Upgrade from 35 to 90 HELP!

[tru2037]

Hello, I am tring to understand everything I can but this is a huge hobbie! I have a 35g tank w/ coral, anemones, and fish living with live rock. As for a filter and light I have a Cascade 700 and power compact that has just enough watts for a 35g. This tank has been running for a year with great sucess, except for it is all cramped. I just put a 90g wave tank on layway and I am tring to get everything else that I need for this bad boy. So I hope someone can help me out! My local guy is telling me to get a hang on filter to adjust for my cascade 700 but I see that as just more work, and I want to do this right the first time and quit throwing $ out the window on upgrades!
Question - Would you guys just put on a bigger cascade canister filter or should I switch to a refugium?, and if you suggest a refugium what would be your ideal setup including a protien skimmer?

 

[1journeyman]

Well, like you said this is a huge hobby. You'll get many opinions.
Have you read "a Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Fenner? Great book that looks into the different filtration methods.
On my 210 (that's been up for about 6 months now) I am using a deep sand bed (about 6 inches deep), about 200 pounds of live rock, and a hang on protein skimmer (the tank isn't drilled). That's it. (except for the clean up crew... 400 Nass. snails, 50 ceriths, 6 emeralds, 10 tiny hermits)
Of course I have a couple of serious pumps plumbed in closed loops for circulation.

 

[tru2037]

....WOW thats a tank but that kinda $ I havent got! I wont be able to get that amount of live rock all at once right now I have 50lbs. and a full clean up crew for a 35g, I have a whole pile of books but like I said its been running for a year and I havent checked out anything else untill now. I dont care about the upkeep(filter changing ect.) it dosent bother me, I'm looking for the most benifical setup for the tank, and if I ask my local guy he always recommends the most expensive way, or the cheapest way, I'm not so sure that its the "right way".