Need convincing

[favo1984]

Need convincing

Alright party people here it is.... I am a freshwater fish keeper who has been keeping cichlids for a while now and it has been my intention to keep on doing so until my favorite fish died and since then I have kind of lost the buzz for cichlids.


I acquired a new tank and with that new tank came the question, what to put in it?.....Dare I say it but I am giving some serious consideration to a FO saltwater tank.

Firstly, let me tell about the situation I am in. I have a 135G tank sitting empty. I was going to spend $500 on x2 Fluval FX5s (if I was to put FW fish in the tank) as I am a big believer in overkill when it comes to filtration. I have used an FX5 before on a FW tank and it was amazing – in a league of its own compared to other canisters and sump filters. However that was for FW which, I understand it has pretty different filtration requirements compared to SW if you want to the water crystal. I would prefer (for simplicities sake) to get an FX5 and a decent Skimmer with maybe a UV thrown in for good measure, but would this be a more expensive route to go than a skimmer/sump that could do just as good a job?

For the amount of $500 could you recommend a decent sump & skimmer for a 135G tank.

Thanks.


:frustrat:

 

[Dakwan]

If you are looking to save some money, you might try going with an algae scrubber instead of the skimmer. Some people have had some VERY good success going that route. And you can make your own for under 50 dollars

Algae Scrubbers • View topic - Algae Scrubber Basics: The Summary

 

[marcah]

first of welcome to the site..:D
if you want to do saltwater fish only I would just get some dry rock around 150 pounds or so and one piece of live and let it cycle and make it all live rock.. that will be your means of filtration for the tank then get a good skimmer on it.. keep up on water changes and that will really be all you will need for a fowlr of course with a powerhead or two in for water movement.. I would not get the cannister it will cause more headaches then bennifits unless cleaned every few days.. sump depending on the room a diy 55 gal or so would be perfect but for a fowlr the rock and skimmer along with routine waterchanges will do you fine..

 

[favo1984]

Let me get this straight, as this sounds almost too good to be true..... For a FO tank; a tiny bit of live rock and a protein skimmer is all I need...seriously? Nothing else at all?!? not even a UV sterilizer? How does the mechanical waste get filtered?:bounce:

Would you be able suggest a particular protein skimmer with a side of overkill that would be suitable for a 135G FO tank?

I live in Hawaii so a reef tank will never be possible for me until they change the laws but a small amount of live rock is okay.

 

[favo1984]

What about phosphate and carbon too? Both I understand are very important to keep things crystal clear in the water. A good canister would be able to provide that wouldn't it?

 

[Sir Alex]

I find the best filtration is 1 to 2 pounds per gallon of live rock (less for a FOWLR), some sort of filter media, a protein skimmer (this one would be good: Reef Octopus Super Reef 2000 Internal Skimmer), and some kind of macro algae like chaetomorph. I find that carbon can add the final sparkling touch if you want. And you'll need powerheads to oxygenate the water (about 1,000 to 2,000 GPH total would be good for your tank).

 

[Smitty]

Welcome to the site...glad to have your aboard. They have your covered, all you really need is the live rock, some sand and a decent protein skimmer. And in reality, a skimmer isn't really necessary if you keep up with the water changes.

 

[favo1984]

Thanks Smitty & Sir Alex - much appreciated. Going to go do more research but I'm feeling pretty good about things.

With a skimmer how often would you recommend to do water changes compared to if I didn't have a skimmer?

 

[Smitty]

With a skimmer, I'd suggest water changes every 2-4 weeks, depending on your bio load...and without a skimmer, I'd suggest a water change at least once a week.

 

[little_fish]

Hello and Welcome!

The guys have you covered. I run an algae scrubber and i have never had an algae problem or nitrate/phosphate issue. I personally love them.

 

[favo1984]

Yeah - I'm more inclined to get a skimmer then. I would like to reduce the amount of water changes that I need to do. As I may have mention previously i currently do weekly water changes on 3 FW tanks and I'm sick of it, as much as I love my Cichlids.

I am liking the suggestion of the Reef Octopus Extreme xs 160 - I have read nothing but good reviews for it and it is more than capable of handling my FO + tiny amount of live rock 135G tank.

I have never setup a sump or anything like this before so sorry for all the questions. For the Reef Octopus Skimmer (I have tried to find the answer to this on my own already) do I need an incoming and a return pump and what would be a suitable size sump to house it in?

I have been given a 3 week old FX5 : ) (dont think the guy realized what he was giving up) so I'm thinking Seachem Phosguard & some carbon as filter media in the FX5 to run alongside the skimmer and to finish it off a UV sterilizer on the return line from the FX5. thoughts? I love overkill and I'm hoping that this will reduce the need for water changes massively.