help !!! choose the filter

[bellorusha]

Hi, I bought used 90g tank and they gave me the Fluval 404 filter. Yesterday it broke down. So now I do not have any filter (only power head) I have 2 mashrooms (trying to build reef tank) and 10 fishes.

can you please tell me what do I have to use for filtration? not more then $150

thank you

 

[crumbletop]

Get $150 worth of live rock.

No need for a canister filter

 

[bellorusha]

i have 60-70 pounds of live rocks

 

[slowECUdiver]

Coralife Super Skimmer. go with the CSS 220 needle wheel kind. i have a CSS 125 on my 75 gallon and couldn't be happier with the kind of gunk it's pulling out of the water. and the prices can't be beat...just do a froogle search to find the cheapest online seller.

HTH.

 

[crumbletop]

Since you already have live rock then don't worry about the loss of the cannister filter. You might look at adding another 30 lbs or so of the LR. What is your bioload right now?

 

[bellorusha]

I have CSS 125 already. so I do not need a filter?

my water is not so clean that is why i figured i need something with foam or something.

what about "Pro Refugium acrylic aquarium wet dry filter sump kit"
i found very cheap

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pro-Refugium-ac...ihZ019QQcategoryZ3212QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem


what is bioload?

 

[crumbletop]

The LR has all the beneficial bacteria in and on it to process ammonia to nitrite to nitrate to nitrogen gas and out of the system. The cannister filter could help you pull particulate stuff out of the water, but that isn't really needed. You don't need the bioballs from the wet-dry sump. A sump can be helpful to provide a place to filter out particulate stuff, run carbon, place your heaters and skimmer, etc. As far as filtration, though, I'd make sure your skimmer is running well, and you may want to get a little more LR.

No emergency though....

Jack

 

[bellorusha]

got it.. I have 30 more pounds live rocks in quarantine so i'm going to add it very soon.

So the sump is only for skimmer and heater to place? what about this green plants? this is how I understood natural food for corals. isn't it?

 

[crumbletop]

You can do a fuge in the sump as well. That isn't really food for corals, but is another way to export nitrates from the system. Also a home for pods, etc which is food for the fish. It produces some food for corals.

Basically it sounds like you are on the right track with the live rock. Loosing the cannister filter is no big deal. If I were you, I'd take the time to research the sump. For the most part you can build one for a lot cheaper than you can buy one. If you build your own you can also set it up to accomodate all the stuff you want to have (fuge, skimmer, heaters, auto-topoff, etc.). Taking things slowly is the way to go, IMO, although I struggle daily with the constant itch to want to tweak something

Jack

 

[bellorusha]

Thank again.

So all dirt (food left over, sh*t from fish) is being picked up by skimmer? I just do not understand why my water is not crear clean

 

[crumbletop]

You may need more flow in your display. You may have too much of a bioload. You may have a substrate that traps debris. You may have a skimmer that isn't doing its job. You may need an overflow and a sump or some mechanism for surface skimming. A sump could help the skimmer run better, and would provide a place for mechanical filtration (a filter sock or sponge) to remove larger particles. The point I'm trying to make is there are several variables that have an effect on the amount of debris floating around.

Back to the original post, a cannister filter can help pull particulate stuff out of the water, but IMO is more trouble than a sump. Pulling out the particulate stuff is also not an emergent need. Biofiltration is already taking place on the LR. The variables I mentioned above should all be examined to help you determine the best way to attack your mechanical filtration problem.