filtration/lighting

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I have a 28 gallon salt water aquarium, bow front, which has been up and running for around 5 years now. The aquarium consists of the following: 2 clown fish, yellow wrasse, a small clean up crew, sand, live rock, pulsing Xenia, orange mushrooms, and a tree leather coral. The equipment I am using at this time is a Rena Filstar XP1, Sea Clone protein skimmer, 2 power heads, and my lighting consists of a two bulb (actinic) T5 fixture and a power compact (white light) fixture. I also have a RO/DI system for my water supply.

My question is until I put the protein skimmer on the aquarium I was battling green hair algae throughout the tank but now the algae is confined only to my power heads and on the sponge for my protein skimmer. What can I do to eliminate the algae? Would a sump work and if so, since the tank is not drilled for a sump, how would I go about installing it as I have no knowledge of using a sump pump at all.

Thanks.

Glenn

ANSWER: Glenn,  Since your tank is not that large I would say the only thing you need is to take the sponge out and lightly bleach it about 1/4 cup to a gallon. Rinse it well let it dry to let the bleach evaporate or rinse it in dechlorinator and clean your powerheads. You can get an internal sump but your fish won't like the current. I know its a pain but the more established your tank gets this is what happens. It is extremely healthy. It just becomes a little more work. In your tank the powerheads and skimmer act as a sump. As long as you have heads that will circulate your water at least 10 times an hour and the same for the skimmer you are fine. the return flow is what the sump is for. I am going to send you some information on them. Good Luck, Tina

http://reefsources.itgo.com/guide/pumps.html

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Tina,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I have one last question. Do you think my lighting is adequate with the 2 fixtures I have on the tank? I have a power compact fixture for my white lights and a 2 bulb T5 fixture for my actinic lighting. I would really like to go to one fixture but I am not sure what to use. I have heard a lot of good and bad things about LED lighting. I have seen that a company, I think it is CoralVue, is offering a combination LED/T5 fixture. I am trying to get as much light as possible on my soft corals as I do not think the Xenia are speading light they should. Eventually I would like to go to a 125 gallon system but until then I want to keep this tank as healthy as possible.

Thanks again,

Glenn

Answer
Glenn,   I have always like these lighting fixture's. They are great for planted tanks. There are a few advantages to LED lighting. They have a longer life span, more durable, less energy, and it gives off very little heat. The thing with LED is it's the new high end lighting with a shotgun approach. If you get LED's without cree emitter's your going to have energy spikes with the lighting changes that you can not see. You have to figure out your wattage to get to the bottom of your tank. I am sorry I am trying to explain as simply as I can. Your spectrum of light your red on the LED goes much deeper but, what you need for fish life and plant life is different. I personally have kept coral life color enhancing for years. You would use something for reef. I definitely at this point would stay with your fluorescent's. Get GOOD bulbs. I am going to send you a site on LED's with the emitters and a site with a similar fixture for fluorescent that has been around forever. Just remember fish jump....lol Most of these fixtures are used with tall tanks plant life and low water levels if there are fish but, you can make a hood from Plexiglass.  Good Luck, Tina
http://www.aquariumguys.com/fixtures.html
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/LEDLights.html#1500