Filtration?

[Sebanyo]

Long time listener, first time caller...

Haha ok so this is my first sw setup, but I've had many freshwater setups. I just can't seem to wrap my head around saltwater filtration, I've heard many different methods, but can't seem to come to a conclusion. My setup will consist of a 40breeder, reefbreeders 120w LED, jbj trutemp heater, a power head of some kind(suggestions?) 40lb live rock, and livesand. As far as livestock goes, I'm keeping it pretty simple, cleanup crew, pair of clowns, fire angel, a shrimp of some sort, starfish, posssibly an anemone, and coral, of course. I'm not looking to do a sump as I live in a smaller apartment in the city, also I've heard of people just using protein skimmers? I've also heard hob filters are pretty much pointless when it comes to sw. Any light on this matter would be awesome.

Thanks!

 

[stacy_vennes]

yes you would need what they call a hang on back skimmer reef octupus is one of the better ones out there at the moment but you would have to do a very strigent dosing schedule and powerheads for flow depend on how big the system is and what your going to keep in the tank a good rule of thumb though is 5-10 times the tank capacity but with those you get what you pay for if you can understand what i'm trying to say there if you have any other questions a good place to look would be in the nano section most of those guys will have the same type of tank you have hope that helps

 

[Sebanyo]

Stringent dosing schedule? I was trying to avoid dosages like that!

 

[NanaReefer]

yes you would need what they call a hang on back skimmer reef octupus is one of the better ones out there at the moment but you would have to do a very strigent dosing schedule and powerheads for flow depend on how big the system is and what your going to keep in the tank a good rule of thumb though is 5-10 times the tank capacity but with those you get what you pay for if you can understand what i'm trying to say there if you have any other questions a good place to look would be in the nano section most of those guys will have the same type of tank you have hope that helps

What do you mean by stringent dosing cycle? Why would be need to dose anything?

 

[NanaReefer]

Long time listener, first time caller...

Haha ok so this is my first sw setup, but I've had many freshwater setups. I just can't seem to wrap my head around saltwater filtration, I've heard many different methods, but can't seem to come to a conclusion. My setup will consist of a 40breeder, reefbreeders 120w LED, jbj trutemp heater, a power head of some kind(suggestions?) 40lb live rock, and livesand. As far as livestock goes, I'm keeping it pretty simple, cleanup crew, pair of clowns, fire angel, a shrimp of some sort, starfish, posssibly an anemone, and coral, of course. I'm not looking to do a sump as I live in a smaller apartment in the city, also I've heard of people just using protein skimmers? I've also heard hob filters are pretty much pointless when it comes to sw. Any light on this matter would be awesome.

Thanks!

So far so good. If your budget allows for it go with the best power head/Skimmer you can afford. My recommendations for both are: Powerhead would be a Vortech MP10es. Skimmer: (This one I run on my 26g) Reef Octopus BH-1000. Google/YouTube them both.

 

[Planedoc]

I would seriously consider a sump. Protein skimmers are a must, protein
Skimmers often overflow. If you have a hang on the back type the stinky skim mate goes on the floor. It's not just the mess but the water being removed from the tank. If you have a sump the overflow goes back in the water. With a sump you can have a filter sock to remove large debris from the water plus a place to hide equipment like heaters and reactors. You can also have a refugium in your sump. I would never even think about running a salt water tank without a sump. There are hundreds of reasons to have one. You can have a tank without a sump but everything is easier and better with one.

Tapatalk on Galaxy S3

 

[ReeferBob]

For fish only it is not as critical to observe the "no traditional filter" rule. You would be fine with a canister filter or a HOB filter. It would still be a good idea to clean these filters every 1-2 weeks though. The majority of your filtration should be the live rock however. At some point you may want to start keeping Coral and they are much more sensitive to water quality then fish are. At that point, re-assess what you have for filtration. Also I respectfully disagree with getting what I consider to be the most overpriced circulation pump on the market, the Vortechs. I have a 40B and use a $25 Coralife 750gph suction cup style circulation pump. Skimmer I would get - you will be surprised how much garbage is pulled from your water. The BH1000 or 2000 are perfect for what you have.

 

[Sebanyo]

For fish only it is not as critical to observe the "no traditional filter" rule. You would be fine with a canister filter or a HOB filter. It would still be a good idea to clean these filters every 1-2 weeks though. The majority of your filtration should be the live rock however. At some point you may want to start keeping Coral and they are much more sensitive to water quality then fish are. At that point, re-assess what you have for filtration. Also I respectfully disagree with getting what I consider to be the most overpriced circulation pump on the market, the Vortechs. I have a 40B and use a $25 Coralife 750gph suction cup style circulation pump. Skimmer I would get - you will be surprised how much garbage is pulled from your water. The BH1000 or 2000 are perfect for what you have.

Awesome, so next on my shopping list is the bh1000 and a marine land hob bio wheel. This should cover my filtration concerns correct? reefbreeders will this be sufficient lighting for my 40B?

 

[howaboutme]

Awesome, so next on my shopping list is the bh1000 and a marine land hob bio wheel. This should cover my filtration concerns correct? reefbreeders will this be sufficient lighting for my 40B?

If you buy the skimmer, you won't need the hob filter unless you plan to use it for flow or as a fuge or compartment for running GFO, carbon, or other media, etc. If you use the hob filter as is, you will end up having a nitrate problem unless you clean it regularly. Usually, reef tanks do not use hob filters.

Re: reefbreaders. Google "evergrow". That's the fixture, reefbreeders is the usa reseller. there is a lot of talk and you can get an idea of what you will need for your 40B. if you want an anemone or any other sps corals, I believe you'll need 2, run perpendicular to your tank. 1 D120 (the official name of the fixture) wont be enough to cover the 36" tank.