AquaClear Auqatics Wet/Dry?

[fishguy01]

Has anyone use one of these things.....I am thinking of getting one for my setup. The price (filter and skimmer combined) is good but if it does not perform then it is a waste of money.....I've see in some post the Amiracle hang on the back doesn't work too well.

[Skipper]

Hey fishguy01.

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to Reef Central
Are you planning a reef or a fish only tank? I would advise against an Amiracle skimmer. I got one when I first got my tank over seven years ago and quickly learned it's best put to use in the garbage can! :D

[fishguy01]

It's going to be a reef...mostly soft coral...fishes will be clown, firefish, hawkfish, mandrian (Sp?) - this one will be way, way later in the game, and damsel and probably a royal gamma. My tank is a 72 Gal Bow...

[Skipper]

For a reef, I would advise to stay away from the wet/dry. I ran one for years, and have done away with it. With a good live rock/deep sand bed, there is really no need for it.

[DgenR8]

Save yourself some cash and forget the wet/dry. A sump is a really good idea if you have room for one, but bio balls, wheels or whatever are not needed as skipper said if you set up a nice DSB.
On a side note:
Think twice about the damsel, most reefers don't keep them.
AND.......
RESEARCH, A LOT before buying a manderin, They are difficult to keep healthy and need an established system to have even a fighting chance.

[naesco]

DgenR8 gives good advice.
A mandarin in definitely not a beginner fish and requires special care. Please do not consider this until you have proven success in this hobby .
I would recommend you take a look at the tank raised clowns, dottybacks and gobies.
They are hardier than the ocean ones.
Go slooooooow and Good Luck

[fishguy01]

Thanks for all the advices...
The mandrian as I said will be way way later in the game I've read a lot about this fish and know how difficult they are due to their dietary requirement....I am seriously thinking of adding a refeguim (SP?) so that this little guy can be supported...
Since I have not setup the tank yet, can I get an opinion on what is the best setup

[DgenR8]

Well,
That 72 bow is a beautiful tank and a great choice for a reef! You are off to a good start :D Is it Reef Ready? Do you have anything other than the tank?
A sump and refugium is a great idea. I recommend that if you have a basement under or closet close to where the tank will be that you use that space if possible for a sump & refugium. Reasons being, the bigger the better, and if you can hide it that's another positive, last, if it's in your basement you have easy access to it and you don't hear it working. (skimmer, pump etc...)
I have a Turbo Flotor skimmer, not bad, but I don't think I'd buy another one. I haven't tried any others, and don't know from experience what is better, so I'll leave that to someone else.
Make sure you have enough electricity where you are putting the tank. Actually, if you can, this is the time to add another circuit to your house for the tank, two would be even better because if one trips, the other can still provide some power heads and a heater till you get home and reset the blown circuit.
I started with NO fluorescent lights, EIGHT 18", 15 watt bulbs over a 125 gal. They did support mushrooms, star polyps and the like, but to really have a reef, I stepped up to Metal Halide with VHO supplementation. I wasted somewhere around $200.00 on those stupid NO bulbs, and now they will collect dust in my basement. Do yourself a favor, start with at least VHO or PC lighting, (I like VHO, read up on the difference before you decide which is best for you) when you realize that you NEED M/H, you can keep the old lights for supplementation.
That's a start for 'ya, get back to me on what other equipment you already might have, and wheather or not your tank is Reef Ready.

[fishguy01]

This is my current FW setup which I am planning to convert to a reef......
All Glass 72G Bow not reef ready...so whatever add-on will have to be hang on the back...I have a classic Eheim canister filter, 2 100 W Ebo Jager heaters, I am in the process of making a wooden fixture for my lighting. The lighting consists of 110W PC (which is what is on now) and another 80W NO fixture. Not really enough light for any hard corals. The tank is in the living/family room sitting on top of a painted oversize sheet of ply wood (so that little water spill will not damage the carpet and the weight is distributed over a few more joist as well). As you can see I am paranoid about water damage. I have about 16" space behind the tank and the wall so that if I have to I can seek behind it to do some work. I am looking to add at least 70 lbs of LR.
Given that and I would like to add a refegium what would you recommend. One of the things I am looking at is the ecosystem refegium or maybe the eheim one. On the other hand I am assuming if I use a tank as the sump I can put a divider in and turn that into a refegium...but than there is the water issue.

[fishguy01]

Sorry I mean CPR refegium not Eheim....