What’s your filtration?

KPH · Mar 16, 2021

Hello all!

I hope this thread finds everyone healthy!

I was curious to see what everyone used for filtration in their FOWLR or even reef tanks.

I’m upgrading to a Red Sea Reefer 350 this weekend, first time having a sump, and I’m not sure what to use for filtration. LFS hooked me up with the basics, so basically just the filter socks that come with it, protein skimmer, filter floss to lay over the filter socks. Starting out FOWLR but i’m looking at maybe getting into corals down the road. Do i need a carbon/GFO reactor? I’m planning to put some chaeto in the refugium in a couple of months. But that was really it.

thoughts ?

saltybees · Mar 16, 2021

You’re probably good to start with that, could throw some carbon in one of the socks for an easy extra instead of using a reactor. I wouldn’t add any GFO unless your nutrients are getting out of control but I highly doubt that will happen for a while if you’re adding chaeto and skimming etc..just imo though!

KPH · Mar 17, 2021

Good deal! Thanks!

Azedenkae · Mar 17, 2021

KPH said:
Hello all!

I hope this thread finds everyone healthy!

I was curious to see what everyone used for filtration in their FOWLR or even reef tanks.

I’m upgrading to a Red Sea Reefer 350 this weekend, first time having a sump, and I’m not sure what to use for filtration. LFS hooked me up with the basics, so basically just the filter socks that come with it, protein skimmer, filter floss to lay over the filter socks. Starting out FOWLR but i’m looking at maybe getting into corals down the road. Do i need a carbon/GFO reactor? I’m planning to put some chaeto in the refugium in a couple of months. But that was really it.

thoughts ?

Heylo! Welcome.

Aside from sand and rock, my filtration includes a filter sock (it just came with the tank so I left it there), then followed by a lot of live rock as biomedia, followed by MarinePure gems also as biomedia, and then a pseudo-refugium/algae scrubber/thing which is basically just a light running 24/7 to grow whatever algae it can to soak up whatever it could, and lastly Poly-filter just as a last resort. I like fuges. They are fun.

maleks.reef · May 22, 2021

I started my tank with NOTHING but some filter wool and a black filter sponge and everything was fine. Later on, i added a HOB skimmer which is only temporary to be honest. I also set up a DIY refugium in my back chamber (i have a 30g AIO tank). Other than that, i have a bag of carbon that i change monthly. Do not overthink or overdo it, if your tank is still new and empty there is no need for many export methods because the nutrient going in the tank are already low. You don't want to zero out on your no3 and po4 and then get a dino outbreak. My 30g ran without a skimmer for 2 months (had 2 clowns in it) and it was fine. RIght now, my refugium is off 90% of the time and im feeding reef roids daily just to keep my po4 above 0. So my advice would be to take it slow, don't try solving issues that are not there as BRS once said. That being said, prevention is one thing and solving issues that don't exist is another.