Which filter should I buy.

[chris29579]

I am purchasing a 90 Gallon Bow RR. I want to know what is a great filter. I have been looking at the PRO CLEAR. Is there a pro and a con to this filter. is there a better filter.
Also what about there protein skimmer???

 

[al mc]

Welcome to the forum. Suggestions will vary and probably best for you to answer a couple questions.
Will you be keeping corals?
Will you have a sump/refugium since you have a reef ready tank?

 

[new-guy]

welcome.. i have a marineland canister and i really like it....

 

[chris29579]

Yes to the corals, and Fish, Right now just live rock. it is a reef ready tank, so I can't hook up a canister to it right?
Just wanted to know the best brands to use. and not to shoot myself in the foot.
I thought a sump was a wet/dry filter with pump?

 

[dennis210]

Welcome to the boards. The addition of a filter to your system is a great idea I believe.
I use the Magnum 350 and love it. When first starting a system you can run the pleated cartridge and cut down on diatoms and other algae. After your entire system has settled down you can then insert the carbon filter. This filter actually forces all water through the carbon, not merely near or around it!

 

[doodle1800]

I would get a sump and an in sump skimmer. With a reef ready tank is there a choice? I guess you could use a canister as a 2nd filter, but not needed immediately. I have a 90 reef ready and use what I suggested. I have LR which is also a natural filter.
you were looking for a brand - sorry...

 

[ninjamini]

I like this type:

 

[wangotango]

A sump/fuge is the best way to go, with a good skimmer and a lot of rock. Canisters and HOB filters trap all sorts of stuff which can cause problems if they aren't cleaned regularly.
-Justin

 

[chris29579]

I guess no one is really getting my question. I want to know if you can connect a canister filter up to a reef ready tank?
Also wanna know is the PRO CLEAR a great wet/dry trickle, or is there a better filter??????

 

[ninjamini]

Originally Posted by chris29579
http:///forum/post/2469697
I guess no one is really getting my question. I want to know if you can connect a canister filter up to a reef ready tank?
Also wanna know is the PRO CLEAR a great wet/dry trickle, or is there a better filter??????
Yes you can hook a canister to an overflow. But I would not. If you want to use a canister plumb it to the return.
That said what we are trying to tell you is that you may want to rethink using either a canister or a wet dry. Both have more disadvantages than advantages.
In face I would rather run a tank filterless (other than rock) than use either of those. In fact I do. 56 gal column with nothing more than power heads. This is not really a reef tank. So for best results look at my post higher.

 

[ecooper]

I actually run my 75 without a sump. I have two Emporer 400s, an Ehiem canister, and protein skimmer. However, I do have tons of live rock.
I know a lot of people don't like canisters, but I don't have a problem with mine. It's easy to use, you just have to do the maintenance, but I haven't found anything that doesn't require maintenance. I would recommend the Ehiems...
Actually, regular maintenance is the best advice all the way around. Good luck!

 

[chris29579]

Ok, so why make reef ready tanks, if filters are crap. I'm starting to get alittle cautious about this forum. LFS, is saying use as many filters as you can with live rock, to help the process. I mean if you don't put a filter on there, why not use power heads, and just live rock. Kinda dumb to me. But I figure they make a wet/dry filter for some reason. Any why would it hurt to filter out chemical , and phosphates, and bio media, Just keep it clean and no problem

 

[teen]

Originally Posted by chris29579
http:///forum/post/2469942
Ok, so why make reef ready tanks, if filters are crap. I'm starting to get alittle cautious about this forum. LFS, is saying use as many filters as you can with live rock, to help the process. I mean if you don't put a filter on there, why not use power heads, and just live rock. Kinda dumb to me. But I figure they make a wet/dry filter for some reason. Any why would it hurt to filter out chemical , and phosphates, and bio media, Just keep it clean and no problem
listen to your LFS, then come back to us in a few months when your tank is full of algae, your fish are dead, and your nitrates are through the roof. oh, and youve spent a good deal of money on unneccesary products.
IME, pick one. filter (such as a wet/dry or cansiter) or live rock and a deep sand bed. live rock and a sand bed normally work better for a reef system.
they made a wet/dry years ago. times change, barely anybody uses them anymore. your LFS still has them in stock from 1995 and hes trying to sell it to you.
it doesnt hurt to filter out chemicals or p04. and i dont know what you mean by filter out bio-media.
reef ready just means the tank is drilled and has overflows/ bulkheads. a well informed person would do the smart thing and rather than use them to run tank water to a wet/dry, they would save some money/ a bunch of headaches and run the water to a sump/ fuge with a skimmer.

 

[wangotango]

Originally Posted by chris29579
http:///forum/post/2469942
Ok, so why make reef ready tanks, if filters are crap. I'm starting to get alittle cautious about this forum. LFS, is saying use as many filters as you can with live rock, to help the process. I mean if you don't put a filter on there, why not use power heads, and just live rock. Kinda dumb to me. But I figure they make a wet/dry filter for some reason. Any why would it hurt to filter out chemical , and phosphates, and bio media, Just keep it clean and no problem
Liverock and skimming alone is all you technically need for filtering a reef, it's known as the Berlin Method. Certain types of filters work better in certain cases. Wet/dry and canisters trap detritus and other gunk which can cause higher nitrates which is why people with reefs do not use them. They are better suited for fish-only systems. A sump/fuge is most popular because it offers space for your skimmer and heater, as well as a DSB, rock rubble, and macro algae which aid in filtration and nutrient export.
Powerheads offer no filtration at all, they only create water flow which is vital for gas exchange and coral like it too.
There is no problem with using chemical media, but it should not be that backbone of the system. Carbon and sometimes a phosphate media are most common.
The point of having a reef-ready tank is so you can hook the DT up to your sump/fuge. There is no need for any other filter unit.
Hope that helps.
-Justin

 

[ecooper]

Originally Posted by chris29579
http:///forum/post/2469942
I'm starting to get alittle cautious about this forum.
All we can do is offer our opions and feedback from our experiences. You'll find that everyone has an opinion, a success story, and/or failure about any type of system here. I like the idea of the Berlin method, but really like the extra filtration and flow (but I still have two other powerheads, too).
Again, it all depends on what you do with it. If you use a filter and never change it, you're going to have a crappy system. If you go with the Berlin method and use a crappy skimmer, you're going to be in trouble. Etc, etc. You're right to be cautious, but be careful of how you write things so as not to offend anyone, or else you won't get any help.
With the system you have (reef ready) and you want to run a reef, you would be fine with a sump, good skimmer, and a lot of rock.
Good luck!

 

[ninjamini]

The idea of a reef ready tank is that you will need alot more things to make a successful reef. The first of those is a clean water surface. RR tanks skim the waters surface.
Then you need to keep it at a precise temp. Heater. chiller. thermometer
You need to top off to keep you salinity stable. auto top off.
you need to export nutrients - cheato - means a refrigium.
you may need a phosphate media - phosban reactor
want stonies how about a calcium reactor
how about flow. a nice big return pump
not you really want to have fun ph probes and computer control.
remember that more water - more stable water.
There are alot of things that go into a reef tank. Just because we say no filter does not mean no filter. just means dont go buy what the lfs wants to sell you.