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petere1989
06/10/2014, 03:46 PM
Hi all, so I currently have a 90 gallon lightly stocked reef tank that is driving me insane and i am considering downsizing to a 30 gallon-ish tank. I was wondering how do you manage phosphates in a smaller system? right now i use phosguard in a reactor with carbon and dose microbacter as a form of carbon dosing but in a smaller tank that doesn't seem like the route to go. I really don't want to give up on the hobby since I know what i'm doing but really just want to downsize.


also i would use the rock from my current tank along with water used after a water change. i would transfer some rock and water and let it cycle again, because i know it would go through a mini cycle probably and then transfer my few corals and two clowns that i have over. like i said, my 90 is very very lightly stocked.

Randy Holmes-Farley
06/10/2014, 05:19 PM
Using GFO is a good option, IMO.

What other sort of filtration do you anticipate using?

Despairodyne
06/10/2014, 07:04 PM
I'm curious about this as well. I'd like to do a 30 gallon SPS only cube (no fish, a small CUC) but how does one keep pristine water parameters without having a lot of filtration hardware?

Or does a lack of fish lighten the bio load such that the LR, sand, and maybe some carbon would be enough.

Randy Holmes-Farley
06/11/2014, 05:29 AM
Less foods added equates linearly to less phosphate and nitrogen added, so yes, lack of fish makes the problem a lot easier. :)

Despairodyne
06/11/2014, 10:37 AM
I'd still have to feed the corals and the CUC. And as a result, would be feeding the bacteria in the rock/sand. Sump with a skimmer perhaps.

Off to use the search function. I bet there are bunch of people who do this and have awesome tanks.

Thanks Randy

SloppyJ
06/11/2014, 10:43 AM
I have a nuvo 30. It would be pretty easy I think. Keep up on 5g weekly water changes. Get the skimmer and the media reactor that they sell for the tank.

Donkeykong
06/11/2014, 01:08 PM
GFO, skimmer, water changes. With a smaller tank you can do 5 gallon water changes and that is a huge export of excess crap in the water. I have a IM Nuvo 38g all in one, I made one of the back sections a small fuge with chaeto. So it will be a good export of nutrients but also help keep a stable pod population.