In Need of Alot of Advice

[rocketlily]

I currently have a 20 gal SW tank with a Nano Skimmer, 2 Korila powerheads, 150 watt heater, 150 MH light, approx 30 lbs live rock, 1 Yellow tailed Blue Damsel, 1 Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Emerald Crab, 2 Turbo snail, 3 Margarita snails, Flourescant green acro, mushrooms, zoas, Duncanopsammia, Clove coral and GSP. During times when it is very hot outside, I have a little trouble keeping the temperature down.

I am currently building a 95ish tank, and have the following equipment, ASM G2 skimmer, 2 200 watt Stealth heaters, 2 Quiet One 4000 pumps and a 36" Outer Orbit with 2-250 MH lights and 4 T5's.

My pond fish went outside, leaving me with an empty 36" 50 gal tank, stand and Eheim 2215 Canister Filter. This will be empty until next October and the new SW 95ish tank will not be ready, live rock cured and cycled until Sept or Oct.

I was thinking of transferring the contents of the 20 gal to the 50 gal. The light will fit but the Nano skimmer will not do. The 50 gal is not drilled, nor do I want to drill it for an overflow. What would you recommend I do for a skimmer for 3-4 months? How would you handle the transferring of the stock and adding more water. I currently do a 15 liter change every week. (I will not be adding any new live rock to this tank). There is no room for a sump in the stand below the 50 gal.

Any help and suggestions you can give me on this would be very much appreciated.

[Zoaelite]

Why don't you just keep the skimmer you have now? (Forget this if it wont fit) You have to remember that whether its a 50G or a 10000G as long as your not adding livestock to the tank your bioload stays the same. Sure it might take longer for the skimmer to filter all the water but it will still do it. Same thing with the water changes, although you will be increasing the change a little theres no need for a massive difference (Because your bioload is staying the same)
Levi

[Captainhemo]

If I uderstand you correctly, you're going to be putting all this livestock in the 95 when it's ready in the fall ? If this is the case, I personally wouldnt move it all to the 50, only to then move it all again to the 95 when it's done. If all is going well now I'd just leave it till the new tank is ready That's just my $.02

If you do decide to move to the 50 , then I'd agree with the above and make use of your current equipment.

[rocketlily]

You're right. Everything will go in the 90 in the fall and the 50 will go back to being FW. The 2 reasons for going to the 50 then 90 were:
1) Being able to control the temperature in the heat
2) Being able to buy more corals and fish during the summer as the 20 doesn't have any room left.

I think that if I could figure out how to run the ASM skimmer externally without the tank being drilled and spending alot of money on equipment I wouldn't use again, I could get it to work.

[Snappy]

If you are planning have more of the same kind of corals you don't really need a skimmer.

[rocketlily]

If I were to fill the cannister filter with live rock and a layer of floss on top (floss to be rinsed out weekly or twice a week) would this do instead a skimmer for the next 3 months. I don't think the little Nano Skimmer will do anything on the 50 gal.

What I would like to do is possibly add 2 more little fish and a trip to your place in Calgary and pick up a selection of your frags.

[Myka]

I wouldn't bother moving everything to the 50g, just stick with the 20g until the 95g is ready.

Side note...you have a 36" Outer Orbit going on the 95g? What are the dimensions of the 95g? Isn't it 48" long?

[rocketlily]

The tank is a corner tank,diamond shaped, each back side being 40", the extending perpendicular 10" and 42" across the front for viewing. A 36" is the only light that would fit across the tank.

[Myka]

According to this site:

http://reef.diesyst.com/volcalc/volcalc.html

Is it a "corner pentagon"?

[rocketlily]

Thank you!! Nice website. Yes, it is a corner pentagon.

[Myka]

That's a pain in the butt to light for reefs.