FIltration Help

madpeace

madpeace

Member
Hello all,
I am returning to the hobby now that my kids are older. I set up a 55 gallon FOWLR tank and it was running great for a couple of months. I then got a deal on a 155 bow front RR tank and had it delivered. I had no intentions of using the 155 until I could set it up properly. The 55 gallon got cracked by my kids and dog and I had to move everything to the 155. I currently have a snowflake, a dwarf lionfish, a clown and a Wrasse. I lost 2 fish during this transition( poor little guys). My concern is that I am only running an API Nexx filter with rated for 110 gallon tank and a marine land emperor 400 power filter. I have about 40lbs of live rock and 2 power heads rated and 1350 each. It has been two weeks now and now the snowflake and lion are not eating and the tank is looking worse. I was hoping anyone would have some suggestions on something I can use in the meantime to get the tank cycling at the correct rate. It has to be cheap because I had to use my sump money to have the carpets cleaned and replace my wife's phone( it was either that or death). Or should I just hold out for 3 more weeks so I can save up for a sump and skimmer? Any advice will help a bunch
 
are you testing the water? It sounds like you've likely had a spike of some sort because of the move. You need about 60lbs more live rock to really have the right balance for that tank. I'm not really familiar with those filters that you mentioned, but unless you are changing the filter material constantly they are likely not helping much. You might want to use them to run some carbon, purigen and/or chemipure elite to soak up whatever is causing your water quality issues. Big water changes will help if you can keep the temp and sal stable while doing them. Have you looking into ditching all of the filter equipment for a sump/skimmer set-up? I think most of the wet/dry or canister filter technology has become slightly obsolete in the marine aquarium hobby since they tend to just be detritus traps and nitrate factories. Water changes are probably about the least expensive thing you can do even with the cost of salt. Anyone else have any experience with these specific filters?
 
What if you get someone to hold on to your livestock till you get your sump and some more LR? I can help out but I live in melrose park but if your willing to travel , you are welcome to stop by.
 
Wow thanks in all this panic i forgot to test the water. Yeah I know i need more live rock. I do have a question when i count live rock pounds do i also count the base rock I have in the tank as well ? I am looking into a sump set up but since i had to move everything quickly I was trying to see how long I could make it until I could afford a new one. Your are right about the wet/dry filter being obsolete that was the main reason I was not intending to set this tank up yet. I was still in the process of figuring out what type of set up to use Berlin, refgum I was still researching. I will do a water test and a water change today. Thanks a bunch
 
I have canister filter u can borrow till u get sump should help some u can run carbon in trays just need new hoses i cut mine all up. But when u done i ask for it back gonna use it for my qt once i drill tank . Its rated for 150 gal i believe . Anyway let me know im probably 50 min ride from u though. And since u new im trusting u
 
Oh might want to throw some prime in tank if u cant find anyone to hold u live stock till u get something
 
Sounds like they've got you covered, my suggestion is to do a few water changes...welcome to the site.
 
Thank you all for the replies

Also Thanks a bunch Madjoe for the offer to use your filter. I think i may be in the clear now

I went home and check my water and sure enough it was bad. I had very high nitrate levels and I couldn't figure out why then it dawned on me.At the time I had fish in cups and bowls due to the accident. In a rush I threw back in the crushed coral and sand that came with the tank. I grabbed my gravel cleaner and started cleaning the gravel and sure enough it was green. I did a huge water change change and went to class. I checked the tank today and every one is back to swimming around and my snowflake came out to eat today. Thank you guys for all your help with this. I think I can make it until i get a sump and a skimmer. Back to stalking Craigslist and the forums here. I tried to post pics but it didnt seem to work
 
awesome, keep up the WCs until you get everything on track. The tank will need your help until you get enough probiotics going. For your sump, have you considered just making one? It's really easy and you can do it with any tank that will fit in your stand (or even two smaller tanks). It also allows you to do exactly what you want with it while saving money. Just a thought to get you going without having to wait for a perfect sump.
 
I was thinking about that and researching it but I thought it may be better for me to get this tank running correctly and then save the DIY for the upgraded (240) tank. I still dont know a lot about sumps yet and I think I would want to build a refuge.
 
my sump is a used acrylic sump that cost me $20 split drained to a 10g walmart tank with a critter keeper as the skimmer section. Just sayin. . .:)
 
madpeace said:
Really can you post Pics I have been really considering doing it but i dont want to screw it up
Click to expand...
I can try to take some more detailed pics later, but you get the gist with this one. The 1.5" drain has a .75" split that runs into the acrylic sump on the left which I use as a fuge. That overflows through a bulkhead into a critter keeper along with the main drain. The criter keeper has the skimmer in it and the water flows over the CK into the rest of the sump where the return and heater are. The whole CK thing was a late nighe desparate move when my first 10g sump broke in a move, but it's working perfectly and is amazingly easy to clean. Get a crappy tank and make one. If you fail it's no waste really and if you succeed you will like it better than if you bought it shiny.
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I'm going through a huge hair algae bloom on my 410 right now. Just don't have time for the spot feeding. So I'm selling my stock off and moving to a shark tank.
 
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