Comments on my latest plan? Thanks for help so far!

[rmanecke]

The challenge is a clam worthy setup to sit in a kitchen, by a window that faces an alley, no sump allowed (wife rules). This will be visible from the whole first floor.

Must use hang on tank equipment with an allowance for ONE item that can sit on the floor. Money is no object (within reason).

High priority = minimal daily chores. I get home LATE. Weekend time is fine. Looking to follow Mike Guerro's philosophy of minimizing evaporation to cut down on daily water top offs. Daily chores should be limited to every other day topoff - ideally with plain RO water (so the wife and fish sitters wont have to deal with lime - Kakwasser) and feeding.

36 inch tank (46 g bowfront)

Sealed glass lid

Chiller (the little 1/10 HP one top left) http://www.aquacon.com/chillers2.html

Aqua C remora hang on tank skimmer. http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/pr ... _aquac.htm

Calcium Reactor - Knop-C Calcium Reactor (up to 200 gallons) - allegedly can be mounted on the back of the tank http://www.aquacon.com/calciumreactors.html

Lights - Current USA 36"x15"x4.25" 1x150watt 2x96watt 350 TOTAL WATTS http://www.aquacon.com/currentusahalides.html

Nuttiest section...
Option: to boost circulation and provice space for carbon...
1. Magnum H.O.T. 250 cannister

2. Hang on Tank Small Refugium - would need to put carbon bags here if no cannister filter. This would be stocked with seagrass and rasping snails (provide microplankton for clams to eat accoring to an invert book I have)
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem. ... uct=CR1731

3. Both - if one is good, both must be better!

4. Neither - let the skimmer earn its keep, go without carbon!

Is this too much? Running out of room on the back of the tank could be a real problem too.

Thanks for any ideas or input.

Hope to have this up by Thanksgiving / Xmas.

Cheers.

 

[Anonymous]

nice setup and choices I really like my remora and that light should be perfect for your plan. As for the refuge vs HOT mag, I think this depends a lot on your other choices. If you have a mixed reef I would consider carbon very neccessary and either would give you that option. If you have a lot of fish that will depleat microfauna a refuge is helpful to replace them. I use my HOT magnum mostly to mix water and clearify during maintenence but don't run it constantly on any tank - so I guess what I'm saying is buy both........... use the refuge as part of the set up and throw the Mag on if/when you need it.