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On 6/28/2002 6:17:28 PM
Hi cheeyong,
I'm staying at pasir panjang, so if you're free, you're most welcome to take a look at my tank. It's not fully stocked yet, but with some LPS and lots of softies. Most of the stuff is DIY (the plumbing), so if you're interested in seeing how a DIY overflow box is done you can come over.
Oh ya, kelvin, I just bought a carpet anemone today! He seems to like where I've put him, so I'm just waiting for my clown to find him. Got a fantastic deal - one turbinaria coral, one carpet anemone, one featherduster (got it for fun) and one pumping xenia at $20, haha.
OK, back to topic ... surface skimmer just skims water off the surface and returns it into lower water levels - if you're using a sump, the overflow unit would inevitably act as a surface skimmer. It's needed to prevent muck from coating the water surface, which will decrease O2 absorption and decrease amount of light reaching your corals.
Kelvin's said most of the stuff on the protein skimmer ... orca sells for $25 for a small unit, and you'll have to buy an airpump and regularly replace the wooden airstones. I've used it before and it works great. Right now I'm using a double venturi from Amiracle, which is more expensive but works well too - frankly I don't see much difference between these 2.
Your canopy should be OK, but do as what kel has suggested - you can minimise salt spray but not agitating the surface too much. Your temp range is good for corals too - I'm having 29-31 regularly and the corals are still fine.
Regards,
Hong Yee
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