Best/easiest filter for 55gal.

b_melton8

Small Fish
Oct 7, 2004
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#1
I have a 55 gal. salt with a ugf. and protein skimmer right now. I'm looking to do away with the UGF and replace the crushed coral substrate i currently have b/c water will barely flow through it. Any recommendations on a low maintenance filter choice for a fish only setup? Any suggestions for a new substrate also? Thanks for any help!
Ben
 

jammerz

Large Fish
Feb 28, 2005
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#3
get rid of the ugf first good move.....get rid of the crushed coral...add live sand and live rock if you have enough LS aznd LR and a good skimmer thats all you'll need
 

jammerz

Large Fish
Feb 28, 2005
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#5
less surface area for bacteria to grow. holds waste(food,poop)...basically a nitrate trap.Since i scrapped my C.C. and my U.G.F. my nitrates have dropped more than 4 times what they were...
 

KahluaZzZ

Superstar Fish
Jun 12, 2004
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#6
got 30 pound CC..nitrates = 5. Doesn't look like a big trap ( for me ), but logically it could be a nitrate factory since it can hold detritus. The high point of CC is that i takes less amount to do a bed than sand, and you can move stuff in your tank without resulting in a substrate storm.
Sand looks more natural
 

b_melton8

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Oct 7, 2004
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#7
purple alge has taken over. I'm going to replace the crushed coral probably today. What would be the next good step to get rid of the algae? Right now i have a 220 watt. compact light. Is a single tube light with a 50/50 bulb adequate for live rock and a fish only setup? Should i buy some snails to get rid of the algae or after i replace the light you think that will clear up on it's own? Thanks for all the help
 

KahluaZzZ

Superstar Fish
Jun 12, 2004
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#10
Never used it. It could kill your nitrifiers, since it kills microbes.
Don't know much about products that remove cyano. All i know is that some people had no probs at all with chemi-clean and Red Slime remover, and others had killed some corals with it. Since i'm trying to keep a reef, i don't wanna lose my babies ;0) . If things go out of control i might consider.
When my tank was fairly new and saw a light purple-red color on every rock, i just reduced light time and food ( had like 2 damsels no corals ) and it vanished.
 

KahluaZzZ

Superstar Fish
Jun 12, 2004
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#11
Some sites pretend that some snails, like ceriths, are cyano eater. I've seens my snails on the cyano, but i don't think they eat it ( more toxic than McDonald )..they just run over and cyano get stucked on the shell and have a free ride to get elsewhere. But yes, you should definitly get some snails for your aquarium. Based on my experience with 4 types of snails :

1 - Turbo : if you rock is solid and don't have corals ( they like to bulldoze everything 'cause they're huge ), they are the best workers due to their size.
Oh yeah...also like to suicide in powerheads.

2 - Astreas : Superb workers, quite big, but don't crush fragile stuff. My favorites. Beware : they are morons..can easily fall on their back and if you don't help them, they'll eventually die.

3 - Nassarius : Great like guys. Always cleaning, speedy, very precise and like substrate/glass/rock. Clean everywhere. If they were bigger it would be my favorites.

4 - Bumble Bee. Cool colors, but they sleep much compare to others..in my case. I noticed they like the base of my corals.
 

b_melton8

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Oct 7, 2004
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#13
i need to get some,.....i've got about 3 in there right now and they don't even close do the job. I'm in the process though of replacing my lights with just a twin tube fixture and i'm goin to do just a fish only. I have the tank at my business and it's just too much to deal with for a reef tank.
 

jammerz

Large Fish
Feb 28, 2005
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#16
They keep crawling in the input side and the powerhead keeps em there plugging up the flow with snail... so i bought some heater protectors and slid em over the intake