Hey i like thread and following it. now that you got your remora and tank can you plz take pic on how you installed it? you have the same set up i want. but i wasn't shure if you can put the remora skimmer on there? i like there skimmers. Also do you think that you can upgrade the return pump with something stronger for better flow like a mag pump or something? Keep us posted and pictures comming. looking very nice
Wow, you may just be the most conscientious, prepared, and researched first tank owner I've come across. I can't wait to see how awesome this tank turns out. With the info and advice you can get from your friend, us, and the great books you've picked out your tank should be looking pretty killer.
"Clownfishes" by Joyce Wilkerson--The all in one easy to read book on their aquarium care, ID, and breeding. This book is the one most geared toward the hobbyist.
"Anemonefishes and their host Sea Anemones" by Daphne Fautin and Gerald Allen--This one is great for finding out some of the wild behaviors of clowns. There is a lot of aquarium care info, but it is more geared toward the diver/casual interest than the above book. You can read the text of it here: http://www.nhm.ku.edu/inverts/ebooks/intro.html
"Conditioning, Spawning and Rearing of Fish with an emphasis on Marine Clownfish" by Frank H. Hoff--Hard core nearly scientific text, useful if you are serious about raising larvae at home. People who breed clowns commercially have this book near their desk.
Well, good flow is more than just gph. Positioning and "type" of flow is important also. You might want to add a second pump if you don't like what you have. Hydor FLOs are a nice way to add some "random" flow, but they do cut down on your powerheads gph, so just keep that in mind. For SPS especially, you'll need a good amount of flow. But more importantly, the flow needs to be implemented correctly. For most LPS and softies, you'll probably be ok with what you've got already. :wink:
You can add fans to cool the water. One under the light (but not directly at the bulb) and one pointing at the water surface should help out a LOT! Probably will make it so you don't need a chiller. One thing, you should look into a refractometer because they are more accurate than hydrometers. And as far as the pump goes, I would go with a powerhead instead of closed loop. Personally, I wouldn't like the look of closed loop plumbing on a open top tank, especially a nano. If you're looking for a lot of current, you might try the tunze nanostream: http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant ... unze_pumps - It comes out soon, so check it out.
It would be cheaper, easier and just as effective to just cool the room, I second the fans suggestion, and think you would much better suited getting a decent window ac, the chiller will be just as expensive if not more so to run, and way overkill on a nano, the fans will make a huge impact, should get some asap, definetly before you start stocking the tank
On the down side my evaporation has since doubled. Not a huge problem because I top off nightly, but if I'm away for more than a day for whatever reason, my skimmer pump will not be submerged.
Go buy some flexible vinyl tubing; you can extend the distance the pump is from the skimmer input without negatively impacting performance. I ran into the same issue with my own false-wall, in-tank sump last summer and talked to aquaC about it. They told me no prob, go ahead and extend the input tube. Been running it that way more months. No performance hit at all.