[thelastmucci]

OK so I'm planning on getting the new 39 gallon (unfortunitly probably won't have the money to get the discounted price.) But I do have a few questions for those of you out there that do have the 34 gallon Signature series.

1) What is the difference between a pinwheel protein skimmer and venturi. I know it has something to do with air but I'm not exactly sure what. Which one is better IYO.

2) I plan on putting in the chambers
Chamber 1 Aquarium Pharmacuticals RENA smart heater 50 watt
Chamber 2 Purigen by Seachem and also Boyd Chemipure...plan on using 1 4x8 300 micron bag for chemipure also one pura filter pad by CAD.
Chember 3 (fuge) 7 lbs Rock Rubble and about a 3-5 inch sandbed...also plan on putting some booster mud and some sort of Macro Algae, Aquarium Pharmucitcials RENA smart heater 100 watt

3) What type of filtraion does the CAD use. I know on other people's tanks they talked about canister filters, HOB filters and also wet/dry systems. I have a pretty good handle on the canister and HOB filters but I'm admittidly stupid when it comes to what and how exactly a wet/dry system works. In any event what kind does the CAD use if any.

If it's not to much trouble for anyone to answer these questions it would be a great help to me. Thanks in advance

-Tony

[e_baer]

I am assuming that the pinwheel skimmer has a pump impeller that looks like this:


This way the air enters the pump and is chopped up into tiny itty bitty bubbles.


The venturi basically forces water through a narrow part of tube causeing a vaccuum effect which then sucks air into the water colum. here is a pic I drew.



As the water passes through the narrow part and then opens up again, there is a "vaccuum" effect and the air from the airline gets sucked into the water then travels to the pump to get chopped....I think.

[thelastmucci]

Elliott I love your drawings...classic. Thanks for the info man.

[patrick1234]

The way a wet dry works is it has bio balls now be for the bio balls the water pass through a spounge fillter (clean once a week) all the bio balls hold micro fine bactera. The bactera brakes down nitrates in to nitrites.
But do not i repet do not clean the bio balls it will kill the bactera which will make your tank cycle every time you do. bio balls work really really well and they will come with your system.

[e_baer]

Originally Posted by thelastmucci

Elliott I love your drawings...classic. Thanks for the info man.

anytime

[patrick1234]

also i think it comes with a uv starlizr
and a skimer rated for 50-80 gal

[patrick1234]

*100G Professional pin-wheel protein skimmer.
*6W Drop-in Ultra violet sterilizer.
*70G cooling unit.
*360 degree wave making return nozzle.
*Glass Canopy comes standard.

[patrick1234]

[glampka]

Originally Posted by patrick1234

But do not i repet do not clean the bio balls it will kill the bactera which will make your tank cycle every time you do. bio balls work really really well and they will come with your system.

WRONG! If you don't keep the bioballs clean they will clog with stuff & become nitrate generators. You are better off removing the balls & replacing with LR rubble. Should you decide to use the balls, you need to clean them regularly - clean 1/3 of them at a time.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

If you have a decent skimmer,live rock and sand you wont need all those poly pads and other filter stuff.The poly pads actually will remove a lot of the trace elements in a tank and that is not good.

[stephaniesquires]

With the CADLIGHTS system - do you buy their setup or just the tank?

[glampka]

Either/or. Mostly sell complete "cubes" with built-in filter similar to most cubes. Their lighting is mostly T-5 mounted above the tank. You can also get a bare cube.

[patrick1234]

Originally Posted by glampka

WRONG! If you don't keep the bioballs clean they will clog with stuff & become nitrate generators. You are better off removing the balls & replacing with LR rubble. Should you decide to use the balls, you need to clean them regularly - clean 1/3 of them at a time.

If he cleans them tho he will kill the bio load on them and the tank will cycle once more. And how do you get they are nitrate generators? I have used them in 3 of my tanks and and they do what they are made for take nitrates and make them in to nitrites.

[patrick1234]

Originally Posted by NATIVEVAMAN

If you have a decent skimmer,live rock and sand you wont need all those (poly pads) and other filter stuff.The poly pads actually will remove a lot of the trace elements in a tank and that is not good.

if your talking about the blue pad..
if not never mind


Is not a poly pad tho it just stops large stuff like fish food and stuff.

[glampka]

Originally Posted by patrick1234

If he cleans them tho he will kill the bio load on them and the tank will cycle once more. And how do you get they are nitrate generators? I have used them in 3 of my tanks and and they do what they are made for take nitrates and make them in to nitrites.

Bioballs become nitrate generators when they become clogged with detritus & other organic material. It sits there & breaks down. Originally, bioballs were never totally submerged in water. Water was allowed to flow over them which helped oxygenate the water. Now sometimes they are totally submerged as in the case of cubes. Most experts don't recommend the use of them in reef tanks.
If you clean all of them at once there is the possibility of a partial cycle but it you have enough LR in the tank it shouldn't be a problem.

[thelastmucci]

Wasn't planning on using the bio balls quite honestly after all the research I"ve done on them everyone says their just itching to become a problem...and while I could clean them out 1/3 of the time I"d be better off with some LR rubble in the fist chamber..maybe using that pad thing or the purapad they sell for better water quality...then putting a 50 watt heater all in chamber 1 then in chamber 2 put the purigen and seachem...which I believe will also help with water clarity...and supposidty these two don't take away from trace elements..(although time will tell me that of course.) then in chamber 3 a 100 watt heater and some mudd and ls...oh the chemicals are going to be put in 300 micron bags. But thanks for all the interest.

[rlcline76]

Yeah, you better not be thinking about the bioballs...give them to the cat as toys. After all you have read, we would have to gang up on you if you created a nitrate factory by using those balls.