ok... i set up a 20 high in mid december. its a cheap crappy setup includign two 24" striplights (one powerglo bulb and one marineglo bulb), 100 watt sub heater, and a whisper 30 power filter. its got 60 lbs of live rock and has been doing well. i am toying with the idea of setting up my 20 long and transferring everything and adding live sand (instead of crushed coral im using now). ive got two 30" striplights and a powerglo and marineglo bulb for them. i know itll still be a cheap crappy setup but its what ive got layign around right now. eventually im gonna setup a 220 adn ill do it right with good lighting and a sump and all that but im too broke for now. so to get to my questions... ive got another whisper 30 i was thinking of adding when i transfer eveything to the 20long. would that be too much filtration??? im thinking so but i want more than what ive got (145 gph) and its the only fliter ive got layign around right now. also how important is a protein skimmer??? i know it skims the protwin adn is a method of filtration but im wondering why its important to have less proteins in the water and what organisms it will affect most???? thanx for any info. ive got a book but my friend borrowed it a month ago and i havent got it back yet. i know i need to do a lot more research before i get too into salt. thanx.
protein skimmer/filter questions?????
- Thread starter azriel
- Start date
Hi,
I'm pretty new to saltwater setups myself, though I've been doing freshwater for years. Here's what I've learned: Protein skimming skims the organics out of your water before they have a chance to decompose, for lack of a better word. Many successful systems are run with a good protein skimmer and live rock as the only filtration. In terms of filtration, I think a lot depends on what your goals for the tank are, i.e, a reef setup, fish only. I don't think you can overfilter in terms of water circulation, and to that end, adding another filter to your tank is fine. Reef setups actually require strong water circulation. If you add a protein skimmer, you could probably remove the media from your filters. If your doing fish only, lighting isn't critical, but coral and invertebrates need strong lighting. I've heard 175 watts of metal halide light over a 20 gallon tank isn't uncommon, though it doesn't have to be that extreme. It really depends on the goals for your tank. Hope that helps.
I'm pretty new to saltwater setups myself, though I've been doing freshwater for years. Here's what I've learned: Protein skimming skims the organics out of your water before they have a chance to decompose, for lack of a better word. Many successful systems are run with a good protein skimmer and live rock as the only filtration. In terms of filtration, I think a lot depends on what your goals for the tank are, i.e, a reef setup, fish only. I don't think you can overfilter in terms of water circulation, and to that end, adding another filter to your tank is fine. Reef setups actually require strong water circulation. If you add a protein skimmer, you could probably remove the media from your filters. If your doing fish only, lighting isn't critical, but coral and invertebrates need strong lighting. I've heard 175 watts of metal halide light over a 20 gallon tank isn't uncommon, though it doesn't have to be that extreme. It really depends on the goals for your tank. Hope that helps.