canister filter or hang on the back protien skimmer

[kmax74]

whoch is better on a sumpless setup it is a 90 gallon
i will have 100 lbs of live rock and a live sand bed
only a few fish and zoas and some lps

[bolton reefer 1]

iv just bought a 1400 ltrs per hr filter with built in uv sterilzer for my 50 gln tank but ive got a deltec mce600 hung on the back as well another option for you is to go filter and ozone instead of skimmer

[bolton reefer 1]

i know i did,nt really anwser your question but the two peices of equipment have very differant uses,ive always used a skimmer but you can go without one, and the filter would give you a lot of choice to run differant media in the canister

[steri]

If those are the two options, then I think the skimmer is a must. If you want to use your canister, use it for circulation and a place for carbon and Live Rock Rubble so that pods can have a place to reproduce safely, otherwise they can start to become a nitrate/ammonia factory. That's how I use my canisters, but I think a skimmer is a must.

There really is no comparison between a skimmer and a canister filter as far as what's more important. Skimmer wins, hands down, but you can use a canitser filter effectively in a salt water tank too, in addition to LR and a skimmer.

[aquarius77]

Skimmer.
The days of needing a mechanical filter are in the past. You will have enough LR and a sand bed, with good water circulation that is your filter.