I have a 90 gallon tank with ten or so gallon sump. I have two green chromis, yellow and blue tang pair of tomato clowns and a small psudeo chromis. would a protein skimmer help? i would like to take out my fish but dont want to return them and dont have anothertank set up
yes a protien skimmer will help big time.
for your fish a couple things to check out. around here most LFS have holding tanks for their customers to use. either they rent them or you can bring your fish to them and they will fish sit for you. one store here charges 25 buck to watch them for a month. the other rents holding tanks for 10 buck a week. but what i suggest you do is buy a 20-30gal+ blank tank a small heater and a powerhead. then you can hold them in there (lots of water changes will be needed) and later you will have a QT tank for future additions.
oh sorry i also have only ten or so turbo snails and one slug. would more clean up crew help out?
no dout, bump that up. i dont like or use crabs so this suggestion is based on a CUC without crabs. shot for something like this;
10- Turbo snail (Turbo margarita) "the small ones"
30-Cerith snail (Cerithium sp.)
15- Astrea Snails (Astraea tecta)
30-Nerite snails few kinds-(Nerita polita) or (Neritina communis) any of them will do.
30-Banded trochus (Trochus radiatus)
10-mexican turbos (Turbo fluctuosa)-only cause you have them would have been 5 if not.
these next ones add later as they are carnivores not algae eaters. good for left over food.
5-Nassarius Snail (Nassrius distortus) "tonga the big ones" or 10-Nassarius snail (Nassarius vibex) "the small ones"
1-Tiger serpent (Ophiolepsis superba)
dont need to add them all at the same time, in fact i would not. add a mixed bunch of 20 or so and increase as your tanks need for them increases.
thanks.. i dont WANT to start all over..dont see the need to... but then again i am fairly new.. i try and do my reading but you know.. always need to know more.
i want a protein skimmer but dont have the money right now. i have lowered my power head to try to eliminate the dead spot in the corner.
would hooking a cansiter filter up to my sump help any if i loaded it with purigen or carbon. right now im only running a uv sterlizer and filter floss. no chemical filtration.
also no deep sand bed. jsut enough to cover the bare bottom in front of the rocks.
protien skimmer ASAP, make it a good one. do not go with a junk skimmer. how much are planning on spending on it?
the carbon will help with organic compounds, but i would just put it in a bag and drop it in the sump. no need for a canister filter.
take out the filter floss. the power head good for those dead spots, but do make sure your getting a good ripple on the surface of the water.
do read through that link i gave. it goes into all this. removing some fish for a few weeks is not going to be like starting over, it will jsut allow you to build up a a solid reef from the start and save you lots of head aches later on.