Switching tanks around

avoidtheboyd · 01/05/2018, 11:12 AM

I'll start off by saying that I've had a 16g biocube setup for about 2 years now. It looks alright but I'm slightly tired of having a little bit of height but really no real estate. Today I got a 20x24x9 rimless tank setup for a sump for free and I was thinking about switching everything from the biocube into more shallow tank. Its about the same water volume if not slightly more not including a small sump. Anyways, here are my questions...

1. I have a clown which I thought about the height difference may not be the greatest for it but it honestly just kind of hosts a corner so maybe a more shallow tank would allow the clown to feel safer and move around more. (Not really a questions just maybe get an opinion)

2. I will obviously use all of the liverock from the biocube along with ceramic ball media I have in the chambers, the sand however, I will not switch over. Will adding a new layer of sand cause any problems with filtration big enough that the rock and bio media cannot adjust adequately?

3. I will be using probably a 10/20 gallon sump with a refugium compartment depending on what size I build the stand. I was thinking about miracle mud in the refugium section along with some form of beneficial algae. My only questions is, is there a better option for a tank this size? Also should I have the miracle mud within the tank when I switch everything over?

RobZilla04 · 01/05/2018, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avoidtheboyd

I'll start off by saying that I've had a 16g biocube setup for about 2 years now. It looks alright but I'm slightly tired of having a little bit of height but really no real estate. Today I got a 20x24x9 rimless tank setup for a sump for free and I was thinking about switching everything from the biocube into more shallow tank. Its about the same water volume if not slightly more not including a small sump. Anyways, here are my questions...

1. I have a clown which I thought about the height difference may not be the greatest for it but it honestly just kind of hosts a corner so maybe a more shallow tank would allow the clown to feel safer and move around more. (Not really a questions just maybe get an opinion)

2. I will obviously use all of the liverock from the biocube along with ceramic ball media I have in the chambers, the sand however, I will not switch over. Will adding a new layer of sand cause any problems with filtration big enough that the rock and bio media cannot adjust adequately?

3. I will be using probably a 10/20 gallon sump with a refugium compartment depending on what size I build the stand. I was thinking about miracle mud in the refugium section along with some form of beneficial algae. My only questions is, is there a better option for a tank this size? Also should I have the miracle mud within the tank when I switch everything over?

1 - The clown will be fine.

2 - New sand will be fine. If dry, rinse first (to avoid cloudiness). You can reuse old sand also if rinse thoroughly. There shouldn't be any major spikes to worry about.

3 - Miracle mud is not necessary within the fuge. Taking into consideration anything else you'll be putting in the sump is a must. How much space will the skimmer & return pump take up?

Lastly with regard to a fuge in the sump, choose lighting carefully. I ended up with a sump covered in the last two chambers with algae because the light spread everywhere.

avoidtheboyd · 01/05/2018, 01:46 PM

I've honestly never run a skimmer because all of my tanks have been small all in ones and I've never really wanted to deal with it too much. However, I was given a small hang on skimmer that when this tank was up, it worked really well. So basically all that is gonna be in the sump is a small refugium area.

01/05/2018, 11:12 AM	#1
avoidtheboyd Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: West Virginia Posts: 54	Switching tanks around I'll start off by saying that I've had a 16g biocube setup for about 2 years now. It looks alright but I'm slightly tired of having a little bit of height but really no real estate. Today I got a 20x24x9 rimless tank setup for a sump for free and I was thinking about switching everything from the biocube into more shallow tank. Its about the same water volume if not slightly more not including a small sump. Anyways, here are my questions... 1. I have a clown which I thought about the height difference may not be the greatest for it but it honestly just kind of hosts a corner so maybe a more shallow tank would allow the clown to feel safer and move around more. (Not really a questions just maybe get an opinion) 2. I will obviously use all of the liverock from the biocube along with ceramic ball media I have in the chambers, the sand however, I will not switch over. Will adding a new layer of sand cause any problems with filtration big enough that the rock and bio media cannot adjust adequately? 3. I will be using probably a 10/20 gallon sump with a refugium compartment depending on what size I build the stand. I was thinking about miracle mud in the refugium section along with some form of beneficial algae. My only questions is, is there a better option for a tank this size? Also should I have the miracle mud within the tank when I switch everything over?

01/05/2018, 01:46 PM	#3
avoidtheboyd Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: West Virginia Posts: 54	I've honestly never run a skimmer because all of my tanks have been small all in ones and I've never really wanted to deal with it too much. However, I was given a small hang on skimmer that when this tank was up, it worked really well. So basically all that is gonna be in the sump is a small refugium area.