UPDATE! OK, I'm thinking about switching the 215 back to SW (FO!!!)

[Bill S]

So, I'm tiring of the Discus thing. They just don't do much.

So, in the next few months, I'm thinking of either going to Africans, or to a FO tank.

If I do a FO tank, I want it to be minimal - almost zero maintenance. I'd keep the Hiatt torpedo, and probably the VHO lighting - it's really all I need.

Any thoughts on great solutions to water quality for Fish Only?

[Big_Pun]

Fish only as in salt? if so go fish only, so much more charater in salt water fish and just enough challenge to keep you intrested.

[Pennies2Cents]

Just the thought of you with a SW tank brings a smile to my face... :) The colors are just amazing with the SWFO Tanks... If ya need something/anything just send me a message.

[FireWater]

You know what you are doing Bill. I don't think I can add any advice you don't already know.
I would be more than happy to help set it up or anything you need.

[Mr Cob]

Well it's about time.

You held off longer than I thought you would have Bill.

Lol...I can see it already... Fish only tank...then your salt creeps to 1.020 then u think...ahh just one xenia....then it creeps to 1.022 and you start adding some shrooms. Afterall...you do have VHO. Before long you have some Texas trash palys that you claimed the angels would eat. Then you notice you are at 1.024 and the orange cap you added 6 months ago took off. Now you are planning an entire tank tear down to remove all of the nuisance softies and going full SPS again!

lol

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[Mr Cob]

Yup....welcome back Bill. Hope you enjoyed your little break. : b

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[Kristy]

FINALLY!! So glad to have you coming back to the salty side. :D

Bill, I think Mike's FOWLR setup is about as low maintenance as it gets. And it has even ended up having a bunch of soft corals in it to add some color, so it's not even full blown FO at this point. Anyhow, you should swing by and check it out. It's really a fun and enjoyable tank to look at.

Let me know if you want me to go into details about it, I'd be happy to describe the livestock and setup.

[hobogato]

:thumbs_up:

[Mike]

About time... Come by and check out the tank, and the beer too. :)

[Europhyllia]

Woohoo! :)

[rrasco]

They say with a good skimmer and an ATS you don't even have to do WCs with a FOWLR.

[Bill S]

I was thinking ATS... But don't know. The only people that sell them want HUGE bucks.

I'm seriously thinking about running water outside, and building an ATS outside, where it gets real sunlight?

Anyway, still WAY in the thinking stage.

[RayAllen]

Hey Bill, A FO 215 will make for a sweet display. We all would like to keep those wrasses and triggers that you just can not keep in a reef. one thought on making it as natural as possible. Why not run it will decorative macros, marine plants and mangroves. Could look nice and provide filtration.

[Scutterborn]

I'm going to build an up flow algae scrubber on my tank, Bill. It's really inexpensive.

[rrasco]

I've built two and spent less than a few bucks each on PVC and the mesh; I used old pumps. You want to size them based on the amount you feed, so it will scale with whatever you have. All my future sumps will have an ATS built in for sure.

[Keelynnsreef]

How do you build the up flow algae scrubber?

[Keelynnsreef]

What is a ATS? I am new to this and not caught up on aberavations yet.

[allan]

Algae Turf Scrubber... I believe.

There's a thread on here somewhere that speaks to the up flow algae scrubber.

[Pennies2Cents]

Didnt "Ping" have the algae scrubber thing going in his tank at one point?

[rrasco]

ATS is a form of filtration used to remove nitrates and phosphates. Some large water filtration plants use them in rivers and streams for water purification. There is a HUGE thread on RC with all the information you could want.

In a nutshell, you have two versions. The waterfall and the upflow (there are also dump bucket methods, but not as popular or easy). Waterfall is a suspended piece of mesh canvas that uses a pump to keep water flowing over the mesh. In time, this mesh will grow turf algae, starving your system of nitrates and phosphates. In the very same manner macro algae in a refugium works. The upflow scrubber works on this same principal, but instead of being suspended with water flowing down, it is submerged and an air pump is used to flow bubbles up over the mesh screen. The results are similar.

Keep in mind when building an ATS, flow rate (relative to mesh length-for waterfall systems), lighting wattage, and mesh size are all important factors to having a successful ATS. As I previously noted, based on the amount of food you put into the tank, you will size your mesh and lighting according to that. The guidelines are not set in stone, but will give you a much better chance of success.

They say with a FOWLR you only need to top off evaporation and never need to perform a WC, if you have an ATS (I still run a skimmer though). This is because all of the export is done via an ATS (N and P). With a reef tank, it may be able to go longer without a WC because nutrients are being exported, but it is still recommended because corals can be affected by DOCs that build up over time that are not consumed by the ATS. With a FOWLR, these DOCs are are not supposed to be affect fish.

[Bill S]

OK, tonight we were looking at the tank, and Jan said "can we go back to a tank with angels, clownfish and anemones?". WHOA. Then she said "WHAT AM I SAYING???".

This is not going to happen right away. We are trying to remodel our master bath - so that comes first. Then we have all of those boat projects... Maybe this summer? I've started a document on it - I'm afraid to share it with her...

[hobogato]

:D

[Paul28]

you know Saltwater is harder to quit then smoking right ? :)