NEW 25 Gallon Nano - pics, plans: inside ... need advice!

[Playdope]

Hi all,

I am trying to design a 25 gallon nano, and I face a number of decisions. First off, it's important that I tell you the center of attention in this tank is to be a Bubble Anemone (Entacmea quadricolor paired up with one or two false Percula Clowns. I haven't researched whether it is alright to have two of the clowns yet. Asside from the above, I plan to have a full cleanup crew, corals (will research compatible specimens later (unless you want to recommend some), and maybe a couple more small fish.

OK - on with the setup....
So far I have a 25 gallon acrylic tank, a hood similar in design to the eclipse, but with PC's. I am thinking about not using the filtration system that takes up the back third of the hood unit, and putting on a hang-on skimmer All, of my past fish only tanks have used overflow boxes and sumps, but I figured on such a small tank, it would be easier to just go with a hangon. I also wasn't thrilled with the idea of an external overflow.

Here are some pics of what I have so far - right now the tank is setup the way the manufacturer designed- filtration and all (minus the filter pads):

http://www.binaryillusions.com/adrian/pics/album18

I was thinkin about either modifying the back third of the hood, so that the hangons will fit through the back (preferably - to keep a clean looking hood) - or somehow making a new lid for the back 1/3 of the tank and drilling holes in it for the hangon's. Any advice? Anyone have experience with the CPR backpack design skimmer?

I am thinking of fitting one of these on the back (BAK-PAK 2RSM:REEF READY

http://www.cpraquatic.com/products/bakpak2r.html

OR the double skimmer version:

http://www.cpraquatic.com/products/bakpakdp.html


Thoughts on how I could make this work without making a mess of what I have?

BTW- with my current plans, could anyone make recommendations on where to put the activated carbon?

I'm sure more questions will come up as the thread goes on, but I would greatly appreciate all of the experienced help I could get.

Jon
[email protected]
AIM: TypeR1558

 

[Playdope]

:arrow: :?:

 

[liquid]

Hi Playdope and

I'm pretty sure that if you just remove the filter compartment from the hood that the BakPak should fit right in there. I would recommend removing the biobale that's currently in there because all it does is trap detritus and becomes a nitrate factory. I know I had to. I think that probably the Bakpak or Bakpak II would fit your situation just fine. You could put activated carbon in a hang-on powerfilter if you want to run carbon but with a tank as small as yours a waterchange would probably do just as much good and it'd be one less piece of equipment that you'd have to deal with.

What PC's were you thinking about using on this tank?

Shane

 

[Prof]

You can always use the filter box built in the hood to run carbon or a filter pad as/when needed. It is already there. I would run it just for the extra flow.

 

[liquid]

Hi Prof and

Shane

 

[Playdope]

Hey guys,

I don't want to remove the entire back piece and leave the back 1/3 of the tanks water surface exposed. I would rather somehow modify the back portion so that I could fit the backpack through it. Did you check out the pics? Do you think that would work?

It may be a little hard to understand this, but - would I have to drill a hole in the back wall of the tank, and then another one through the bottom of the rear filter compartment , and then fit the backpacks elbow through there. I would really like to keep a full, clean looking hood - like you see in the pictures now.

It would be nice to know if I could keep the activated carbon in the empty portion of the backpack. I am uncertain as to if there is enough flow in there for the carbon to be usefull. I just really want to avoid adding another pump if not neccesary. I dont think using the filtration system that came in the hood for the carbon is the best idea. 1) because that tube coming down in the display tank that draws the water up into the hood takes up too much space. 2) dont forget about the holes I would have drilled in the hood to fit the backpak. 3) That just another pump = more heat.. the same reason I want to avoid using a separate hang on filter.

Sorry for the defensive response, hehe... just weighing the options. I really need help with this one. Everything is effectiving everything - if that makes any sense

Also - I've heard the CPR backpak is pretty bad about letting bubbles back into the tank (even though they have those built in plastic walls to baffle). Anyone come up with a solution for this? I was thinking if there WAS enough flow, and the activated carbon would work well in the empty chamber, then that would also serve to baffle the bubbles - correct me if I am way off..

Jon

 

[Anonymous]

Hi.
You could definitely throw a bag of carbon in your CPR skimmer, if you decide to get one. If you have to plumb it with your existing hood, there's no way any of us can tell you how to do it.... you just have to get the skimmer and see how it fits. You can probably cut a hole in the back of the hood itself to allow room for the intake/outlet of the skimmer. I never had problems with air bubbles on the CPR, but you should definitely invest in the surface/overflow skimmer that the skimmer pump sits in.

As for an Entacmaea quadricolor (BTA)....although it is probably the easiest of the host anemones to keep, I strongly advise against keeping ANY host anemone in a first tank. They are incredibly delicate animals, and percula and ocellaris clowns probably won't host in a BTA anyway. It's a species specific pairing, and this is not the natural host of these clowns. Also, any anemone is bound to wander around your tank and sting and kill any corals you may have.