Hello! FOWLR to Reef questions!

[Hillbilly318]

Hey RC folk. Im comin over here from another reef forum that i have been having issues with slowly, with people refusing to answer any questions i post. Hoping RC is a better forum and will allow more people to help!

Anyway, I currently have a 55 gal FOWLR tank. Which im slowly turning into a reef. Ive purchased an 85gal Oceanic, but unfortunatley it leaks, luckly my dad and i are compentent enough to fix it.

I have a couple quick questions that i certainly couldnt get answered over on the "other" forum.

First tho is my tanks details

Running since April last year.
Seaclone 100 skimmer (i know junk, replacing soon)
2x korilia 1's
aquaclear 100 (only full of GAC, Chemipure and Cheato)
Hagen GLo 2xT5 with 1 18k and 1 antinic
50ish lb of LR

Livestock includes 2 perc clowns and 1 smaller zoo colony.


My question starts with lighting. I have these t5s now and i also have 2 48inch t8s. I run all of them on an 8 hr cycle. I want to know what kind of corals i can expect to have the ability to keep.

Also. I want a LTA or a BTA, however i know they require ALOT of light and a well established tank. Being that i am moving tanks (using my existing water and rock) does this count as starting over, and will i need to wait another 6mo before a Nem can go in?

Lastly I have a new canister filter, i know, nitrate factory blah blah blah, but can i remove the filtration part of it and use it as a pump for my algae scrubber?

Thanks for reading!
Lyle

[Sisterlimonpot]

[welcome]
Lyle,
What is the wattage for your t5s?

Moving everything from one tank to another is going to stir up quite a bit and it may take a few weeks-months to stabilize. Are you going to add any more rock or sand to the new tank?

your right about the nems they need some good quality and stable water conditions, so make sure the water params are stable prior to attempting them.

If you don't have anything else you can use the canister filter to supply water to your "algae scrubber"

[Hillbilly318]

the t5s are a 40 watt bulb each. the t8s are a 54 watt bulb each. im aware the tank move will stir up quite alot, and all new sand in the DT, with all my rock. Adding another 40lb of cured rock from a fellow reefer down the st.

The current sand in my tank will be headed for the fuge on my new sump

[Hillbilly318]

well everything is re-siliconed and ready to dry. hopefully tomorrow there will be water in it