Reef Central newbie

mississippikid · 07/04/2012, 07:27 AM

Hi i'm Mark from N.East Mississippi on the Tennessee river. I could sure use all the help & good advice from the experianced pros out there. I used to be pretty good at this hobby back in the 80's, when UGF's were considered "high tech". Now I'm starting up a new 90 gal. salt tank, and have some tough decisions to make. I don't have any holes drilled in the back glass for a sump, so I have deceided on a hang on the back refugium/skimmer. I read a lot on how UGF's are obsolete, that there isn't enough flow for them to work, and get clogged. I didn't really have any problems with it on my old 90 gal. tank. I used really strong powerheads and it worked pretty good. The bottom of my tank has a 2" wide border of 1/2" glass around the edge to add stability. I am thinking that with that the added height of the glass border would allow me to set a undergravel filter (UGF) on top of it and have good clearance for the water to flow freely across the bottom, without getting clogged up. I would hate to set the tank up without a UGF, and later regret that I didn't. I am figuring that the more filtration, the better. I am thinking the tried & true UGF and the skimmer/refugium would work pretty good. If you could give me some input on this idea, let me know. And if your against this combo, then what would you recommend I should use with a hang on back refugium/protein skimmer? Hope to hear from all of those "in the know", and Have a nice July 4th!

robs.mark · 07/04/2012, 08:07 AM

Welcome, i dont really understand the poll you have posted but i will give my opinion on your thread. UGF are no longer used in the hobby any more simply because there are far better methods of nutrient removal. Examples are deep sand beds, barebottom, skimmers, and refugiums. Most people use a skimmer in their sump nowerdays. If your tank is empty and has a non tempered bottom or back, then why not drill it and make up a sump? It would free up clutter from your display (heaters etc),give you the option to set up a fuge and skimmer of your choice.

Mark.

bluewater921 · 07/04/2012, 08:12 AM

+1 to what he said .. or get a HOB overflow box

dzfish17 · 07/04/2012, 08:20 AM

I would forgo the UGF and use a Reef Octopus HOB skimmer for removal of DOCs. The main filtration should be done by adding LR (live rock) which harbors beneficial bacteria for breaking down ammonia.

You'll also want to add some powerheads for good water flow. Lighting has changed a lot since the 80s so you'll need to look into that as well. Is this going to be a reef tank or fish only? I would also check out the stickies at the top as they are full of good advice.

Rreef · 07/04/2012, 08:26 AM

Do whatever you have to to get a sump.

nepenthes99 · 07/04/2012, 08:58 AM

HOB refugia are often expensive and ineffective, especially with a large tank. A diy fuge with a DSB and lots of LR would do better. Most HOB sumps are only 10-20 gallons, leaving only about 5 gallons for refugium space. The main goals of a refugium are nutrient absorbtion and recycling as well as pod production. For the macroalgae in the refugium to be effective the refugium should be at least 1/5 the size of the display tank.I would recommend using something like a 40 gallon breeder for a fuge if you really want it to be effective. You could easily drill holes on the back for a sump, there are many useful articles on this.

View Poll Results: who makes the best hang on back refugium/skimmer?
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07/04/2012, 07:27 AM	#1
mississippikid Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 1	Reef Central newbie Hi i'm Mark from N.East Mississippi on the Tennessee river. I could sure use all the help & good advice from the experianced pros out there. I used to be pretty good at this hobby back in the 80's, when UGF's were considered "high tech". Now I'm starting up a new 90 gal. salt tank, and have some tough decisions to make. I don't have any holes drilled in the back glass for a sump, so I have deceided on a hang on the back refugium/skimmer. I read a lot on how UGF's are obsolete, that there isn't enough flow for them to work, and get clogged. I didn't really have any problems with it on my old 90 gal. tank. I used really strong powerheads and it worked pretty good. The bottom of my tank has a 2" wide border of 1/2" glass around the edge to add stability. I am thinking that with that the added height of the glass border would allow me to set a undergravel filter (UGF) on top of it and have good clearance for the water to flow freely across the bottom, without getting clogged up. I would hate to set the tank up without a UGF, and later regret that I didn't. I am figuring that the more filtration, the better. I am thinking the tried & true UGF and the skimmer/refugium would work pretty good. If you could give me some input on this idea, let me know. And if your against this combo, then what would you recommend I should use with a hang on back refugium/protein skimmer? Hope to hear from all of those "in the know", and Have a nice July 4th!

07/04/2012, 08:07 AM	#2
robs.mark Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 1,461	Welcome, i dont really understand the poll you have posted but i will give my opinion on your thread. UGF are no longer used in the hobby any more simply because there are far better methods of nutrient removal. Examples are deep sand beds, barebottom, skimmers, and refugiums. Most people use a skimmer in their sump nowerdays. If your tank is empty and has a non tempered bottom or back, then why not drill it and make up a sump? It would free up clutter from your display (heaters etc),give you the option to set up a fuge and skimmer of your choice. Mark. __________________ knowledge is power! Current Tank Info: Lagoon

07/04/2012, 08:12 AM	#3
bluewater921 Registered Member. Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: melbourne fla Posts: 605	+1 to what he said .. or get a HOB overflow box __________________ if i was a fish i would play on the reef & swim in the surf Current Tank Info: 180 in the wall reef

07/04/2012, 08:20 AM	#4
dzfish17 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Fresno,Ca. Posts: 2,545	I would forgo the UGF and use a Reef Octopus HOB skimmer for removal of DOCs. The main filtration should be done by adding LR (live rock) which harbors beneficial bacteria for breaking down ammonia. You'll also want to add some powerheads for good water flow. Lighting has changed a lot since the 80s so you'll need to look into that as well. Is this going to be a reef tank or fish only? I would also check out the stickies at the top as they are full of good advice. __________________ 600g (96x36x46) FOWLR

07/04/2012, 08:26 AM	#5
Rreef Moved On Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 35	Do whatever you have to to get a sump.

07/04/2012, 08:58 AM	#6
nepenthes99 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Cental NJ Posts: 139	HOB refugia are often expensive and ineffective, especially with a large tank. A diy fuge with a DSB and lots of LR would do better. Most HOB sumps are only 10-20 gallons, leaving only about 5 gallons for refugium space. The main goals of a refugium are nutrient absorbtion and recycling as well as pod production. For the macroalgae in the refugium to be effective the refugium should be at least 1/5 the size of the display tank.I would recommend using something like a 40 gallon breeder for a fuge if you really want it to be effective. You could easily drill holes on the back for a sump, there are many useful articles on this.