Juwel 450 Setup

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Hi Guys,

Due to a growing toddler who has recently discovered the world of "Finding Nemo" i have decided to abandon my Fresh water setup and re-visit the world of Marine aquariums. I initially abandoned my marine aquarium due to not having any time but this has changed and the bug has bitten again.

I currently have a Juwel Vision 450 and this is what I have at present:

Juwel internal filter with Juwel power head 1000lph
Juwel internal skimmer 3.0
2 X SEIO 2000LPH powerheads
1300m light fitting with 6 x T5

I will not be running the tank with too many fish, prob six maximum and prob only one or two corals.
My problem is filtration.... I do not want to have a sump, so i thought of two options.

Firstly lots of LR, maybe 25kg and second an in tank DSB. I have read alot about this but cannot find what would be the best method. What else could i use or add to aid in reduction of the bio load in my tank?
 
Do you have a sump?
As a DSB should be 150mm deep. Not much left over therafter of your display if in tank
 
Bud I would contact a few people in your area and go look at their tanks. Then ask questions and decide what you want to do. Personally I would go fot a sump everyday of the month.
 
Some pics thus far, I like the idea of not having a sump. The juwel tank have everything fitting in neat and tidy. I have seen tanks run like this on this forum where the major filtration comes from LR.

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So i managed to fill the tank today. here are some pics. How long before i add some LR. The juwel skimmer is quite noisy.

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Add LR from the beginning of cycle so that bacteria can grow with the cycle. Its a key part of your filtration system.
 
Good but you will have to add all LR from the beginning or thats the best if you can do it but if its cured LR then wouldnt be a problem if you add later on. But thats me, newbie's, advise. :p
 
I would add all the LR you are going to use asap and then let the tank run (cycle). The hardest part is the next few weeks. The reason I say this is because all you are going to want to do is go buy that 1st fish.
 
I have no plans to add fish for at least 2 months. Have made mistakes previously so taking it slow this time. The LR I am buying is cured, but dont have moola to buy all at once. Gonna stock up slowly over the next couple of weeks. I am currently having a problem with my Juwel skimmer which is very noisy due to a strange vibration on the pump. Pump was replaced but the replacement is doing the same. Anyone ever exp this?
 
@marinenoob, myne was also noisy but it does take time for it to settle in, my mistake was that I kept fiddling with it, and not just let it settle in, kept switching it off and on, just give it some time to break in and the noise should go away. Myne is still a bit noisy but its a lot better now.
 
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Thanks have you noticed that it is actually the pump is the problem. I have written to juwel about this but the noise is quite bad last night i could hear it in all the rooms with the doors closed..:) how long did yours take to settle in?
 
It took awhile, it is still abit noisy to this day, but its a lot better, maybe check to see it everything is in properly, I did notice it was the pump aswell, but I was having problems with micro bubbles so I did some modifications, I used some of the juwel silicone and siliconed the egg crate to the bottom, it sets quiet quickly in the water, then I put carbon sponge to the bottom of the crate and then the blue sponge, opened the air intake valve to about half way, seemed to sort out the problem with the micro bubbles, and maybe it helped abit with the noise aswell, not sure. Just make sure your water level is correct other wise your skimmer cup willl fill in 5 min, and leave the bottom valve completly open. After I did that it took a couple days and then it was fine,
 
I have no actual problems with the skimming and very few micro bubbles which are not even worth mentioning at this stage. The guy at Juwel UK says air gets trapped in the impeller shaft and i should try either switching it on and off two or three times in rapid succession or take the pump out and put it in water upside down and then once on turn it round to get the trapped air out. Will try it tonight.

My tank has cleared nicley now. I am notsure if i should add another back of sand at this stage. The main reason is i am not sure if i should have a DSB intank or not.

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There was a thread on Masa regarding problems that people experienced when first putting the Juwel skimmer on. If I remember correctly they figured out the problem. Just do a search on Masa, you should be able to pick up the thread
 
love your scaping, ok, just joking.

DSB should be 150mm deep sand bed. An in tank DSB is a lot more difficult with its own set of rules.

Sandstorms.
Wasted display space.
Need to ensure the rockstack is stable and that no goby can dig under it and cause a rockfall.
Cannot have any predatory fish or inverts that will eat the beneficial bacteria and critters in the sand.
No other mass sand movers.
 
Hi Guys,

When i got home last night i noticed a slimy speckled white substance on the water and checking again this morning this has not cleared. Is this from the aragonite and how long should it take to clear. I have not used aragonite before so would appreciate any advice.
 
Hi Guys,

Wanted to give an update, i have added some more LR. the skimmer while still extremely noisy is skimming nicely. Almost as well as my TS1. I also added two crabs and two fiji turbo snails. I noticed in my LR lots of creatures at least three brown crabs and a large looking slug that moves nearly at the speed of light ... :). I have read that these are not good, can some please explain why?

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