Protein skimmer?

[Andrew52984]

Hey guys, I have a 46 gallon bowfront and currently it has a marineland c220 canister filter, 30+ pounds of live rock, 1 and a half inch bed of live sand and a nice cleanup crew consisting of scarlet leg and blue leg hermits, turbo and nas snails, 3 emerald crabs, 2 camelback shrimp and 2 brittle stars. I've only got 3 false perc clowns in their now, my wife is wanting either a yellow tang or a blue hippo tang. I know the tank would only hold a small tang but I plan on purchasing a larger tank within the next year for now I am addicted to saltwater tanks. My wife is kinda peeved cause I spend more time on the forum and reading books and checkin my tank than hangin with her, oh well. Anyway, I'm curious on whether or not that's enough filtration for my current setup, have really looked into a protein skimmer and possibly a wavemaker or somethin to add more current. The c220 doesn't provide much current and i catch one of the clowns hangin in it for a couple of seconds and then swims through a big piece of live rock with a hole in it. Its a daily routine for it. What would you guys recommend, I would like this to be a reef tank eventually. Thanks, probably bein too vague.

 

[Frankie]

Like i posted in your other thread you need a sump with a skimmer to build a reef. That canister filter is going to work against you.
How is your lighting? In other words what kind of lighting do you have? A reef needs some intense lighting so i would recommend reading up on that also.

 

[kimm]

Everyone has their own way that works for them, so it's a matter of trial and error. What kind of reef are you looking to keep? I couldn't disagree more with the whole "you need a sump to have a reef" outlook. I have a 75G reef with no sump and no skimmer. This is my 3rd tank in 4 years and the absolute most sucessful of them all. I do agree that canisters are just useless if you have the right stuff. My 75 is basic; my main filtration is LR, 90lbs total. If you have a 46G, make sure you have at least 46lbs of LR. 50 to 55 would be better, but 46 will work. Get that established and ditch the canister. Or use it only to run carbon or chemi pure thru. I have 4X110 watt pc's w/ a clam and an anemone. All healthy. This only works because my tank is not deep(just under 6 watts per gallon) and they are not on the bottom. Like I said beef up your LR and you can do more. Another thing, you can only handle 1 tang, I never ever have good luck with blue tangs, they need prozac. They are prone to ICK as most tangs are, but I have never encountered it from a yellow or a naso. The coral beauty is another good choice.

 

[Frankie]

I would love to see a full tank shot of your tank kimm. I agree with you that people can keep a tank with just LR. It's just not the recommended method for the beginner. Actually i have only seen a few reefs successfully kept like that. Most crash after a few years due to sand beds going south. Start a thread on your system, I would love to follow along and it would be a great reference for those on tight budgets.

 

[kimm]

I will post some pic's soon

 

[urville]

It may not be the only way, but I can tell you after countless methods including Jauberts, original berlins, wet/drys, canisters, even one Adey system by people here locally and myself that a sump with a refugium and skimmer is literally the easiest and most robust system.

Heres why:
You can keep any number of pod loving fish because the refugium acts as a garden for microfauna. With no deep sand beds a refuge with chaeto and a good skimmer I've been 0's on everything including nitrates for ages. I have literally zero equipment less flow pumps in my main tank, making for a clean and unobstructed view. Also any maintenance is reserved to the sump so I am never dosing anything to the main display, also I am never making a mess of the main display. Then i also do a 5% water change every week as well. But it takes me all of 10 minutes to do.

Again, I am not suggesting it is the only way to be successful. I feel it's the easiest and most robust way

 

[kimm]

here's some pic's Frankie...

[/IMG]
there are 3 total in my photo's

 

[lcstorc]

Just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be done.
Yes you can do without but it is a lot less stable and a lot more work. If you don't have a sump then at least have a good HOB skimmer.
Personally I would never have a system without a skimmer. Once I saw and smelled skimmate the first time, I was sold.
WPG doesn't really say anything about the lighting. The distance through air and water makes a big difference. A long shallow tank needs a lot less light than a high tank.
A 46 is really too small for a tang. Wait and get one when you get the bigger tank. Plans have a way of changing. Trust me I know. I am going to have to give up my tangs soon since they are growing out of the 125 and I never got the 300g tank I was supposed to get.
I don't mean to sound negative, but research and patience are the 2 most important things in this hobby.

 

[urville]

lcstorc said it right when he said just because you ca doesnt mean you should. I've seen some big tangs, I am apprehensive to keep even the smaller species in my 125 just because I can see the fish getting big, and it's like how happy can this fish be that big in my tiny tank? he may fit, but... is he happy? Fish like to swim so...

I have to add that seeing things first hand is super important, when and if possible.