46 Gallon Tank - Equipment Recommendations :)

[2ndrookie]

Hey guys,

First time posting. I've done freshwater when I was younger and now I'm moving on to Saltwater *SHEW*... I'm gonna be purchsing a nice 46 Gallon bow tank soon and would greatly appreciate your help on best product recommendations regarding filtration equipment:

-Protein Skimmer
-Wet/Dry Filtration System

If you have any other recommendations or thoughts on other common filtration systems, please feel free to share. Your help once again would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks guys....

Steve H. (Newbie) :)

[kau_cinta_ku]

[welcome]
on my 46 bow i have an ASM skimmer, 70lbs of LR and plenty of flow for my filtration and works great

[yoboyjdizz]

I would skip the wet/dry.. You can custom build your own sump using a 20g tank and some glass baffles or custom order one. I would recomend 50-80 pounds of live rock and a qaulity protein skimmer ( Asm is a good recomendation ). What do you plan on keeping wil help determine what other equipment might be needed.

[Andrew]

[welcome]

If you want good filteration, than go for a good amount of liverock and a good skimmer. As for what tpye of skimmer would work, what's your budget for one? You could spend anywhere from $70-$300 for a skimmer that would work for a 46 gallon tank.

[corals b 4 bills]

Try not to let anyone talk you into buying a wet/dry filter, not only old school but (you will here this a lot-it's a nitrate factory), we recommend the natural approach. Plenty of live rock, possible deep sand bed, and if you have a big enough sump a macro algae set up All good things! only real piece of filtration equipment would be a good skimmer, HAPPY FISH TRAILS!

[2ndrookie]

Thanks for the speedy response kau_cinta_ku!

ASM sounds good, any particular models of choice?


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8153364#post8153364 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kau_cinta_ku
<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>
on my 46 bow i have an ASM skimmer, 70lbs of LR and plenty of flow for my filtration and works great

[corals b 4 bills]

Just buy a model that will do twice your tank size.

[2ndrookie]

yoboyjdizz
Andrew
corals b 4 bills

Thanks for the reply guys! :)

It seems that the wet/dry approach is garbage? This true?

I was planning on spending an equal amount on the skimmer as well as a wet/dry filter (about $150-$200 each), but if it's not worth it then I guess I should spend more money on the Skimmer.

I was also planning on buying a ton of live rock as I read it's the best natural form of filtration.

Hmmmmmm, it's amazing what you learn from the "true" enthusiast... keep em coming!

[arizona tech]

get some powerheads like 2 maxi-jet 900 for flow

[2ndrookie]

Thanks Arizona Tech,

I'm guessing the Wave-Maker would be essential for the water circulation of the tank?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8153602#post8153602 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by arizona tech
get some powerheads like 2 maxi-jet 900 for flow

[corals b 4 bills]

Quality live rock, good lighting, good skimmer, good flow a lots of patience and your set, the rest you will figure out every day as you read REEF CENTRAL.

[2ndrookie]

Yea... there's a ton of great info on here... and it's not coming from someone trying to sell me something... thanks again guys!

[arizona tech]

i will admit everday i come here i try to learn 1 thing a day

[Paliya]

If you're going to use a 'hang on back' skimmer on your display tank (i.e. not in/on a sump) I would go for a Remora. I hear their performance is decent for its price point, and they aren't too much of an eye sore. I think deltec is coming out with a new hob skimmer next month, might be worth waiting for.

I run a Coralife Super Skimmer 65 as a HOB on my 50g display tank. It works good, but it's 'Super' ugly. It sticks up way above the tank and requires a lot of room between the back of the tank and the wall. I'm changing to a remora to try it out soon.

Of course, if you are going to use a sump, skimmer attractiveness probably doesn't matter as much...

Hope this helps,
-P

[fkdenton]

I have a 46 bow with a octopus hang on skimmer works great only about a $100 also.

[2ndrookie]

Thanks guys... yea, my apartment space is limited so if the skimmer is too big I might have to use something different than a "hang on". We'll see...

[Kiel'thalin]

This is all of my equipment in my 46 gallon bowfront:
Liverock: 55lbs
Skimmer: Deltec MCE600
Heater: Visitherm 50W
Light: Aquactinics T-5 Fixture that is on a timer.
Water Flow: Currently I have two Maxi-Jet 1200's, but currently going to remove all my sand and setup a Bare Bottom tank.
Before I do this, I am looking at either a 1849GPH Tunze Nano-Stream setup (6025 & 6045) or a 1440GPH SEIO Setup (820 & 620).

I don't think I left anything out besides a thermometer and test kits. Good Luck...

[2ndrookie]

Interesting... I'm noticing that NO-ONE uses a wet/dry power filter. It's basically these items I need to get:

-Lots of Live Rock (50+ lbs) & Live Sand
-a Pretty good and expensive Protein Skimmer
-1 or 2 WaveMakers (MaxiJet)
-1 or 2 Heaters to distrubute the heat around the tank evenly
-good lighting fixture

Anything I'm leaving off the list? I'm also trying to ponder how to set up the water before I put the live rock in it (I don't want to kill it), but I think that's a whole other topic. :)

[Shagsbeard]

No need for live sand. Your live rock will have plenty of the benificial micro-flora and fauna that you need in your tank. Waste od money for sure. Two heaters has twice the chance that one will go berzerk and boil your fish... better to go with one really good one.