Saving for a Marine

ste2k3 · Mar 2, 2004

will need many filter feeders and carpets if you try this, or the arthopods and what not will take over.

that is not a bad thing. you can always introduce a manderin if you wanted at a later date. for now though, you want a lot of natural life in the tank. this is great food for fish and will clean up detritus. one thing, if you don't go for a sump, the skimer will have to hang on the back of the tank or on a shelf ABOVE the water level in the tank which could be a problem.

ste

Doggfather · Mar 2, 2004

may sound stupid, but how do you make a sump? and attack the skimmer to it, etc

Landlocked · Mar 2, 2004

The sump is just a tank that sits underneath the main one, and acts as a holding tank for all of your equipment, and that acts as a settling basin for debris. Usually, two holes are drilled into the bottom of the main tank, and pipes are run from the main tank down to the sump, and a pump carries the water back up.

The protein skimmer doesn't need to be attached; it can merely sit inside the sump and skim the water that is inside there. Because the water is always being drawn down and pumped back up, the protein skimmer will be skimming the entire tank.

Good luck! :fish:

RamJet · Mar 2, 2004

I had not thought about that, my tank sets in the corner of the room at an angle so putting it on the back of the tank has not been a problem.(plenty of room back there) I could see it being a problem if the tank is against the wall and you dont want to have to move it out.
Oh, you dont have to drill holes if you dont want too, you can get an overflow for the back of the tank($60 to $80), but once again you have something hanging on the back of the tank.

Doggfather · Mar 2, 2004

i thought drilling glass made it crack?

ste2k3 · Mar 2, 2004

nope, you can drill glass. we do it all the time at work although you need special drill bits which cost about £70 so it is best to get the lfs to drill it for you. (not all offer this service but some will if you look around) old glass that has been knocked around will breack more easly than new glass so if it is an old tank, then it could smash and the lfs usually dont insure you for it breaking but even if it does, it shouldn't cost to buch to put a new base on for you that is pre-drilled.

ste