what should i use to filter a 75g tank

[yellowted]

i am just in the begining stage of starting my salt tank and i am trying to find which filter and method is the best. i prefer to not hang one and put it under the tank out of site. thanks for the input....Andrew

[tmace64]

hello, i'm new here too, so you will want other replies of more seasoned marine aquarists........

Filtration can depend on what you want to do with your tank, i.e. a community tank - fish only,,,, or a reef tank - fish with live rock, corals, intraverts,,,,, "the works" --as far as an under water marine environment goes.

If you wish to simply do a community tank, I've learned that live rock - LR, and a protein skimmer can do the job. People here praise protein skimming. You need 1.5 to 2 pounds of LR per gallon with a protein skimmer. I've also heard that "Figi" rock is very dense,,, getting maximum poundage and thus - filtration out of a smaller rock. Remember - this all has to do with what you plan on stocking your tank with,,, and how much of it.

I am currently finishing the cycle for a 44 gal and use a wet / dry filter with protein skimmer and sump,,, - all under the tank. I do want mainly fish but am planning on putting LR, an anemone or two, and a coral. This wet / dry filter system covers all bases -- mechanical, biological and chemical filtration WITHOUT the need to constantly be changing media. This filter has worked as it was described with maintenance requiring merely rinsing the media inserts once a week. It really looks like a rock-solid filtration design and actually resembles our own sewage treatment process. Also,,, a wet/dry makes a great doorway for adding water. When adjusting salt, it makes a softer change because you will add water to the wet/dry container - not the tank........ I really like it,,, though soon - LR will take over its job......

BIO BALLS & LIVE ROCK - I've been reading that with a wet/dry filter, you would remove the bio balls contained inside the filter when establishing live rock. The LR will need important nutrients and microbes that these bio balls work to remove........ Ask for further advise.....

Hope that helped,,,, look for second opinions!!,,,,, i'm a newby too....

Welcome!!
tod

[yellowted]

i do also plan for an assortment of fish and live rock and coral. for your tank did you over do it for the size of the filter.. i know overhead is good, but i wasn't sure of the efficiency of the wet/dry setup. would you or anyone reccomend a prefered brand that is decent. i was looking in the aquaclear direction but i wasn't sure if there was freat on the market and was extremely ressonable. thanks for the great response..

andrew

[BrianH]

While you can have a successful tank with outside mechanical/biological filtration(wet/dry, cannister, HOT filter), many people now use live rock and a deep sand bed for their biological filtration. The surface area on the LR and DSB is much larger and can handle the biological filtration needs of the tank without raising nitrates which is the problem with mechanical filters when they are not tended to frequently. If you have feshwater experience, I know this goes against all you have learned, and probably what your lfs recommends, but having between 1 - 2 lbs per gal of LR and a DSB (4 - 6 ") will handle all of your biological filtration.

One usefull mechanical filtration device is a protein skimmer. They remove excess nutrients from your tank before they breakdown and become part of the nitrogen cycle. I recommend them for new aquarists since they help with overfeeding, overstocking etc. Get a good one, they don't come cheap. If you try to skimp you'll wind up wasting money when you decide to upgrade later.

As for the wet/dry, many reefers now use the container as a sump(no filtration media) for extra water volume, a place to hide equipment). You can also incorporate a refugium to your system. Basicly a refugium is a container seperate but connected to your main tank, that contains macro algaeas that will up take the nutrients in your tank. When you prune back the macro algae, the nutrients are removed from your system.

Get the "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner. This is a great book that covers these topics and more in greater detail. I would also suggest researching in the web before you start purchasing your equipment so you can make informed decisions from the start.

Brian

[OrionGirl]

Actually--the lighter, more porous rock is preferable. The point of the rock is to provide lots of surface area for the bacteria to colonize, and the more porous rock provides more surface area than denser stuff.

Bio-balls are the equivalent to live rock--they provide a surface for the bacteria to colonize. So, they don't remove anything fromt he water, they just provide additional colonization room. However, any mechanical filtration will also trap solid wastes and food where a good cleanup crew can't access it, so it breaks down into ammonia/nitrites more quickly, and can result in a nitrate climb.

Please do lots of research into anemones before making a purchase. The more desirable species are not hardy, and not appropriate for an unmature tank. Feeding and lighting are very important, and the death rates is astronomical for these creatures. Clown fish do not need one to be happy, and it's a shame to have the anemone die.

Neither of you mention your lighting--a key component of the successful reef.

[yellowted]

i am getting the impression that people prefer to use the live rock and sand to keep the life cycle going. i will buy a book probably this evening. so is it roccomended that the wet/dry still be used in the setup but ignore the balls for filtering.... i have noticed a few wet/dry's with a protein skimmer. is this the way to go?? i know light is extremely important growth and i do plan to spend some time and money finding the light source i want but in the mean time i would like to get the tank full of water and start the initial clycle.

thanks
andrew

[OrionGirl]

Yep, that's pretty much the way I use the wet dry. It's also a good place to stash a lot of equipment--heaters, probes, ect. The skimmers packaged in with the wet-dry depends--some are good quality, others won't really give you mcuh gunk for you buck. I prefer to select the skimmer and install it in a sump, or the wet dry if it fits.

Makes sense to start the cycling--I was mostly just curious. ;)

[Mandairn]

i would say get the wet dry. If u do a dsb and have a fish that like to dig (or a custason) they mess up the dsb.