Trying to cut back on HOB equipment

[Kasey]

I’m just about ready for fish in my 55g (not ideal but I had a brackish setup in it for two years so I already had the tank.) This is what I’ve got, I’m curious if I would be able to take out the HOB filter and still have enough flow/filtration:

- 30 pounds dry rock, 17 live rock
- 20 pounds dry sand, 30 pounds live
- AquaClear 30-60 HOB filter with 2 biomedia filters and 2 carbon floss filters- (330gph)
- Macro Aqua M50 Mini Skimmer (268gph)
- Hydor Koralia X2 run to alternate every 30 min on a Hydor Wavemaking Controller (850 gph)
- XPAqua Sumpless ATO with skimming and media reactor capabilities (74 gph)

Total gph: 1,522gph and 30.44X tank volume per hour. Removing the HOB would bring me to 11.92 23.84X tank volume per hour.

At this time, I’m just going to do FOWLR with very beginner fish like clownfish, damsel, maybe chromis. If I keep this tank alive and happy for a full year, the husband wants to begin a 150g apex controlled custom sump system with corals and invertebrates. I may tear down the 55g at that point and sell, so I don’t want to go crazy expensive on this tank right now. I already have a 10 gallon QT set up, I may use this 55g as a breeder down the road or sell it with most of the equipment in it.

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

My simple rule for Aqua Clear is double the number of the reactor to the tank size.
If you have Chromis get a Eheim auto feeder and feeds often.
https://intankaquatics.com/ also check these inserts out, these are one of the reason to go to the larger size filter.