nemofreakk23
Member
what do i HAVE to have in a 30 gallon saltwater tank filtration wise. i want to kno the cheapest way to filter this fish only tank.
Help Me! Please
- Thread starter nemofreakk23
- Start date
nordy
Active Member
What you HAVE to have in any tank is adequate biological filtration. That could mean a sump setup with bioballs or LR rubble, a hang on/canister filter that has biomedia in it, or a tank with a lot of established LR if your bioload is low, or a combination of these items. In my 55gal FOWLR tank I had a sump and two hang on canister filters, plus a lot of LR. After changing to a reef setup, I have the bio ball equipped sump and a 350 canister filter plus a protein skimmer and even more LR.
What you SHOULD have, IMHO, is biological filtration, plus a bunch of LR, and a canister filter (mechanical filtrattion), plus a good protein skimmer.
Along with this, regular water changes are essential-all the high quality filtration in the world will be defeated by the excessive nitrates that will result from a lack of water changes, although fish only tanks are able to withstand higher nitrate levels than a reef tank. Fish can get used to higher nitrate levels and adapt to them whereas coral tanks need pristine water conditions.
As for the cheapest way to go, please don't skimp on your setup. Many people have gone that way, only to be forced to upgrade later on when their first setup proves inadequate for their needs. Suggest instead that you decide on what type of filtration setup you want to go with, and then find the most inexpensive (not cheap, just inexpensive!) method of achieving that goal. Things like a protein skimmer (highly recommended BTW) can always be added later, but good filtration from the start is essential!
What you SHOULD have, IMHO, is biological filtration, plus a bunch of LR, and a canister filter (mechanical filtrattion), plus a good protein skimmer.
Along with this, regular water changes are essential-all the high quality filtration in the world will be defeated by the excessive nitrates that will result from a lack of water changes, although fish only tanks are able to withstand higher nitrate levels than a reef tank. Fish can get used to higher nitrate levels and adapt to them whereas coral tanks need pristine water conditions.
As for the cheapest way to go, please don't skimp on your setup. Many people have gone that way, only to be forced to upgrade later on when their first setup proves inadequate for their needs. Suggest instead that you decide on what type of filtration setup you want to go with, and then find the most inexpensive (not cheap, just inexpensive!) method of achieving that goal. Things like a protein skimmer (highly recommended BTW) can always be added later, but good filtration from the start is essential!
