Alternative filtration systems

[woodyblueeyes]

Good morning,

Something I'm considering and wanted to ask if anyone has any experience with it.

I want to put my 55 gal tank near an entrance into the family room. In doing so it will be visible on both sides, thus making any filter/pump systems that hang on the back unsightly.

Are there products that I can find that will enable me to either place the filtration system in the water itself? Or possibly out of the tank altogether and in the under cabinet?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[TONO]

You can hook up a sump system with a refugium and protien skimmer under your tank. you would just need two hoses to pump water into and out of the tank. It's expensive though and mostly used for saltwater, im not sure how effective the protien skimmer would be for a fw setup.

 

[Copper]

There are a number of cansiter filters that can be stored out of sight, depending on your available space.

Also, filters like fluval can be placed inside the tank itself.

 

[OrionGirl]

Either a sump system, a wet dry, or a large canister would work. You still have some plumbing, getting the water to and from the tank to which ever option you choose--an intake and return at a minimum. With a sump, you would also be able to keep a heater out of the main tank, and use piping to create current in various locations. No need for a protien skimmer in a FW tank. If you haven't purchased the tank yet and go with either a sump or a wet-dry, you can look at the 'reef-ready' tank, which will have in-tank overflows and holes already for running the plumbing--tank is otherwise the same. Costs a bit more, but the pre-drilled in tank overflows are much nicer than other options.

 

[amosf]

Some good options are the sump wet dry which is under the tank, or an above tank wet/dry which you can easily hide in a hood or whatever. I have an above tank wet/dry on the 50g (visible both sides) and with the right media it doesn't have to be that big a filter to to the job.