My neighbor has a 65 gal. fresh tank that he wants to convert to a salt. He has a Fluval 404 filter. If I fill the filter with bio (BioMax) and remove any chemical filtration, would that be a sufficient filtration system? The LFS told him that he NEEDS a wet dry system. I feel that is he doesn't want a reef tank, and adds a protein skimmer he should be well set up. What is your feelings on this? Thanks, Rich
New 65 Gal. salt tank.... Filter question
- Thread starter richm20
- Start date
What type of tank does he want? Fish only (FO)? Fish only with live rock (FOWLR)? Are you certain he doesn't want a reef? It can make a difference when it comes to lighting and filtration choices in particular.
IMHO there are many ways to skin this particular cat - the Fluval 404 should be just fine, though if it's going to be a reef it may not be the best method since these filters can be very efficient at creating nitrates. Wet/dry falls into the same category, they can also become 'nitrate factories'; for reefs, many people use only live rock and pumps for circulation along with a protein skimmer and possibly a sump/refugium.
If you set up the tank with the Fluval buy NEW bio media, don't reuse the old stuff from the FW tank. Also you don't have to stay away from chemical media, carbon is great for keeping the water clear and removing organics and there are other products designed to perform specific functions, such as lowering phosphates.
I also agree that a skimmer is a good idea, no matter what type of tank he sets up.
I don't have years of experience with marines, but I think I can offer my opionion in this case; my 65g FOWLR is doing wonderfully with 65lbs of live rock, 4 powerheads, a skimmer and... a canister filter!
Rule #1 with SW tanks - don't listen exclusively to the LFS, do lots of research. Check out sites like this one and www.reefcentral.com for loads of information.
IMHO there are many ways to skin this particular cat - the Fluval 404 should be just fine, though if it's going to be a reef it may not be the best method since these filters can be very efficient at creating nitrates. Wet/dry falls into the same category, they can also become 'nitrate factories'; for reefs, many people use only live rock and pumps for circulation along with a protein skimmer and possibly a sump/refugium.
If you set up the tank with the Fluval buy NEW bio media, don't reuse the old stuff from the FW tank. Also you don't have to stay away from chemical media, carbon is great for keeping the water clear and removing organics and there are other products designed to perform specific functions, such as lowering phosphates.
I also agree that a skimmer is a good idea, no matter what type of tank he sets up.
I don't have years of experience with marines, but I think I can offer my opionion in this case; my 65g FOWLR is doing wonderfully with 65lbs of live rock, 4 powerheads, a skimmer and... a canister filter!
Rule #1 with SW tanks - don't listen exclusively to the LFS, do lots of research. Check out sites like this one and www.reefcentral.com for loads of information.
Thanks for your input. He is looking into doing a FOWLR tank. Im going to do the same some day with my 90 gal., although I think I'm going to build a wet/dry system for my tank with a large sump. I like a lot of fish in my tank and with an added 20 gal or so in the sump, I can get a few more fish in the actuall tank. Thanks for any additional info as well, Rich
Well since i am currently using a cannister filter on my tank, i can say with regular maintainance there is nothing wrong with them, cleaning weekly you will be fine, same with any filter you keep maintainance they will work fine, there are many options though and if you have the chance i would change filtration for something better. Generally LR and LS provide all the biological filtration you need, that and a very good skimmer is one of the better options for keeping nitrates low, but atleast 10% water changes weekly are needed. I do not run carbon, and i don't have the need to, if you do everything right you will not need to clear the water with carbon. Refugiums are handy and if you could get one i would, there are plenty of DIY sites on google that tell you how to make one, and can be very helpful if you go BB in the Display and DSB in the refugium, that and plenty of macro algae, it makes a very good system. and also a safe place if an organism is attacked.