It's Been awhile

OK, So I have been hiding for awhile and havn't been online, but just started up again. Too many exuses to mention.

So i clearly do not have enough time, money and energy for the large Cichlid tank and SW.

My SW fish are doing great finally, except for the anemone. Not enough lighting, I know.

The 90 gallon Cichlid now needs weekly filter and 50% water changes. Just too much in addition to the SW.

My new thought is to sell off the Cichlids and convert the 90 into my reef tank and transfer my 46 into it.

So this brings a few questions. I have a 20 gallon and a 10 gallon tank I can use for Sump and Refuge but will need to figure out the plumbing and glass cutting for baffles.

1.) Tank is not drilled. Is a drilled tank really any different than using the overflow boxes ? Water still seemes to come from the top.
2.) What is a good skimmer for a 90 gallon, Remora 180?
3.) What is a good return pump ? Mag 9
4.) How do I get the water from the sump to fuge ?

If I transfer I want to do it right and do it so the maintenance cost and time is lower than it is today. The sump maint cost seemes lower than conventional filters.

One more question.
I read a few post about toxin from dying anemones. Is this for all ?
I have have a dying anemoe for 3 months now and is really just a shivled mess about the size of a dime. After reading posts about dying anemones killing off the tank, I got nervose and tryed to remove it, but boy is it still stuck to the rock. I know it's alive cause it move every once in awhile.

Question is, How to remove it, and should I ?

Thanks

 

I can't answer your main questions and great for you to decided to make your 90 a SW but my question is why is your FW 90 requiring so many and huge water changes? ARe your cichlids too big now. I rarely do water changes more than once monthly on my 90 and 150.

 

Yes, too many too big. Well a few that are too big and then the others. It was fine for awhile, now the filtration cant keep up. I was actually thinking putting the sump setup on it after reading a Cichlid article where the guy had tons of Malawai's with good success. I also thought of cashing in a few to keep it, and i am still up in the air.

While pondering this , I want to map out what I would do for a successful transfer tot he 90.

I guess I had decided that if I keep one, it should be the SW. Now just need to make the decision.

|Cheers

 

The refugium is pretty easy to build. I would use the 20 gallon tank you had and make it a sump/ refugium. Acrylic is pretty easy to work with for the baffles.

Here is mine. The water from the tank come in on the right side which I slide a filter sock onto the tubing. Then I have a baffle with a bunch of circles in it to allow water into the main part. Here the water goes through the Cheato Morpha and Live Rock(the big piece is in there from my display cause of Aptasia on it). I have some Kent Marine mud in there too. Then the water goes into the Protein Skimmer. Over one baffle and then under the next to the pump back into the display.

 

Thanks for the ideas.


\Cheers