New Reefer with a few questions

[tjs1200]

We have had a reef tank for about 6 months now, I have learned a lot from the forum and video that BRS have done and modified things as I have learned (another way of saying I leapt before we looked) in my defense, my wife bought the setup and said I am need to be responsible for the upkeep because I am retired.

Setup is 36 gallon Topfin bow front tank.
Has a Marineland Bio-Wheel Emperor 400 Aquarium Power Filter, 80-gal (looking to upgrade one of the reasons for this post)
Upgraded the lighting to Kessil AP9X
Current USA wave pump
3 live rocks and 2 large shells
Live stock 3 Chromis, 2 clownfish, 1 Mandarin, several snails, 1 BTA anemone, 2 types of coral.

I have a few questions;
I have added Copepods to the tank to feed the Mandarin, how do I know if there are enough of them in the tank to support the Mandarin?

I want to upgrade the the filtration and am considering a sump (Trigger platinum) the problem is that I will need to pump to the sump as well as the return (is this doable or advisable).

Thank you

 

[Rmckoy]

if it’s possible .
I’d wait and upgrade everything to accommodate a sump .
ideally you want it to overflow ( gravity ) supplying the sump . In the sump you can house your skimmer , heaters etc .
and last chamber for a return pump plumbed back up to the display
They do make over flow boxes that are used with tanks not drilled .
im not sure of reliability now .
move read a few horror stories over the years .

 

[tjs1200]

Thank you good advise

 

[MarshallB]

About 6 months ago before I set up my tank I looked into those siphon fed no drill overflows and I was not sold on them at all. Drilling the tank to install an overflow box really isn't a big deal. I was pretty nervous doing it, but after it was done it was over all very easy. I would suggest checking the back glass panel of your tank to see if its tempered. ( Look up how to check if glass is tempered on youtube ). If it is not tempered, a overflow box will be the way to go. It's just more reliable and much less risky. Depending on how long you own the tank what can go wrong eventually will go wrong.

If drilling isn't an option look up no drill overflow boxes. Just make sure you find one with a failsafe feature to stop/start the siphon automatically.

As far as the mandarin, if it is only eating pods and not fish food, then just watch it and make sure its staying healthy. Check the tank at night and see if you can spot any pods on the glass. In the end I would add more than you think is enough.

Since you have a mandarin you will want to set up refugium in that sump, or just an area with some rock to put your pods to give them an area to breed to give your mandarin a sustainable food source.