CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

o and NO HOB Filters, they just collect waist and make a head ache for you.

What kind of filtration do you suggest? I've been reading my "for dummies" book and they saw no problem with HOBs.

I am begining to plan out my set up. I'm going to use a 20g high aquarium (slight change of plans) and a 15 gallon sump. I'll attach the plans, tell me if it looks like something that will work.

(Edit)



How do you attach the image to the post?

Well, I finished reading "Saltwater Aquaiums for Dummies". Very informative. I appreciate the advice, Junior. I am starting to think of what I'll stock the tank with, and I'm looking at a pair of some sort of clowns and something called a "Dwarf Lionfish". Anyone have any info about the lionfish? Availability, difficulty of keeping, etc. I'm going to do some internet research about it, and see what I can find out.
Do my clowns need real anenomes, or will fake ones do (as I'm scared to pay for something overly difficult to keep that will just end up dying and fouling my water)? How many anenomes will I need for a pair of clowns? What type of clowns would you suggest for a beginning saltwater guy? I know to stay away from Maroon clowns, but thats about all I know.
Well, off to do some net searching.
I appreciate any help you can provide.

You don't need an anenome, nor do I suggest them to anyone who hasn't kept soft corals for at least six months and has the right amount of light.(a good beginner test). Anenomes will just cause the clowns to become more aggresive.

Also with a 20g H you can't keep a drawf lionfish, they grow to 6-7" and are very dirty fish. For that size tank a pair of clowns will just about fill it, you could add a royal gramma or something of that sort. Bio-loads are different in saltwater since they are much more sensitive.

As for filtration, I dislike HOB's because they just trap waist and cause a nitrate factory, now in fresh this is just fine but not in saltwater. I prefer to set up a tank with just a good skimmer and plenty of live rock, then to keep the waist suspended in the water column, I make sure to have powerheads or a closed loops. I usually like to have a 20+ turn over per hour. I had a 20g high for a while and I had a prizm skimmer w/ 2 maxi-jet 900's. Then added an aquaclear 500, that I had converted into a fuge(holds macro algea to filter nitrates and other wastes out, NATURALLY).
So in that tank it had about 45 times and hour turn over, but this was because I had sps corals in there.

Also for your plan, I would keep the power strip off the bottom w/ a sump at some point you will over flow, its not a matter of if its when. So to save you that head ache put it up. Now that I see you are going with a sump go with a remora urchin skimmer, they are worth every penny. Also make sure the siphon enters on the other side so you get a nice current through the tank, not so much waste to sit on the bottom. Also get a filter sock for the siphon, and clean that weekly, it will make the tank quiter and you can remove waist easly like that. As for anything else, I don't get what the ball is for, are you making an auto-top-off?

Ok, slight change in plans...
I'll be getting a nice big tank for my mbuna (maybe as much as 100 gallons ) and the 29 they are in will become my saltwater tank. I will still use a sump, though. With a 29, will I be able to keep the dwarf lionfish I want?
To answer the question about the ball in the sump, I don't know what you would call the idea I have. What I plan to do is put some sort of a floating ball on a stick (like whats in a toilet), and attach to a switch that would lead to my pump going back to the tank. I'll post a better picture of my idea when I get a chance.

no need for that ball, the siphon should be able to move more water than the pump so the pump should be going all the time, just make sure when the power goes out, your sump won't over flow. If you stick with that idea you are going ot have a heck of time you wil be going through pumps like crazy(most aren't built to be turning on and off all the time).

That still to small for a drawf lion, the smallest I would put one in is a 40g and it would be all by itself. Sorry

JR

That still to small for a drawf lion, the smallest I would put one in is a 40g and it would be all by itself. Sorry

Sniff, Sniff
Oh well. What else might I put in the 29 with the clowns? Would I be able to get away with a damselfish? What kind of damsel is it that is the really striking blue color? I've seen those in the wild and really like them. I did read that damsels have aggresive tendencies though. Another fish I read about was the "Flame Angel". Would I be able to keep one of those? (they only get like 3 inches) You said that no anenomes would be a good idea. Would you advise getting fake ones?
I didn't think about the stress on the pump. Oh well, would have been a good idea, but not if it will wear out the pump. Do they make pumps that could handle being turned off frequently?
I'm getting fastsedans.com again, so I'm having to post remote. As soon as I can, I'll post my revised sump plans (although it might not do me any good).
Well, I appreciate all of the help.

Just get a bigger overflow and cancel the "on-off" idea for the pump. This makes it so the display is always the same height and the sump is the one that lowers.

Flame angel would be fine w/ the clowns, and they won't host a fake one nor do they need to host one. They will host anything to a cave to a peice of filter, so they will pick what they like.

I've done some research, and everything that seems reliable that I read suggests that a dwarf lionfish will do okay in 30 gallons. I will be using a 20 gallon sump, so that should help some with the bio-load.
Now onto the question...
I've been looking into a fish by the name of Blue Banded Seargent Major (abudefduf oxyodon) to keep with my dwarf lion. It is a damselfish that grows to be 4 inches, and so shouldn't be eaten. However, everything I read says that lions are at their nature not aggressive fish, they are simply predators that will end up eating smaller fish. However, I know most damsels have aggressive tendencies. Will the lion do all right with a damsel, or should I continue looking for another inhabitant?
On another note...
The glass in the 29 may be plated instead of tempered, meaning I might be able to drill a hole, thus making life much easier for making a sump. Does anyone know how to tell if a tank has plated or tempered glass?
I appreciate the help and advice.

you tell the difference in the tempered and not, the bottom is almost always tempered for safety. The sides depend on who made the tank, call them they will be able to tell you for, but remember you can still crack the tank.

Ok, will do. Thinking about it, and the risk involved, I suspect I'll take it to some kind of shop that does glass work, pay 5 or 10 bucks, and not worry about whether I crack the glass or not.