Choosing the right filtration unit

cjburden

cjburden

Member
First off I'm very new to saltwater fish and know only the very little I've learned about over the past week or two of my reading/research. What I've decided is that I'm going to go with a 55 gallon fowlr setup. I don't have a 'reef ready' tank with pre-drilled plumbing. I'd like to say that money isn't an option, but if I'm choosing between a 50 dollar biowheel, or a 250 sump, I'd like to really know WHY I should spend 200 dollars more for that setup (plus whatever additional hardware I'd need because of going with a sump).
Any help you could give would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Chris
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
Well Chris, welcome to the board and to answer your question, forget the bio wheel and get a decent skimmer, the prizm should be fine for a 55 and can be found for under $100(i fyou shop around)
in either case, you would still need powerheads too, so you shoudl get a couple of decent powerheads as well.HTH
 
broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
CjBurden
I'm a big fan of using a sump vs any hang on the tank filter.
On a 55 gallon tank - you could do a DIY sump set up pretty cheap.
$50.00 to $75.00 for a good overflow.
$50.00 for a good pump.
25.00 for a container.
25.00 misc. pvc parts/fittings/hoses/clamps
You'll gain water volume.
You can hide your heater and equipment in the sump.
Allows you to expand in the future.
If a skimmer is desired - you can get a good in-sump unit as opposed to hanging more stuff on your tank.
MO ;)
 
cjburden

cjburden

Member

Originally posted by fshhub
Well Chris, welcome to the board and to answer your question, forget the bio wheel and get a decent skimmer, the prizm should be fine for a 55 and can be found for under $100(i fyou shop around)
in either case, you would still need powerheads too, so you shoudl get a couple of decent powerheads as well.HTH
and what you're saying is that if I had a good skimmer, I wouldn't need a filter at all? I was under the impression that I needed both.
 
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