Hello everyone, just setting up our 24 gal nano reef and wanted to get a few questions answered:

1. Lots of people on the forum are talking about increasing flow rate. I understand this would be in response to adding more bioload and would increase filtration etc. The standard pump in our tank kicks out 266gph, is this enough or should we be looking at adding another pump? (We will be looking to house a couple of clowns and a damsel along with the usual CUC and a few corals.)

2. Is there any particular level that the ammonia cycle should go to? We have read that with large amounts of LR the cycle can be fairly subdued...our level has not been very high, 0.1 ish, although the fact that it is detectable at all means that the tank is cycling properly I guess?


Your thoughts please.....

Thank you.

Milo & Bex.

110 ltr Nano (RO water)
12kg LR
Live sand
Standard filtration-sponge,carbon,balls,ceramics.

Hi and Welcome,

You should be looking at around 20x tank turnover per hour as a general rule of thumb. Most find that this needs increasing at some point as well.

Hope that helps.

Gary

I have a MJ900 and a Korilia Nano in my Orca 450............1800 liters per hour turnover, which works out to be x32 per hour. (Only because you really cant buy a smaller Korilia)

Although I thought that you only need 20x's turnover for SPS corals?????

Ok, that sounds easy enough. Thanks for the help folks. We'll keep you posted on how things come along and get some pics uploaded.

A great forum, lots of very good advice.

MnB.

20x is about normal, SPS you will want 30+ most people have closer to 40 or 50x with SPS.

Gary

If I were you I would get rid of the filter material (sponge balls and ceramic rings).
I have a 12g river reef with 5kg of live rock. All I have in the filter compartments is a bag of activated carbon and a sock of rowaphos. These are sandwiched between filter floss. If you want to you can put some live rock rubble in the back as well.

Thanks guys, tank is maturing well and looking awesome.
Have got rid of all the bio ball nonsense now...tank seems to be going v. well. 13kg of LR and bed of LS seem to work a treat. All I have in the back now is the pump, carbon, phos, heat and skimmer. Oh and a bit of sponge floss to trap anything bigger.
Params are spot on too.

Ps. nano skimmer 120 fits nicely in middle compartment...no changes needed.

Promise to sort out some photos later on.....

Milo.