henward Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 ok, i have a 4 foot tank. i was saving it for a fahaka puffer. Just found out that they are not not on the permited list anymore due to its enormous size and ability to munch stuff...hence why i wanted it. i have the 4 foot, with nothing in it. just wondering what i can put. considered frshwater fish but there isnt really anything suitable. I wanted a silver aro, but its too small for it. this tank has no over flow, i have a suitabl filter, 1200lph hour suitable for a 400 litre tank on it, which should be more than enough its only a 300litre or so just wondering, MARINE: with no over flow or protein skimmer, just a canister, cann i get away with a marine tank. no fancy corals and stuff. just the rocks and a fish, one fish maybe two depends. thinking a salt water puffer.or a trigger fish. just one fish, marine, lots of rocks, no over flow, canister filter. posible i can add a few more internals, maybe even two or 3 more intrnals in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 An overflow is not essential, it just makes it easier to install equipment into a sump without cluttering up the tank. A cannister for biological filtration is not a good idea as your tank will build up unhealthy nitrate levels. Get some "liverock" (coral rock that has bacteria living in it) and let that do the biological filtration, it will get rid of the nitrate also. You can have no skimmer, but you need some way to export waste, especially phosphate, from the tank, or the tank will eventually turn green with algae, plus will have other problems. Marine tanks have to be very clean for the kind of organisms we keep. There is a basic beginner guide at the top of the saltwater section may provide some helpful info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henward Posted October 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 yeah definatley live rock sorry didnt mention that i will have that no problems no skimmer probably ill go for and try that seehow i go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollergirl Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 Why don't you try with a HOB (Hang on Back) type skimmer, there are quite a few models available and you're sure to find one that will fit the tank.... Personally I wouldn't go marine with no skimmer. I did try it for the first couple of months on my first marine nano tank and found it made such a difference when I finally put one on after being told over and over by more experienced reefers (such as Wasp here ) to do it. Tank is far cleaner with noticeably less algae, cyano etc, and this is only a cheap little skimmer as well. (Weipro I think??)Also I don't feel so guilty about feeding my fish with worries about overfeeding, hehe. For a 4 foot you would probably need something a little more powerful depending on what you want to stock your tank with but I'm sure the guys/gals on here could point out some suitable types. Off the top of my head I believe Reef Octopus has a couple of HOB models that are meant to be pretty good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollergirl Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 OOH and yes a triggerfish would be awesome 8) Want one so bad but scared it will nip at corals Apparently they become very friendly over time and will hand feed, etc (wouldn't want to get bitten by one though, ouch!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henward Posted October 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 i would put only one fish just one fish at most two but generally just one fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 Yes should say I'm with Rollergirl about the skimmer, just read my last post & i accidentally made it look not such a big deal to have no skimmer. Should have said, it CAN be done, at a stretch, but not such a good idea. If you have no overflow, with Rollergirl again, a hang on skimmer is a good way to go when you get one, I don't have a sump either and use a hang on. There are also some good external skimmers that are not hang on, they sit beside the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 on a 4 ft you don't really have much of a choice when it comes to hangons unfortunatley, unlike smaller tanks. Pretty much the Deltec or a Red Sea Prism at a stretch. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henward Posted October 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 even with one fish i need a skimmer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollergirl Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 I only have 2 very small clownfish in my nano, plus a few odd corals, and wouldn't run it without one. Even when I had no corals, just a tiny wee blue tang (RIP Dory ) it got really messy, really quick with no skimmer!. In fact even when I had no fish at all in there I recall having issues with cyano and red algae when the tank wasn't being skimmed..Although -this could have been more due to new tank syndrome than anything else Still think its the only way to go, there's always heaps of cr*p dying off in the rocks and whatnot that will contribute to phospates, etc, even with low stocking levels... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henward Posted October 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 sounds like a pain in the buttocks ok ill hvae too reconsider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 Yes marine does require effort & research, or it won't work for the long haul. The biggest problem for people moving to marine from a fresh water tank, is getting them NOT to use a cannister, and TO use a skimmer. A marine tank is not simply a fresh water tank with salt in it, it has to be run differently. Once that is accepted, people start to make progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markoshark Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 And then you start to add things like RO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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