new guy

[maluskeeter]

hey everyone..im new to this forum and saltwater...i just purchased a 55 gallon aquarium with a 300 watt heater, undergravel filter and an external filter...

ive been reading and reading (and will continue to read), i plan on preparing everything and officially starting when the summer begans after all my research is done..

i also need to buy additional items in the meantime..along with the external filter and undergravel filter i plan to purchase a canister filter and protein skinner - would this be enough filtration?

also, i found a used Red Sea Berlin Protein Skimmer - HOB (rated for a 75 gallon) that is in working condition for $40, is this a good deal? how is the quality of this skimmer?

[meco65]

First
To Reef Central
As for the undergravel filter you dont need it, and the canister filter is good but you have to clean it very often to keep it from being a nitrate factory.
The Berlin is a good skimmer and $40 is a good price.
You may want to look into a sump/fuge also.

[D to the P]

I can't do one of those big ol special WELCOMES, but welcome to RC.
Please do as much research as possible, take as much advice as you can if it seems like everyone is telling you the same thing, take your time, and get ready to drop some money haha.

As far as your filtration goes. Get a good canister filter that is rated atleast twice much as your tank and put a bunch of biological filtration in there. Or, do some research on sumps and refugiums and see if that is what floats your boat (simple, effective, decent sized initial cost).
I would drop the undergravel filter, if you have a good canister or a good sump you will not need the hang on the back filter (unless you want to convert it to a refugium-again research the topic). And you will probably want to start looking into buying some powerheads (personally I like koralias) to get some good water flow going on in the tank.
Berlins are pretty good skimmers

Like I said, take all the advice you can get and take your time to do the research. Research twice-purchase once. You will find that some people at local fish stores are only trying to sell you something (not true of all, hell I work at one, but it is a sad truth for others). I also recommend getting a book.
"The Conscientious Marine Aquarist"
It covers just about everything you need to know to get this tank underway, but don't be afraid to ask as many questions as possible.

Good luck!

[Flavum]

To Reef Central


I would not use and of them other than the skimmer and water changes..If the power goes out for a long time the canister will go anaerobic. and you dont want that going into your tank when the power comes back on

[maluskeeter]

thanks for the welcomes guys..quick responses, im liking this forum...

when i go look at the used protein skimmer, what should i be weary of before purchasing? any other additional items needed for the protein skimmer (i.e. pump, etc)?

[D to the P]

The protein skimmer should come with a pump, and you'll want to make sure that the skimmer works before buying it. You can buy a replacement pump for them, but that just means more money. Other than that there really isn't much else when it comes to protein skimmers. Look at a picture of one on an online store or something to see what they are supposed to look like if you don't already know.

[Tennyson]

How do you all do that welcome to reef central animation?

But my word of advice, don't buy a prizm skimmer. Its a piece of you know what and broke down on me around 4 months of usage. but thats what happened to me.

[D to the P]

I dunno how to do the fancy welcome, and I though he said prizm too, but he said berlin which is different and actually works well. I agree that the prizms aren't worth any money.

[Young Frankenstein]

[maluskeeter]

thank you everyone, for the welcomes and all..

so according to the above..a protein skimmer is a must, undergravel filter is not needed, canister filter is not needed..i will be fine with just a protein skimmer and an external filter?

i was planning to do a combo of: canister, external, protein skimmer and maybe put the undergravel filter...

i jus feel confused about what combo for good filtration

[D to the P]

what exactly do you mean when you say external filter?
Protein skimmer: yes
undergravel: no
canister: yes if no sump, no if you have a sump

Sumps are the best method of filtration because there is a lot you can do with it. If you get that book i recommended it talks extensivly about filtration.

[Imanz0]

A protein skimmer for 40$ ? you really wanna check to see if its working, for my 14 gallon tank, it cost me 120$...

[maluskeeter]

Originally posted by D to the P
what exactly do you mean when you say external filter?
Protein skimmer: yes
undergravel: no
canister: yes if no sump, no if you have a sump

Sumps are the best method of filtration because there is a lot you can do with it. If you get that book i recommended it talks extensivly about filtration.

the external filter (came with the purchase of the tank) looks like a big square cup that hangs on the outside of the tank and powered by its own motor, it has like two cartridges

for a 55 gallon tank..how big of a sump should i get?

[maluskeeter]

i just asked the guy if the skimmer came with a pump, he said: "this is a HOB skimmer - it is not for a sump. It is one complete unit with motor installed" ...so i dont need a pump? or his he lying to me here?

[D to the P]

ok, so its a hang on the back filter. Sorry for not catching that haha. Yeah you don't need this if you have a sump. I would use the canister instead of this. and I would use a sump instead of all of them. You should get as big of sump as you can fit. Essentially the bigger the better. You will also either have to get a hang on the back overflow or drill the back (not bottom) of the aquarium. Generally (atleast with all the aquariums I've seen) the bottom is made of tempered glass and the sides are not, so someone with experience at drilling glass can drill it. Sorry I don't have a link to people who've done it, but I've seen it somewhere here on RC.

[D to the P]

Well make sure its the berlin skimmer and not the prizm. The berlin has a hang on configuration but can be used in a sump without using that configuration. The prizm is a POS and hangs on the tank (although you could hang it off the sump). The berlins are rated for tanks up to 250 gallons on the box (although I would never use one on a tank of that size), and the small prizm is rated for tanks up to 100 gallons (although I wouldn't use it on a tank of that size...or at all). The motor is the pump and should come with it no matter which one it is. Is there a picture of it?

[baitshopboy]

the welcome thingy is done like this minus the spaces [ welcome ]

[MrRoo]

Welcome. If you want to do it right then please ditch the gravel filter, HOB skimmer and canister filter. I started just like you with a 55g, canister filter and HOB skimmer and I couldn't wait to get ride of it after 1 month! Research a sump and build one yourself out of a tank; I used a 29g I purchased at Petco for $39. After buying the tank, glass baffles, and silicone it cost me about $60 and I had a working sump, way cheaper than a canister filter. Don't be afraid to ask questions here there are a lot of knowledgeable people and are willing to help you anyway they can.

Picture of my sump in my stand:

[Tswifty]

Here is a pic of my first sump/fuge... it's an extremely simple sump/fuge combo made out of a 20 gallon long tank that I ran under my 55g tank.

It was fed by a hang-on back style overflow box

Here's the design I followed:
http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/s...***/index.html



I don't have any pics of it in operation, because my other computer with all the pics on it will no longer power on for some reason, and I need to get it fixed.

[Tswifty]

Also... Stay away from SeaClone skimmers.

Biggest POS on the market... In my opinion

[DheereCrossing]

The only thing about the ug filter is maybe use the plate as a plenum under a deep sand bed. The power filter with the pads that came with the tank is really meant for a freshwater setup. It can be used for a reef but there are much better solutions. The canister filter will help with water flow and you can actively run carbon or other chemical absorbsion media occasionally. I would not run a canister filter full time unless the media baskets only contained live rock rubble.

When it comes to reefs and you're used to freshwater or fish only systems it takes a lot of trust and mental rearrangement to realise that you don't need or want all that external filtration gadgetry except for a good skimmer. A sump will allow you to increase your total water volume (a good thing) and also give you a place to hide some gear. A refugium (similar to the sump concept but different) has many uses. It can be a natural filter, grow live food for the main tank, give you a place to put that overly aggressive fish that you didn't research well enough...

[maluskeeter]

Originally posted by D to the P
Well make sure its the berlin skimmer and not the prizm. The berlin has a hang on configuration but can be used in a sump without using that configuration. The prizm is a POS and hangs on the tank (although you could hang it off the sump). The berlins are rated for tanks up to 250 gallons on the box (although I would never use one on a tank of that size), and the small prizm is rated for tanks up to 100 gallons (although I wouldn't use it on a tank of that size...or at all). The motor is the pump and should come with it no matter which one it is. Is there a picture of it?

he will be sending pics today..ill post the asap...i hope its not the prizm!! $40 is a good deal!!

[maluskeeter]

thanks everyone!..so the following is what i need (filtration):

protein skimmer: yes
ugf: no
external power filter: won't hurt
canister filter: yes if no refugium
sump/refugium: yes if no canister

the refugium looks like a cost-effective but it looks complicated, i see plenty of pvc pipes in the back. whats the smallest refugium i can go for my 55 gallon (8, 10?)?..i just strictly want it for filtration and maybe housing fish

that diy listed is not too specific..does anyone have a link to a specific diy (listing exact materials and pvc pipes etc), it just looks really complicated..im starting off brand new, i had to review what exactly a sump did like 4 times..

attached is a picture of a sump i found, and they stated you needed the following:

skimmer, single drain overflow (whats this about?), refugium light, bio-balls, bulk head (to hold hose in place in-case of overfllow), return pump, mineral mud and pvc piping..

with all those materials it looks a bit more expensive than a canister filter

[indydog1]

To Reef Central

it really is not that complicated at all. measure the inside of your stand for a starting point in determining what size sump you can have. next check out this link for what to do.
http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/...lass/index.html

the pvc pipes in the earliest photo are for the drains and return. plus it looks like they used some for a platform to raise up the egg crate. there are many different ways to get what you want out of a sump. heck you could even get some one on here to possibly build one for you. check out the do it yourself forum. they can also help you understand the benefits and sections you will need

good luck and remember patience

[plyr58]

To Reef Central

dude! Read the Read this first post on the front page.