Filter Opinion's

[darren0311]

I would like to know everyones opinion here.

One of my tanks is an Aggressive tank, I have 2 stonefishes Fuzzy Dwarf Lion and a trigger, I just got my skimmer and I am trying to figure out What kind of filter I want to use since I have to change it around, (skimmer is Huge).

Just looking for everyones Opinion here.

Should I just go with a sump with the Skimmer, Like a Berlin Setup?

should I go with a wet/dry with the skimmer?

 

[yote]

Go with the Berlin style.It'll lessen the maintance and help water quality at the same time.

 

[Rcpilot]

A tank like that is gonna have a lot of poop in it. A wet/dry will just convert it all to nitrates. So if you do a wet/dry you'll also need a refugium -- a la DSB with cheato and live rock - to deal with those nitrates. Most people don't want to do the weekly 20% water changes it takes to manage nitrates with water changes.

I'd go with a Berlin system or even add a fuge. I don't mean to brag, but I REALLY like the 20H fuge and separate 20L sump on my 29g frag tank. The separate fuge and sump give me a larger water volume AND I am able to have a massive DSB with plenty of depth and square inches on the surface. 24 x 14 surface area and about 6" or 7" deep all the way across. The 20L sump gives me an 8g return section and a large skimmer section to install a skimmer rated at twice the 29g tank size.

IMO, if you go with a wet/dry - you need a fuge. But if you just do a Berlin system you only need a sump and skimmer. The fuge would not be necessary.

Personally I will never have another saltwater tank without a fuge. and sump. Maybe not separated - maybe a combination sump/fuge. But I'll never do it without a fuge.

 

[darren0311]

I Have a berlin style on our 47 gal reef and it is fantastic, RC I do have a HOB fuge I can use, If I go with the Berlin and a fuge In your opinions, do you think it can handle the bio load?? I mean the skimmer is rated up to 250gal, that should take care of most of it.

 

[Rcpilot]

Maybe down the road you can add a larger fuge under the tank but for now any fuge is better than no fuge. If I was in your shoes and I had a functioning HOB fuge I'd slap that sucker on there and fill it up with sand, rocks and macro algae. :Cheers:

It might not be perfect and I'm sure you could easily find somebody with more money, space and resources to criticize your idea. But some of us don't have an entire room hidden behind the wall to dedicate to our $10,000 tank filter. :mrgreen:

Is this your 150g tank?

 

[darren0311]

No, this is my 50 gallon, It is a nice setup, I think I am going to go with the berlin style setup and through the fuge on there just to help with the nitrates/nitrites..
I have a 20 gallon tank that i think I am going to use and I will add a filter sock to it.
what do you think?

 

[yote]

I dont see any reason that wouldnt work Darren.

 

[darren0311]

Ok, So this morning, I got up, took the old filter out from underneath my tank, I took a 20 gallon tank that i had and made into a sump, Put My lifereef skimmer in there with a Mag 9.5, So I have the flow from the tank going down to the sump, into a filter sock, I also have 2 bags carbon in there, 30lbs LR and a little LS as well, I hooked up a reactor with some stuff to help with the Nitrates/Nitrites as well.
So far ALOT of foam is coming out of the skimmer which is good, the old skimmer I had did an Ok job but it wasnt a great skimmer.

Also, I switched my return pump to a Quiet one pump, 720GPH, so I am going to be getting more turnover than I had before.

I will keep postings on this and get some pic's up as soon as I can.