Picking up 220g Tomorrow

nightstalk

nightstalk

Member
Hey everybody...idk if anyone remembers me i used to surf the forums like a feind when i had my 135g about a year and a half ago, but i soon ran out of money because i was only in high school at the time and i didnt have the funds to support the reef tank that i was trying to start. I got all my equipment setup and i was out of money, everything ready to go but no money for rock or fish. While this was very depressing i realized that i needed to wait and start one when funding was more available. I sold it for a decent price and waited. here i am a couple years later ready to try again. I found a 220g tank w stand and im getting it for a steal only $220!
I want to start off just fish only w/ alittle live rock and eventually work my way up to a nice reef setup. Im gonna take my time and get this one going real nice. Wish Me Luck
 
nightstalk

nightstalk

Member
my First question is this. My lfs runs their saltwater tanks on just some biowheel filters and a couple protein skimmers. Their tanks are almost always algae free and their fish are always healthy and eating well. Can i run the 220 on three or four bigger biowheels and a decent protein skimmer only or would a different method be preferable?? Would this be all i needed to run for f/o or does it require all of the benefeits of a reef tank as well.
 
wolf_man

wolf_man

Member
You could but its not advied to do so. For a 220 you should get a sump/refugium. You will definately need a protein skimmer.
 
jbird0420

jbird0420

Member
Welcome back!

If you can, I would run your tank from a sump and get a nice protein skimmer. There's plenty of DIY sites out there that will show you how to construct one. For my 225g I have a 55g sump/refug for my filtration. I did that with a 55g AGA, put a few baffles in there and using a Mag18 pump as my return. The pump was the most expensive. The 55g was an old aquarium I had. Resealed it and customized it to my specs. Did it all for about $50 bucks. Runs and filters like a champ!!!
 
small triggers

small triggers

Active Member
I have a 150g Fowlr. I could not imagine running it with biowheels. There is just too much stuff to not have a sump. Believe me, invest in the best equipment and wait to add the expensiveness of corals and fish way down the road. It is truely better to do your research before you set up your tank, than to set one up with whatever you have at the time. You will be alot happier not buying items that dont do what you want them to, and have to reinvest money to get the outcome you want.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
woo!!!
Good luck to yah! Personally, if you are going to set up such a large tank, I recommend to get a closed loop system with an external large pump. This will keep enough flow going in your tank and detritus off the bottom.
If you are going to do that type of filtration, for the three biowheels and the one protein skimmer, I also suggest getting a few very nice internal powerheads for flow.
 
nightstalk

nightstalk

Member
alrighty kewl it sounds like ill be doing this with the refugium rather than the biowheels im not hearing too much support on this idea especially with the size of the tank.
 
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