Evening all! Once again I come to you in my hour of need in search of wisdom, guidance and answers from my fellow fish and reef enthusiasts. I have questions on this occasion pertaining to my filter setup.
Firstly, (a heads up if you will to justify my ignorance) this is going to be my first saltwater tank, I have zero experience with protein skimmers, sumps etc...
I have (and this absolutely 100% final) x2 Lifereef HOB overflow boxes, a Reef octopus extreme 200, a 25G tank to house the skimmer in, a Mag 18 for a return pump and a FX5 canister for mechanical filtration which will also hold Seachem Matrix & Seachem Seagel with a couple Koralia Mag 6s or 7s for circulation in my 160G FOWLR tank.
So my question to you all is, how would you recommend I go about configuring the filtration? I cannot spend anymore money and I must work with what I have to configure the best possible filtration system that I can while making it look kewwwl.
Scenario 1: Run both overflows to the skimmer box where the skimmer lives and use the mag 18 for a return. Run the FX5 on its own with its hosing all over the place.
Scenario 2: One overflow runs to the skimmer, the other to the FX5 (is that even possible?) - reduces the amount of hoses etc that clutter the tank. I do have at my disposal a bunch of smaller tanks; 20G, 10G etc...
Scenario 3: Some how have both of the overflow boxes leading firstly to the FX then have the output of the FX5 going into the 25G tank which houses the skimmer with the Mag 18 doing the return work? mechanical, chemical then Bio filtration in that order with one single return. This would be my first choice if it was somehow possible.
Scenario 4: :-???????????
Thanks
Firstly, (a heads up if you will to justify my ignorance) this is going to be my first saltwater tank, I have zero experience with protein skimmers, sumps etc...
I have (and this absolutely 100% final) x2 Lifereef HOB overflow boxes, a Reef octopus extreme 200, a 25G tank to house the skimmer in, a Mag 18 for a return pump and a FX5 canister for mechanical filtration which will also hold Seachem Matrix & Seachem Seagel with a couple Koralia Mag 6s or 7s for circulation in my 160G FOWLR tank.
So my question to you all is, how would you recommend I go about configuring the filtration? I cannot spend anymore money and I must work with what I have to configure the best possible filtration system that I can while making it look kewwwl.
Scenario 1: Run both overflows to the skimmer box where the skimmer lives and use the mag 18 for a return. Run the FX5 on its own with its hosing all over the place.
Scenario 2: One overflow runs to the skimmer, the other to the FX5 (is that even possible?) - reduces the amount of hoses etc that clutter the tank. I do have at my disposal a bunch of smaller tanks; 20G, 10G etc...
Scenario 3: Some how have both of the overflow boxes leading firstly to the FX then have the output of the FX5 going into the 25G tank which houses the skimmer with the Mag 18 doing the return work? mechanical, chemical then Bio filtration in that order with one single return. This would be my first choice if it was somehow possible.
Scenario 4: :-???????????
Thanks
