Filtration & # Of Fish

S

sestrada

Guest
I'm thinking about getting a saltwater tank and have been reading up on it but still have some questions.
1. Which is a better way to go for filtration - Canister filter or bio wheel with live rock and live sand? Which one will support more fish?
2. I'm looking at a 46 G tank, How much live rock would I need and How much live sand would I need?
3. With a 46 G tank, How many fish (or inch of fish) could I have?
 
leigh

leigh

Active Member
I can't really comment on different types of filters because i use live rock, a deep live sand bed, and a protein skimmer. As for rock, sand, and fish...I hate rules of thumb, but here are the rules of thumb...if you want your filtration to be primarily from the rock and sand... minimum of 1 lb of rock per gallon and a 4-6 inch sand bed (probably 80-90 lbs for a 46g)...so around 45-50 lbs lr and 80-90 lbs ls. For fish--again, rule of thumb (i still hate rules of thumb) one inch per 5 gallons maximum. So you're looking at 9 inches of fish which translates into 4 mid sized fish or maybe 5 lil guys. With that though you have to keep in mind territorial needs and breed specific. I.e. tangs like lots of swimming space and are much happier in a long tank than a wide tank. Different species of clowns often fight... and many fish are territorial so you have to make sure each will have it's own 'space'. Once you decide what you'd like, you can certainly post it on here and people will give you feedback as to how the species will do with each other. Hope this helps,
-leigh
 
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