filter

[ghst1203reef]

I have a 37g and right now I'm using a marineland 350 power filter. I have a Reef Octopus BH100 HOB Skimmer coming in a couple of days. I was wondering if I should get a HOB Refugium. Then just use that and the protein skimmer and get rid of the power filter.

[Hzuiel]

Marineland power filters are garbage, the velocity of the water coming out of the overflow splashes everywhere, i like the penn-plax cascade filters, they keep the water from splashing. Aquaclear hob filters are also popular. You should have a power filter, replace the media with purigen and chemipure elite, and maybe some straight activated charcoal AND have the refugium. What type of refugium were you looking at? Finnex makes a 1 gallon breederbox/refugium that is great for small tanks and cheap as dirt. You can either power it with an air bubbler, or connect a small powerhead to it to pump. Paint it black on the outside with krylon fusion to prevent light bleed over and get a small 3 led par bulb from any big box store and a bottle lamp kit and just sit the bulb on the lit to the refugium(that should still be clear, don't paint it). Grand total price of finnex with pump, can of krylon bulb and lamp socket with cord is about 65 bucks.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Collection-LED-Collection-LED-8W-Warm-White-LED-Light-Bulb-6/24379403 $15.91
http://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-3-Way-Lamp-Making-Kit/16561521 just remove the lamp shade support. $7.97
http://www.amazon.com/Krylon-K02519000-Plastic-Aerosol-12-Ounce/dp/B000GONZC0 $9.65
http://www.amazon.com/Shiruba-Aqua-Power-Head-40-Gallon/dp/B008LV2KUS/ref=pd_bxgy_petsupplies_text_y $13.99
http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Hang-On-Breeding-Box-Large/dp/B005QRDCP2 I can't find the finnex without air pump, but this is about same, $17.70

total $65.22

or if you get the finnex with included air pump and skip the power head(you'll hear bubbling noise which some people don't like)
http://www.amazon.com/Finnex-External-Refugium-Breeder-1-Gallon/dp/B005VFLAG2/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1377562412&sr=1-2&keywords=finnex $28.18

total $61.77

[Almondsaz]

If I were in your shoes, I would look at the possibility of having a remote 10 or 20 gallon sump with a built in refugium, you have a lot of benefits - increased water volume, hid your heater, etc. and you can design in a functional refugium even place some of your LR in the sump to give more space to the DT and have more room in the 37. Just a thought.

[ghst1203reef]

Marineland power filters are garbage, the velocity of the water coming out of the overflow splashes everywhere, i like the penn-plax cascade filters, they keep the water from splashing. Aquaclear hob filters are also popular. You should have a power filter, replace the media with purigen and chemipure elite, and maybe some straight activated charcoal AND have the refugium. What type of refugium were you looking at? Finnex makes a 1 gallon breederbox/refugium that is great for small tanks and cheap as dirt. You can either power it with an air bubbler, or connect a small powerhead to it to pump. Paint it black on the outside with krylon fusion to prevent light bleed over and get a small 3 led par bulb from any big box store and a bottle lamp kit and just sit the bulb on the lit to the refugium(that should still be clear, don't paint it). Grand total price of finnex with pump, can of krylon bulb and lamp socket with cord is about 65 bucks.




http://www.walmart.com/ip/Collection-LED-Collection-LED-8W-Warm-White-LED-Light-Bulb-6/24379403 $15.91
http://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-3-Way-Lamp-Making-Kit/16561521 just remove the lamp shade support. $7.97
http://www.amazon.com/Krylon-K02519000-Plastic-Aerosol-12-Ounce/dp/B000GONZC0 $9.65
http://www.amazon.com/Shiruba-Aqua-Power-Head-40-Gallon/dp/B008LV2KUS/ref=pd_bxgy_petsupplies_text_y $13.99
http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Hang-On-Breeding-Box-Large/dp/B005QRDCP2 I can't find the finnex without air pump, but this is about same, $17.70

total $65.22

or if you get the finnex with included air pump and skip the power head(you'll hear bubbling noise which some people don't like)
http://www.amazon.com/Finnex-External-Refugium-Breeder-1-Gallon/dp/B005VFLAG2/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1377562412&sr=1-2&keywords=finnex $28.18

total $61.77




Thanks I don't have a problem with the filter itself. I just use filter floss in it now. I was asking if I should even be using one.

[Dmorty217]

Do you have any live rock in the tank? How much live sand? Essentially most of us use live rock and sand, or just live rock as the main filtration for their system. My 220g has a 50g sump with some rubble, sand, macro and mangroves with my skimmer and that is the entire filtration system.

[ghst1203reef]

Yes I have about 35lbs of LR and 40lbs of LS I don't have a sump and I'm not planning on adding one with this tank. That's why I was thinking a HOB refugium to help with nitrates

[ghst1203reef]

but with everything being HOB I wont have room for skimmer, power filter and refugium.

[ghst1203reef]

so do I need a PF

[Hzuiel]

Thanks I don't have a problem with the filter itself. I just use filter floss in it now. I was asking if I should even be using one.

Yes, but place additional filter media in it, I recommend chemipure elite, purigen, and possibly additional activated carbon.

but with everything being HOB I wont have room for skimmer, power filter and refugium.

What are the dimensions of the aquarium? Dimensions: 30"W x 12"D x 22"H; 37 Gallon?

Refugium is 10.5"
Reef octopus is 8"
Marineland 350 15.2" There is your problem, that marineland sucks. The biowheels are known to make nitrates later, and that is humongous.

http://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax-Cascade-Power-Filter/dp/B0002DJ812/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377565642&sr=8-1&keywords=cascade+200

I like that filter and it will fit easly. The cascade 300 can fit, but just barely.

[ghst1203reef]

Yes, but place additional filter media in it, I recommend chemipure elite, purigen, and possibly additional activated carbon.



What are the dimensions of the aquarium? Dimensions: 30"W x 12"D x 22"H; 37 Gallon?

Refugium is 10.5"
Reef octopus is 8"
Marineland 350 15.2" There is your problem, that marineland sucks. The biowheels are known to make nitrates later, and that is humongous.

http://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax-Cascade-Power-Filter/dp/B0002DJ812/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377565642&sr=8-1&keywords=cascade+200

I like that filter and it will fit easly. The cascade 300 can fit, but just barely.

Yes 33x12x22. If I get the refugium I would prefer not to run a PF but would that be ok

[Hzuiel]

The refugium isn't a substitute though, they serve different functions. Purigen and chemipure bind harmful agents that might be in the water. The refugium is mainly to balance ph, lower nitrates, and provide stability. Purigen and chemipure elite absorb and bind a number of bad things that might be in your water, as well as other benefits.

[ghst1203reef]

The refugium isn't a substitute though, they serve different functions. Purigen and chemipure bind harmful agents that might be in the water. The refugium is mainly to balance ph, lower nitrates, and provide stability. Purigen and chemipure elite absorb and bind a number of bad things that might be in your water, as well as other benefits.


This where I'm getting confused because I see people say they use LR/LS for the filtration. Then I hear I should use a PF would a protein skimmer help with removing the unwanted material?:headwally:

[Hzuiel]

I'll break it down as best i can with my limited knowledge.

Purpose of filter: Holds filter media like activated carbon, chemipure, chemipure elite, purigen, etc. These absorb toxins out of the water, bind and trap phosphates, nitrites, nitrates, and other bad things you don't want in your system. Also aerates and agitates the water.

Purpose of live rock: Mechanical filtration, traps floating bits of debris that go around it. Provides a home for the beneficial bacteria, tiny crustaceans, and other things that eat and process the waste your other aquarium inhabitants make.

Purpose of live stand: Houses more beneficial bacterial and other small organisms that process waste. However if not frequently cleaned it can begin to produce nitrates, however this can be countered by having fish, or invertebrates that burrow in and filter the sand and eat the waste out of it.

Purpose of a skimmer: Salt water has a higher density than fresh water, and as a result most protein based waste begins to float to the top. You can see a film forming on the top of tanks with inadequate water flow. Naturally this process occurs in the ocean. The crashing waves create bubbles which actually trap the protein and carry it as foam on top of the ocean to the shore, where waves push it up onto the beach to tidal grasses that filter and process the waste. Here is where the skimmer and refugium come in. The skimmer creates bubbles that mimick sea foam which trap and carry debris like those proteins, up into the collection cup where they settle.

Refugium purpose: Much like the sea grasses, growing varieties of macro algae(chaeto is a popular one because it's unlikely to spread into the rest of your tank and take over) in a compartment that gets water from the main tank allows the algae to pull out debris and nitrates from the water. They also have the effect of changing ph because the algae removes co2 from the water and release oxygen just like trees remove co2 from the air. Many people run the light for the refugium at night time, alternate to the lighting in the display tank to balance ph, because ph often drops when the lights are turned off in the display tank. Avoiding sharp changes in ph is healthier for fish, coral, and other inverts.

[Sn8kbyt]

If I were in your shoes, I would look at the possibility of having a remote 10 or 20 gallon sump with a built in refugium, you have a lot of benefits - increased water volume, hid your heater, etc. and you can design in a functional refugium even place some of your LR in the sump to give more space to the DT and have more room in the 37. Just a thought.

+1!!

Can't imagine why anyone would spend all that money to hang a bunch of unsightly stuff on the back of their tank when in the near future they will regret it and end up building a sump anyway.

Hzuiel provided a great explanation of the the purpose/uses of each item separate though, I certainly couldn't have worded it any where near as good.