55 gallon reef

[marcgrantphoto]

I've been in and out of the industry for over 40 years and have taken a 20 year leave of absence. My last tank was a 75 gallon Oceanic reef, drilled with overflows, protein skimmer, 40 gallon sump, ozone, trickle filter with bio balls, metal halide lighting, etc.

I've recently been given a 55 gallon tank that was purchased new and set up fresh water. It has a Filstar XP canister filter with it that I know nothing about. Will it be possible to set up the tank for a reef/fish combo (choice pieces of corals and very few fish) with just this filter and possibly a protein skimmer?

 

[Gundo5000]

Which filstsr xp model is it? I think there is 4 different sizes. Regardless you will probably need some power heads for extra flow. Make sure you clean the filter and get new media/pads from the start since it was used on freshwater esp.

 

[marcgrantphoto]

Thanks, Gundo. I think it's the one for up to 75 gallons. I'd planned on cleaning it up real well before setting it all up. I was thinking I'd read somewhere that people are keeping reef tanks now with just a protein skimmer with good results. I built my 75 gallon back in the mid 80's when the ammonia tower filtration idea was just coming to the aquarium industry so I have a lot of experience but know very little about changes in technology over the last 25 plus years.

 

[wilsonline]

ouw, a reef tank in the mid 80's...
I would go with a skimmer in a sump. but start with the canister using media (siporax, matrix, FGO, purigem, etc) while cycling. get a refractometer or a salinity monitor($$), not a hydrometer. two packs of caribesea oolite. some live rock. and a circulation pump koralia/tunze/jebão/ecotech($$).
in place of bioballs i would go with siporax (sera). in place of metal halide, t5 or led($$).
and wait the tank cycle. may use some starter as probidio, but the best is to wait as you can. may even dose amonia to 4ppm and wait the sistem can make it zero. or bury a smal piece of shirimp/fish in the sand bed. not having any fish while the cycle isn't finished.
how are you going to control the temperature? is it stable now?

 

[orteh22]

Running an XP3 running in a 20g gallon for now, seems to be fine