reef tank filtration...upgrading

[gio28]

so i have a 36 bowfront reef tank that is not on a stand...its on a dresser. because of this i cant get a sump or canister filter. im looking for some way to upgrade from my aquaclear 50 that i have now. im looking for the best filtration possible for the situation that im in. i heard the best hob skimmer is the octopus so i might get one of those. any ideas on a good filter combination. brands? types of filters? they all need to be essentially hang on items.
my plan right now is to get an octopus hob filter that has filter space. i would fill the filter space with bio balls to get more biological filtration. then i would keep my aquaclear the way it is to give me all three types of filtration.
are bio balls good or bad? nitrate factories? i've heard that they work well but need to be swished in water to keep them from turning into a nitrate factory.

 

[aquaguy24]

I'm in the same boat with my 24g. I'm plannin on a hob aqua c remora. And run some carbon from time to time. Right now I just have some sponges in the back chamber doing fine for now.

 

[aquaguy24]

Bio balls work just clean 1/4 of them every water change. For less work u can do carbon like once a month.

 

[gratefulhippie]

I think the aquac remora is the Mercedes of small skimmers. My buddy runs the best swf store in the midwest and had me put one in my 29. I wish I had before and after pics. People think it's a little loud, but a paper towel will make it silent. Anyways I think this would be a perfect skimmer for your tank.

 

[gio28]

does the remora have a filter chamber like some of the other hob filters do? i cant find any info if it does or not. the reason i ask is although i still have my aquaclear for some biological filtration...my rock in my tank isnt live. only 1/5 of it is live rock and the rest is base rock. so im looking into bio balls being incorporated into my tank somehow.
my aquaclear is always running some chemipure elite for carbon filtration so im looking into bio filtration in my skimmer.
thanks for the replies

 

[aquaguy24]

skimmers are considered mechanical filtration and bio-filtration is ur live rock...how long have ur tank been setup..ur base rock should have bacteria on it already....imo all u need for filtration is lots of live rock and a good skimmer and ur good to go..

 

[gio28]

i have a pretty good amount...like 40 maybe 50 lbs in my 36 gallon tank. and its been in there two months probably. my tank has been up for 4 months, or around that. i have a clown and 3 chromis in my tank and have trates of 20-40 and its buggin me why they are so high still even after weekly water changes so i want more bio filtration. and thats half of the livestock i want in my tank.

 

[nycbob]

hob remora skimmer is good. the skimmer will help with ur nitrate since it takes the organic things out of the water, aiding the breakdown of waste.