Skimmer and Filter

Question
QUESTION: I recently moved my fish into a 100 gallon tank. It is 6

foot long. I have been using a BackPack Protein Skimmer

that my neighbor gave me. I do not know much about protein

skimmers, but wondered if this was enough skimmer for my

tank. Also, I was looking at upgrading my power heads as

the largest thing I have is two AquaClear 3000 which based

on my research would do okay for a 80 gallon tank.  I was

looking at the Hydor Koralia and was told I needed a Magnum

5. I was wondering if using two if the Model 4 pumps would

work just and well and would be significantly cheaper.

Thanks.

ANSWER: Hi Debbie. The cpr bak-pak skimmer is rated for tanks up to 60 gallons. There is a dual bak-pak rated for tanks up to 100 gallons and unless this is the one that you have I would say you will need to increase the size of your skimmer. Depending on weather you will be using a hang-on skimmer or are able to upgrade to an in sump style there are many good choices out there. As for the power heads, the hydor koralia four would work well for your size tank. I have one of these in my 75 gallon and I can tell you that it packs quite a punch as far as water movement goes. Too much circulation is not always a good thing. Two of these will work just fine and you will have to play around a bit with their positioning to get the best possible circulation without causing too much turbulence. Unlike other models of power heads I have found that the koralias do not lose all that much flow rate over time if cleaned every once in a while.

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QUESTION: Thanks. I also have a question about temperature and heaters. What is the best temperature to keep the tank at if you are going to have fish and corals? Also I do not have a 300 watt heater for my 100 gallon so I had put to Marineland stealth 250 watt with the temp setting on the one that represents keeping it between 75 and 79. I did have a Rena heater in there and I discovered today, that even though I had it set on 78 and then 74, there was something wrong with it and it was so hot that it would almost burn you, so I replaced it with the 2nd stealth. I like the stealth because they are enclosed, but I don't like them because you cannot tell if they are working.  I guess where I am going with this, is this too much heater?
Finally, you asked me about a sump in the last email. I am running 2 HOT magnum and an Emperor 400, if I upgrade from the single backpack to the double, is it necessary to have a sump? I actually felt what I had would be easier and I don't have to worry about all that stuff below the tank and worry about overflow. Thanks again.

ANSWER: Hello again Debbie. A sump is not a necessary piece of filtration. I was just curious as to what kind of skimmer you could possibly get as an upgrade. The dual bak-pak should be fine and you do not need a sump to use it. I keep my reef tank at about 80 degrees F. However if you live in a warmer climate and the tank has a tendency to get warm because the room temperature is warm you may want to set it a little lower. There have been studies indicating that keeping your reef tank at a higher temperature may be beneficial to your corals. It also acclimates them to a higher temperature so if it does get hot in the house and the water temperature rises because of it there is a larger margin of temperature tolerance then in a tank kept at a lower temperature. My tank can reach up to 85 degrees F. in the summer with no ill effect. Just a word of warning about the stealth heaters; they are notorious for malfunctioning. My recommendation is to make sure you have a good in tank thermometer to keep track of your temperature and do not rely on the setting on the heater. I have had many problems with these heaters not only personally but also with some of my customers and with out it having and indicator light you will never know if it is working properly. I now utilize titanium probe heaters with and external thermostat and love them. You should always have a thermometer in a reef tank anyway but especially with the stealth heaters! Two 250 watt heaters are just right for your tank. You want to have about 5 watts per gallon.

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QUESTION: What brand of titanium heater do you recommend?
Thanks.

Answer
Hi Debbie. I use a ViaAqua titanium heater. It has not failed me yet, and they are relatively inexpensive when compared to other brands. Pro-Heat is another brand and they make one with a digital display that shows the actual water temperature. These are much more expensive and if you have the money to spend then the possibilities are endless.