fluval fx5 help ?

[xxxjimxxx]

hello all. i just picked up a 90 gallon bowfront. it came with a fluval fx5 canister filter & a eheim pro easy 80 canister filter . also 2 300 watt heaters. aqua ultraviolet uv filter and 2 aqueon 1650's . id like to make the tank a reef would these filters be ok ? or do i have to have a sump ? the little $ i have left id like to spend on lighting and not a sump. what do you guys and girls think about this equipment on a 90 gallon.

[khaosinc]

Depends on what you want to do with the tank. For fish only you would be fine, and if you keep on top of keeping the canister clean I think you would still be fine in a Reef setting, but many will argue it. I'm quite fond of the FX-5's and am still using 2 of them on my system. To get started Spend your money on lighting in my opinion, but long term you will like the convienience of a sump.

[xxxjimxxx]

thanx khaosinc. what do u have in the media chambers ? and the fluval was set up as freshwater. would u buy new sponges or can i just clean out the ones in there?

[khaosinc]

I don't use the sponges more because I know I'm lazy and won't bother to clean them than the fact they don't work. I run them mostly for carbon and I have bioballs in them and for a little extra flow in my sump at this point. The biggest problem people run in to with canister filters is that they don't maintain them like they do a sump or anything else, mostly because they can't see inside them. They are very good for the first 2 parts of your filtration process, but not much for the third where the waste is finally released as nitrogen. Kept clean and always rinsed in salt water (during a water change or something) mechanical filtration is quite effective. It is just much less forgiving in the reef enviroment if (like me) you tend to put things off

As for the sponges, unless you know the history of the tank it came from, I would replace them. Some chemicals freely used in freshwater can be quite toxic in a reef.

[xxxjimxxx]

thanx again :]