55 gallon filteration?
- Thread starter gnorman
- Start date
promisetbg
Active Member
If it is in fact going to have live rock and a sandbed, a sump with a protein skimmer and heater is all you need. I do not recommend HOB filters for marine tanks. A couple powerheads in the tank for extra circulation will also be needed.
promisetbg
Active Member
If you are going to have a puffer you definately need the sump and a protein skimmer. Puffers are very messy eaters and if you don't set the tank up properly you are going to have an algae nightmare on your hands. Have you researched the care of puffers? They need a constant supply of shelled food itms such as small fresh clams to keep their beak from overgrowing.
gnorman
Active Member
yeah i know about the puffers..... i have a FW tank with some in it. i know FW and SW and very different but i know how to deal with puffers. 55 gallon tank, sump, and stand? about how much would that cost. and does the sump come included with the tank? or do u have to buy ur own tank and do all the plumbing?
M
mopardwh
Guest
I have an XP2 with a prism skimmer that works great.
promisetbg
Active Member
Unless you are willing to pay someone to set it up,or find someone to help you in your area..you will have to plumb it yourself. Getting one with a built in overflow would be better than having to get an external overflow box. Why not do a 75 or 90? I am just not a fan of 55's because they are so narrow. You could do a wet/dry as a sump, but I am not a fan of those either. It really is'nt hard to plumb a tank. You will need to figure out how much turnover you want for the tank, and get a good quality pump to accomodate it. You also need to decide if you want an internal or external pump. Internal pumps such as a Mag-drive are a good pump that lasts, the drawback is the heat it adds to the tank. External electronic pumps last longer, and do not add as much internal heat. There are many good brands, I use Blueline..which is a good middle cost pump. There are higher end products such as Iwaki{japanese only}, Dolphin, and others. I recommend that you plumb the tank with Spa-flex, it is for spas and reduces pump chatter..vibration. You can then buy some LOc-line for your input. Some people also like to add a closed loop{that's what I have} it eliminates the need for a bunch of powerheads...again less heat and asthetically more pleasing. Cost wise you are looking at probably around $600, give or take. Unless you can find someone in your area selling their's. I am sure you can...you just need a local forum/reef club. Sorry, but Prism's have to be the worst product on the market for a skimmer.
torno
Member
Sumps are not a neccessity IMO. My 55 has a Marineland 400 HOB filter, a Coralife Needlewheel Skimmer, and baserock mixed with liverock. It all depends on how heavily you are going to stock your tank. Tobie puffers don't give off any more waste than fish their same size. I think you could get by with a skimmer, liverock, and a few powerheads of the HOB filter....
gnorman
Active Member
promisetbg... i would love to have a sump. but it just seems too confusing and im just getting into the SW life. i dont even know if im going to be able to get a tank yet and if i do i want it to be an easy process. thanks for all of your input and help. as for the HOB and XP2 units, you would stay away from them b.c they just arnt good filters or what?
gnorman
Active Member
even tho a sump would be a lot of work i think it would be best in the end b.c well a sump is just better than HOB filters and skimmers. if i do end up getting a tank i will go witih the hardship of setting up a sump. i have no clue how they work and how u make ur own sump. so any help would be much appreciated. thanks
zanoshanox
Active Member
Fluval FX5 and a large skimmer.
macsmith77
Member
and While my bio load is still light, my water is sparkling clear, I am also running a remora c skimmer, btw. Fill the extra baskets with charcoal, and you should be good to go. For 45 bucks, take the chance and use your money elsewhere.