Filter Options, no room for sump

[OlPainless]

Need help figureing this out. Plan on just doing dry sand, dry rock and in a few weeks, a handful of fish and cleaners. I was leaning towards a canister filter but am starting to shy away after reading that they need to be cleaned 1-2 times per week. I don’t have room for a sump so what other options out there that are hang on. Down the road I plan to add a few easy corals. Anyone have suggestions? CPR Bakpak? HOB skimmers? I’m doing more reef2reef reading today than work.

 

[BeejReef]

How big of a tank?

 

[OlPainless]

How big of a tank?

Sorry, it is a 36gal bowfront

 

[Fredgee]

CPR makes several very good HOB sumps. I would run the largest one you can install. It still will be smaller volume wise than a external sump, but you can get some very good results with them.

 

[kireek]

I would get the largest hob that could fit on there. Inside of this ,you could keep carbon,filter pads or various other media as needed.

 

[OlPainless]

I would get the largest hob that could fit on there. Inside of this ,you could keep carbon,filter pads or various other media as needed.

Are you talking about a spinning wheel or canister?

 

[kireek]

The spinning wheel kind,lol. Not all of them have those.I find those work better in freshwater because salts build up on them when they are use in saltwater.That said they can easily be removed . If desired,I personally love the added motion.

 

[arturoo1977]

The only thing I dont like about HOB filters is that mayority has intake below water level so you can not skim water surface. Although some of them offer an accesorry for this purpose, or you can DIY.
So, a HOB filter for 50gal with room to run some filtration media and couple of wavemakers will be enough.

 

[arturoo1977]

Aquaclear is good option as you can easily "play" with media in its chamber.

 

[sfin52]

I have a 75g with softies and just added a lps. I run a fluval fx4 canister on my reef. I clean it the first weekend of ever month. Everything does fine and grows. No reason not to take serious look at a canister. It will also free up room for an hob skimmer. Just my 2¢

 

[OlPainless]

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The only thing I dont like about HOB filters is that mayority has intake below water level so you can not skim water surface. Although some of them offer an accesorry for this purpose, or you can DIY.
So, a HOB filter for 50gal with room to run some filtration media and couple of wavemakers will be enough.

Any knowledge of the Seachem Tidal 55 or 75 hob? Has a small surface skimmer on it as well as a large basket for media. I was also planning to have a small wavemaker in the tank to help move the water.

 

[sfin52]

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Any knowledge of the Seachem Tidal 55 or 75 hob? Has a small surface skimmer on it as well as a large basket for media. I was also planning to have a small wavemaker in the tank to help move the water.

Never used one sorry

 

[arturoo1977]

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Any knowledge of the Seachem Tidal 55 or 75 hob? Has a small surface skimmer on it as well as a large basket for media. I was also planning to have a small wavemaker in the tank to help move the water.

Never used them but actually I was looking at Seachem webpage and look prety nice actually!
3 things catch my attention. Surface skimmer, no filter cartridges and self priming!!
I may be using one of them for my next project

 

[OlPainless]

Never used them but actually I was looking at Seachem webpage and look prety nice actually!
3 things catch my attention. Surface skimmer, no filter cartridges and self priming!!
I may be using one of them for my next project

I read a post a guy is using the Tidal 110 for a 40 gallon tank. What’s the pros for using a hob that’s almost triple your tank capacity?

 

[arturoo1977]

Mainly water movement and more filtration capacity. No harm on oversize a filter, although not needed.

 

[madweazl]

Grab a hang-on skimmer and leave it at that. I ran that setup in a 40g for 11 years with fantastic results. You dont need a sump, it just simplifies and hides things.

 

[P.Ankler]

Hi there!
Actually , I have a tank with Jbl canister filtration....I clean it once a month and.... so far so good. This is my 3rd tank with canister filtration.

 

[Strawberry]

I think aquamaxx HOB protein skimmer is bomb!

 

[Uncle99]

I have no sump, it’s mainly for hiding equipment.
You can have a great tank with sand, rock, heater and skimmer.



If I need to deploy media, carbon/GFO, I just use the aquaclear HOB

 

[Mical]

I have a local fellow reefer w/a similar set-up and he uses a large HOB filter but instead of the carbon/bio balls, etc.. he put chaeto in it and a large foam filter/pad. It's been up over a year (that I'm aware of) and his tank is thriving.