Equipment help please

[kram_ws]

Hello everyone. I would like some advice on equipment for a new tank. A brief history on my past tanks: Began with a 55gal fish only, then tried to convert it to this 47 gallon and after some unsuccessful additions I tried to sell it and no-one wanted it. I am currently running a 25 gallon nano tank and it is not up to par with the tank I envision.

I want to take this 47gal and upgrade the equipment so I am able to adequately maintain a reef aquarium to its fullest and healthiest potential.
When I had it set up before I had the following equipment:
1. Emperor 400 power filter
2. Coralife light
3. heater

Very simple and very basic, obviously not good enough. So what advice can you offer me? What lighting system should I use? Which, in your opinion, is the best choice in filtration systems-sump, canister? Anything would be helpful.

Thank you.

[cwilson]

1) get a protien skimmer

this will make a huge improvement on your tank. if you need to use a skimmer that hangs on the back of your tank, i know AquaC, Deltec, and Coralife all have HOB skimmers. there are also skimmer you can use in-line, which you would just set up a closed loop for the skimmer, meaning you wouldnt need an entire sump setup. the very first thing you should do is get a skimmer. expect to pay at least $200


2) get some powerheads

jsut dding a couple of mid-sized powerheads (200gph ish) can greatly improve your quality. this will also emilimate dead spots with no flow which can help prevent algea growth. powerheads are cheap, too. Maxijets are great powerheads and you can find them for under $30 each. just one or two could really improve you tank

3) tell us more about you light/ideal livestock

if you le tus know whatkind of bulbs/wattage, as well as what you would like ot keep. then we can give you much more specific advice, and help you the best way possible.


but i doubt anyone will say that adding a skimmer and a couple powerheads is a bad idea....

[46FiatYamaha]

I have a 46 gal bowfront, and the best thing I did biologically wise was take out the emperor 400 filter ( produces nitrates) and just ran a skimmer only with several maxi-jets for a lot of circulation, along with an aqua c remora, the water quality is much better now.