filtration

[Mappelbaum37]

Ive started a thread on this before, and before I make the purchase I just want to make sure of something...

I have a 75 gal. tank aprox. 100 lbs of live rock, 60 lbs of sand 8 fish, couple of corals.

fish:
midas blenny
bangaii cardinal
coral beauty
sandsifting goby
2 occelaris clowns
flame hawk
yellow tang

I have a fluval 405 filter and a prism protein skimmer. I just re-did my tank a few weeks back and Im going to get better filtration now...

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12591&Nty=1&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=All&N=2004&Ntt=refugium&Np=1

This is what I was told to get. Would this replace my fluval and prism or be an addition to the prism and the fluval?

Thanks

[demonsp]

If you could go full refugium you would be better off. This is a great addon though. But you cant compare this with a protein skimmer. The HOB fuge helps with pod population and nitrate and phosphate control as skimmers remove fish waste and disolved solids.

[zacharytrimble]

A refugium is a great tool for your reef tank. Throw some kind of "macro-algae" like chaetomorpha or caleurpa in it to suck up nitrates and phosphates. I notice the "fuge" you're thinking about getting has a skimmer...that's good. What I would do is stop using the fluval and just go with your prism skimmer and skimming via the fuge. This is because unless you clean your mechanical filter (fluval) incessantly...the junk that gets caught in it breaks down and forms nitrates....whereas part of the point of skimming, is to get the waste out of the water before breaking down at all.
I'd like to be completely honest though...I've had a prism skimmer on a 75 and it just didn't cut it...also, when you get a small fuge like that with a tiny skimmer...even that added to the work of your prism may not be enough to keep the water quality where it needs to be if you want to keep getting into corals. Basically, I'm going to give you this piece of advice...get the best skimmer you can...period...get one that's oversized a bit for your tank... and rely on alot of skimming rather than your canister filter. I'd even say to not buy your fuge and put that money towards a great skimmer...like for your size tank...a euroreef rs80...or an asm g1...or something of that nature.

[Mappelbaum37]

thanks a lot for the ideas and replies.... The problem is i dont have a sump. My tank was put on a very sturdy dresser when I started it up. When I re-did the tank i moved the dresser away from the wall to fit the filter on the link. The only reason i got the prism was because it fit behind the tank. there's no sump to hold all these skimmers. Otherwise trust me. I wouldve gotten a decently good skimmer. No where else in the house to put the tank where I could use a sump.

Thanks...

[masonicman]

Check out his refugium it's HOB. Also in your photo I see alot of micro bubbles. I hope that they don't flow back into the tank. I have this small fuge and a remora ps skimmer for the same limited space reason.

http://www.aquacave.com/searchresult.aspx?CategoryID=247

[Mappelbaum37]

Looks good but im looking for something with a skimmer because my prism sucks and i would be getting rid of the fluval.