NEED INPUT!!! What Type Of Filters/skimmers/power Heads To Use???

[bigfinn81]

I AM GETTIN A NEW TANK HAD ONE YEARS AGO AND ONLY USED 2 POWER HEADS WITH UNDER GRAVEL SETUP...I AM GETTING A 46 GALLON BOW FRONT OCEANIC TANK AND WONDERING WHAT TYPE OF FILTRATION I WOULD NEED.....WHAT IS THE BEST TO DO? PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INFO....TANK COMES WITH A EHEIM WET/DRY FILTER BUT NOT SURE WHICH ONE THE GUY I BOUGHT IT FROM BOUGHT IT LIKE 2 YEARS AGO SET IT UP FOR A BIT AND TOOK IT DOWN...HE IS ASKING 300 FOR EVERYTHING CORAL, ROCKS, EHEIM FILTEER, TANK STAND THE WHOLE SETUP.....SO LET ME KNOW WHAT ELSE I WOULD NEED OR DO....THANKS

[Clayman]

Stop yelling first. Second find the caps lock. Third want kind of set-up do you want Reef, FOWLR, FO?

[Scuba_Steve]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>
First of all im going to assume you have a non drilled tank. So this means that you want a hang on back skimmer. Get an aquac remora, they are awesome although they create some micro bubbles. Undergravel filters are a thing of the past, dont use them, they just cause problems. Actually most will tell you not to use a canister filter like your eheim regularly. The best bet is to just use about 60 lbs of live rock, and a nice 4 in deep live sandbed. The protein skimmer along with that will do all the filtering you need. The best option would be to add a hang on back overflow and get a sump to hold the skimmer, heaters, an even more live rock. You can even grow macro algae in it to really eliminate your nitrates. Filters do the exact opposite. They take care of ammonia and nitrites well, but are nitrate factories. Also use as must water flow as possible. The best bet for this is either a few good powerheads, or a closed loop. That means you get a good external pump like a supreme mag drive 500 700 or 950, and plumb an intake and a few outlets into your tank using pvc pipe. This allows you to keep any hoses close to the surface and out of sight instead of having powerheads everywhere.

[Scuba_Steve]

Also, ill break down the choices that clayman asked you as you are new and may not know what they mean.

FO: Fish only means just that, only fish. This is good if you want aggressive fish that would destroy a reef. Normal lights and a heater and maybe skimmer are all you need.

FOWLR: Fish only with live rock. A much better approach. live rock as i said is the best filter. same requirements as above.

Reef: You need better lights. Anywhere from a 2 x 55w power compact off ebay for $50-$100 with low light corals like mushrooms, to 400w metal halide flood lamps to keep all the hard corals, clams, and anemones and such. You then also need all reef safe fish and a smaller fish load as water quality becomes eveen more important.

[bigfinn81]

i was searching online for systems and i found this one but not sure being new to this wet/dry filter stuff with sumps and all.....i found it on marinedepot.com.........the pump kit is CPR SYS192 here is the link scuba steve maybe u can check it out and let me know what u think.... check this one out.... (http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=CRSY192)

Let me know what u think also do u have either yahoo messenger or AIM little easier to talk cause u seem to really know alot....my name with AIM is bigfinn481 and on yahoo it is bigfinn81.....like u read before i was always shown to just use power heads and under gravel filters...so let me know boss........tryin to figure out the best thing to do....like they say measure twice cut once....:)