New to Marine - Filtration Recommendation

[nizmike]

Hello All,

Right now I have a brand new 55 Gallon tank with a 200 Watt heater and a Amiracle SL-15 Wet/Dry Filter. I am going to do a fish only with some live rock to be added down the road.

I was hoping someone could recommend a good filter for mechanical filtration that I could run in line with a UV filter. Right now I am leaning towards a canister, but was hoping to get some experienced advice before I proceed.

Right now my tank has the wet dry filter running with some live sand in it...other than that there is nothing in there.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

 

[OrionGirl]

Why do you want the UV?

Planning on having aggressive predators that will consume snials, crabs, shrimp, worms, stars and pods? If not--they are the most effective mechanical filtration available, and the lowest maintenance.

 

[nizmike]

Why do you want the UV?

Planning on having aggressive predators that will consume snials, crabs, shrimp, worms, stars and pods? If not--they are the most effective mechanical filtration available, and the lowest maintenance.

From the reading I have done I gathered that it is good policy to have UV Sterilized in a marine setup.

Any recommendations on a mechanical filter?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[OrionGirl]

UV are not required equipment, and can cause lots of problems. Quarantine is much more effective and lower maintenance.

Pretty much all power and canister filters will provide good mechanical filtration. The more important factor is to determine how much maintenance you can support--mechanical filters trap lots of solid detritus, and without regular cleaning and a helathy population of biological cleaners, quickly clog and contribute to high nitrates.

 

[axepilot]

I briefly used a UV filter "back in the day". IMHO,unless the technology has improved immensely, they're more trouble than their supposed worth. The light has a very short effective life span - just something more to spend money on and time changing out, and more inline widgets to possibly leak. They provide no mechanical filtration at all. A protein skimmer would be the better spent money.