, so either do the mandatory water change or get chemical filtration to keep it under control. You should get a few more turbo snail too to keep algae at bay.

You dun really need a sump to justify for a 2 ft unless you want to hide all the eqipment in it. leave that $ for a future 3 ft.

[somebody]

hotlemond: what types of chemical filtration are you referring to? am thinking of adding maybe 3 or 4 more fishes.

currently i have no algae problem. don't see any algae in my tank so i snail enuff liaoz. haha.. think its starving. no algae. haha.

currently i only have a button polyp and a hammer that i just got last thurs seems to be doing pretty well.

but how do i know when i sld stop adding fishes, don't want to add liaaoz, then nitrates shoot up, then die liaoz, then "orh, that's when i sld have stopped" haha...

thanks ya'all! keep those advices coming in pls....

[somebody]

[somebody]

more advice pls... =)

[releeps]

I am also keeping a 2 ft tank. Used to be using a cannister but the nitrate kept on shooting very high. Finally I remove the canister and using a sump now. I had also remove all the coral chips and rings in the sump step by step. IMO, sump makes water change very easy and with higher water volume, more fish can be kept. If u tink a sump is ex, DIY one, will change u less than $50 if u got a tank already for the sump.

[somebody]

you remove all the coral chips and rings? then what do you put in the first compartment? only the foam? then where does the "bacteria" live in? hmmm.... so what's in your sump? care to share? thanks!

[kareen]

by removing the coral chips and bio ball so that no debris is been trapped.....the DOC is removed by a powerful protein skimmer. **Do this when u got a powerful skimmer else you will get something more toxic than nitrate**

My 2 cents.

[releeps]

Actually I using a DIY coil denitrator with it but I tink as long as ur live rock is enough, there shdnt be a problem with nitrite. So get more LR, abt 20kg should b enough for 2 ft.)

[somebody]

yep, currently, i have no problem with nitrite, 0ppm, but nitrate is what i'm worried about... =(

[Eric]

yep, currently, i have no problem with nitrite, 0ppm, but nitrate is what i'm worried about... =(

If you got a sump, keep the 1st compartment a good skimmer to remove DOC and even detritus, 2nd compartment a deep sand bed (6-10") for converting the nitrite to nitrate. 3rd compartment your return pump. (remember to have a few partition between 2nd and 3rd compartment to prevent air bubbles from going to the 3rd compartment.

Eric

[tsutsumi]

Hi, I thinkin of changing to use cannister filter from current hang-on filter too(no money to get a sump)... bt see comment on cannister filter being a nitrate factory, is giving me the creep...

is cannister filter really sure a bad idea?... If it's not, could ani suceessful users on cannnister filter, pls advice on the filter medium to use... how to improve the usage of cannister without getting new equipment(budget constraint)...

Thankz...