what are the best types of filters? I am just starting this hobby

[rneergaard]

I am just starting this wonderful hobby, and I was wondering what type of filters i should use and other types of equipment. Are outside filters good? Are canister filters good? Or should i use a sump? I just would like some advice if its not too much trouble. Thank you!

[hamdogg08]

In most reef tanks there really is no conventional "filter" What you need is a protein skimmer (bubbles rise, make a foam and the foam is made of all the gunk in your water), and you need live rock. The live rock is colonized by bacteria that pretty much eat the fish poop. This is what filters out your tank...well I guess it processes your water more than filter it...

[Packersfan21]

WELCOME TO RC!

On my 90 gallon I have a 90 gallon w/ a sump and in it I have a bio-wheel filter and a venturi protein skimmer.

[nmbeg]

the best filter is no filter... just a sump and a protein skimmer and a refugium, but that's not to say that people don't have success with other types of filters as well.

check out the newbie guides on the forums, and read these books:

1. conscientious marine aquarist by fenner
2. natural reef aquarium by tullock
3. new marine aquarium by paletta
4. reef notes 1,2,3,4 by sprung

happy reefing!

[demonsp]

Your LR and SB are your best bio filtration and no add on filter besides a skimmer can compete.
In a new setup with low stock then no addition filtration is needed and may only confuse you. A HOB media filter to collect the small looses debris as tank ages.

Get the bascis down and then if you want to spend money on some fancy filter that only adds to your maintance load then its your money.

[Gold Stripe]

Natural is best. Plenty of live rock with critters, a good sandbed with little guys to keep the top layer stirred, a sump with a good protien skimmer, and a refugium planted with macro algae.

The critters eat the leftovers, the skimmer gets what they dont, and then they all poop along with your fish. The bacteria in the sand and rock eat the poop and decaying organics and convert them from amonia to nitrite to nitrate. The macro algae (plants) in the refugium eat the nitrates and convert to gas which is expelled through the surface of the water.

Vary crude description but pretty much breaks it down to basics.

[rneergaard]

Thank yall, so what would be the best filter to get with a protein skimmer besides a sump because they are kind of expensive and i am on a low budget lol.

[Packersfan21]

A sump isn't a filter, it's just a small tank in the stand that's used to hold heaters, protein skimmer, live rock, etc.

[rneergaard]

So do u even need some type of filter?

[Packersfan21]

Like the previous posters have said. Live rock, sand, protein skimmer, and a refugium take care of most of the filtration. i just have my bio-wheel filter because it was already installed when I got my tank already fully set up.

[rneergaard]

What is a refugium and a bio-wheel filter? Sorry i am asking so many questions, just do not know a lot about it.

[Sk8r]

No, you don't, really: they're usually more pain than help, unless you have a purely fish tank. If you keep corals and some fish, best to have no filter.
It works like this:
No lid (keeps tank cool)
A downflow box takes water from your tank via siphon or gravity, dumps it in an auxiliary tank where your skimmer is...you toss the 'skimmate', the gunk it collects. You can set up a refugium (green tank) in the sump, lighting weed that will suck up more bad chemicals and keep your display green-free.
A pump shoots the water back up to your tank---heated, cleaned, and ready to go.
A 10% water change per week keeps your trace elements up.
Most corals aren't hard at all if you have good habits.
The only filtration you ordinarily need is your skimmer and the live rock and sand that sit up in the main tank. A refugium may have extra live rock and sand to supplement the upstairs tank.
Don't get oversold on equipment: buy a stout tank, pre-drilled if you can swing it. Get lights appropriate for what you want to keep. Don't get a filter, but you will need a submersible pump, and another pump to drive the skimmer.
HTH.

[rneergaard]

Thanks. Yea i just need as much helping information as possible because i am very interested in this hobby. Thanks for the info. and keep postin helpful info. if people do not mind. Thanks again.

[demonsp]

Very good info but the end process of the bio filter is nitrogen. But all this is useless without proper water flow .
Basics:
Ro. or better water source.
Minimum amount of LR and LS.
Water movement ( Not from wave maker).
Skimmer.
Some lights , though this is an important buy for looks and performace on a reef tank so the better the light the happier the reefer.
A HOB media filter is optional but very usefull for collect the small looses bits that float around in a new setup.

This will get you going for awile with great results and just add stock slowly with a few CUC at first.
Learn this setup and the rest will only be much easier and understood.



Water test kit.



<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12648499#post12648499 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gold Stripe
Natural is best. Plenty of live rock with critters, a good sandbed with little guys to keep the top layer stirred, a sump with a good protien skimmer, and a refugium planted with macro algae.

The critters eat the leftovers, the skimmer gets what they dont, and then they all poop along with your fish. The bacteria in the sand and rock eat the poop and decaying organics and convert them from amonia to nitrite to nitrate. The macro algae (plants) in the refugium eat the nitrates and convert to gas which is expelled through the surface of the water.

Vary crude description but pretty much breaks it down to basics.

[rneergaard]

I do not know most of the abbreviations lol sry. If you could just help me with that lol.

[Packersfan21]

No prob. A refugium is small tank either beneath the display tank in the stand or next to the tnak, ususally on top of different stand. You can use a refugium for eliminating nitrates, nitrate, phosphate, and ammonia from your display tank. This works by having chaeto algae or some other type macro algae which absorbes the pollutants. You can also let copepods multiply in a refugium to feed fish like mandarins and scooter blennys in your display tank.

A bio-wheel filter is a rotating wheel w/ filter media in it. The water flows from my display tank to the bio-wheel gets filtered, and then flows into the sump where the skimmer filters out the rest of the water. Finally, the filtered water flows back up to the display tank. I don't have a refugium yet, but i plan on adding one soon.

[rneergaard]

So you do not have to have a refugium?

[Packersfan21]

HOB means hang on back filter. RO means reverse-osmosis water.
LR means live rock and LS means live sand.

[Packersfan21]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12648691#post12648691 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rneergaard
So you do not have to have a refugium?

You don't have to but i would reccomend it.

[rneergaard]

Ah ok thanks, i really appreciate it. I just would like to know a lot of info. before buying all the things i need because i am getting a 70 gallon tank.

[Sk8r]

Let me tell you about my system: may help...
54 gallon tank, no lid, with a 9" 'fake' rim that is open on top. 250 w metal halide (T5's work fine) light kit sits balanced on that.
Corner of tank is drilled inside a downflow box so pipes gravity-drop water from floor of tank to the sump.
In the sump (another 30 g) my topoff float checks water level and causes the topoff reservoir to spit fresh water into the sump to make up for evaporation (necessary cooling trick). (Salt never evaporates, so if you don't topoff with fresh you end up with the Dead Sea).
The water flow goes through a 'green area' of weed and 24/7 light that sucks up phosphate (bad).
I use only ro/di filtered water for my topoff and my mixed salt water. (Keeps phosphates out, not to mention chloramines and other goodies).
The skimmer froths the protein waste out and dumps the cleaned water back into the sump in the green area. The water then flows on through to the main pump, which shoots it back up to the display tank (the aquarium) where the cycle begins all over again.
I keep corals and small fishes. I sell the spare weed and spare coral growth back to my fish store to supply other people. Corals grow pretty fast, so you can trade enough to keep you partially in fish food, at least.
Ideally, your corals will live forever, as you split them off and sell the new stuff on, and your fish will live for a decade and more.
You will want a topoff system (not too pricey) and a simple glass box for a quarantine tank---these fish come in from the wild and get stressed, and one sick fish can take out your tank. So starting with your very first fish, quarantine, observe, and if it gets sick, treat it. Most treatments will kill not only the parasites and bacteria making your fish sick---but also kill off all the microfauna and bacteria that make your tank work. So you never, never, never treat a fish in your tank---and if you've ever had to take a tank apart to catch a sick and stressed fish, well, it's not a good thing. Use the qt tank religiously and you'll have a good clean start. Once you set up your fish, and have them all healthy, you should be through with fish replacement (and therefore through with imported diseases) for the next decade. Getting there, however, takes some careful monitoring as your fish come in.
You can say somewhat the same for your corals: dip them to rid them of near-invisible parasites and vermin (bugs travel on what they eat) and you'll run a clean tank and save yourself a lot of headache.

[demonsp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12648691#post12648691 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rneergaard
So you do not have to have a refugium?

If you have any dragon fish or pod dependent fish then a refugium is needed and should be up and running for a few months before adding these type fish.

[demonsp]

In this hobby you are always learning. So if you dont get the basic needs of your tank and understand them then you will waste alot of time and money. Many problems take time to show and then most figure since there tanks been fine for a yr or so then it most be something other then just the basic setup.Then get trapped in the reactor and add on loop only spending more money to fix a problem than something like flow amount or dirrection or water source type of stock.

[rneergaard]

Well thanks, so what would be a good aquarium set up, like equipment i need, for my aquarium?

[demonsp]

You need to preplan your whole setup starting with your budget. Then research each wanted item before purchase. Then buy a book ( http://www.amazon.com/New-Marine-Aquarium-Step-Step/dp/1890087521/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205050392&sr=1-1 ) then rethink your setup one more time and then , Enjoy the best seat in the house.

[rneergaard]

I just bought my first aquarium today and it is 80 gallons. I have a sump underneath that came with it, what type of protein skimmer would be best and what type of pump also, to pump it back into the aquarium?

[rneergaard]

The sump is really a wet dry with bio balls i think but it works like a sump.

[Longchamp]

head over to www.melevsreef.com he's got a nice intro thatll answer most of your question. Then head to Barnes and Noble to their pet section, they should have some reef books that will tell you nearly everything you need to know.