Can't keep hard corals alive???

JR's Reef · Oct 29, 2009

Stray32 said:
A sump is a better option in my opinion, but plenty of people run sumpless systems with success.

I would prepare some fresh saltwater, and rinse the detritus off of the filter pads and cages. Simply rinsing and not scrubbing will preserve most of the good bacteria and will get rid of the crap. But like I said, this needs to be done once a week or every 10 days or so to maintain low nitrate levels.

Well said also one of the keys to SPS is a very stable system.

Usefulidiot213 · Oct 29, 2009

I run a sumpless system, but I have two HOB Remora pro Protein Skimmers. It's hard with canister filters because they do have to be cleaned so often.

x Sarah x · Oct 30, 2009

Can someone just do a little key for me, i really don't know all the marine talk, so can you just define the following so i understand a bit better:

LPS
SPS
FO
Cheato

and lastly whats FOWLR (i've got to ask, my surname is Fowler :tongue: )

Sentinel · Oct 30, 2009

LPS- Large Polyp Stony (ie hammer coral, chalice, acans, frogspawn etc,)
SPS- Small Polyp Stony (ie acropora, montipora, hydnophora etc)
FO- Fish Only
Chaeto- is a macro algae that most put in the refugium to export nutrients
FOWLR- Fish only with live rock

x Sarah x · Oct 30, 2009

Thank you very much,

I can read everything over again now and assess what is being asked of me, haha!

ahayes13 · Oct 30, 2009

if it was me i would get rid of the canister filters. not that it cant be ran with them but is more difficult i think. like a few others have said they can be nitrate factories.

i would def. put the sump on the system and use filter socks. the filter socks i would change out a few times a week. (do not throw away the filter socks, simply wash them in the washing machine. i do one wash with a cup of bleach and then two washes with just water. then let them dry in the sun)

as far as water testing. you should def. be doing your own testing. it will help you get a handle on your parameters and if you are testing at home and more often, you can see as you make changes how your numbers are improving.