filtration?
- Thread starter mauler
- Start date
trigger40
Well-Known Member
if you can i would run both. you can run the skimmer as your only filtration but i would only do that if you have a reef set up. fish only tend to need a little more help IMO.
silverado61
Well-Known Member
Personaly, I would just go with the skimmer. I think both would be overkill.
But that's just me.
But that's just me.
trigger40
Well-Known Member
ant nuthin wrong with that
flower
Well-Known Member
I used a canister filter for 12 years without a hic-up on my reef. It ran silent, and the spray bar allowed my power heads to be pointed other places besides the surface. The biggest problem was forgetting it... I always put a little tab on the hose with the date of when it was last serviced, just so I could remember.
After my beautiful sump leaked and I had to remove it... I decided to use HOB filters just because they are so easy to service, but I pay in salt creep issues. Macroalgae is the golden ticket to no phosphates, or nitrate problems.... I don't have a reef anymore, so no skimmer. I would still run a skimmer if I ran a reef....
After my beautiful sump leaked and I had to remove it... I decided to use HOB filters just because they are so easy to service, but I pay in salt creep issues. Macroalgae is the golden ticket to no phosphates, or nitrate problems.... I don't have a reef anymore, so no skimmer. I would still run a skimmer if I ran a reef....
2014FishKiller
Member
I don't need a skimmer if I have fish only tank. Right? What HOB filter that you are using? How is your water circulate?
flower
Well-Known Member
Hi,
I use 2 Fluval C4 HOB on the 90g. I use 1 Fluval HOB on the 56g. Because I have seahorses, I use 3 air lines to circulate the water on the 90g, and 2 lines on the 56g. Power heads circulate the water better... but seahorses like to hitch their tails, and I was afraid they would be injured by a power head. Also I need the tank to stay cold, I run chillers on both tanks, power heads put out heat.
HOB filters are prone to making splash, which causes salt creep. When I kept corals, I ran a nitrate filter, Phosphate reactor and a skimmer in my sump, as well as an auto top off unit... Now macroalgae replaces all that, BUT...the only coral I keep are mushrooms.
You don't "NEED" a skimmer, but it is a useful piece of equipment...you can certainly keep SW fish without one. I recommend at least 2 power heads.
2014FishKiller
Member
I have a power head (for 150 gallon) & UV Stabilizer (13W) in the MT plus Hydor 600 canister, I normal have good enough water movement until I recent change the power protector , When I watching Video, most of water are crystal clear, how do I get that? Thanks.
flower
Well-Known Member
Hi,
You should have 2 power heads, one set high in the tank, and one lower to circulate all the water, and keep the rock clear of debris. Some areas will have strong flow, and others not so much...but all areas must have some flow. A cloudy tank could be from several causes, from bacterial blooms, ammonia, stirred up sand, or using the wrong kind of rock...to name a few. Water tests tell you what you need to know... What are the numbers of your test results? A skimmer will help with bacterial blooms. Running carbon will usually polish the water to crystal clear, unless the cloudy look is from sand before it settles.
2014FishKiller
Member
I am try to not over feeding this week plus no light, and it shows an improvement. In regarding water testing, I always get prefect number, until this week, the nitrates is between 0 and .025. I have another power head in the GT and wait for the Blue Tang recover.
2014FishKiller
Member