Cheapest/Easiest Way To Filter A 55?

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TMF89

New Fish
#1
Jul 13, 2010
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#1
So I've decided to convert my 55g into a saltwater tank. I've spent a couple months researching it, and holding off because I was planning on saving up for a T5 system for corals, but now I've decided to start out with just a FOWLR, with a few fish, just because I want to get it off the ground.

My main question, is: What is the cheapest way I can filter the system? I'll obviously have live rock and sand, but what else? I know I need a protein skimmer, but what else? I've looked at wet/dry filters and sump systems (are they the same thing, but one has the bio balls?), but those are pretty expensive, and seem to require a bit of know-how and set-up. From what I can see, they're about my only options though? Does anyone know of a cheap kit, or at least a cheap filter/sump/skimmer? I'm a college kid, so I'm really trying to keep the $ down, but I don't want to have to replace it in 2 months, or hurt the fish I'll be putting in there. Thanks guys!
 

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TMF89

New Fish
#2
Jul 13, 2010
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#2
Not sure why it won't let me edit, but I've been looking at a few options. I'll list some I think would work, but here's the main page for anyone who wants to look at all the different ones.

Aquarium Wet/Dry Filters, Aquarium Sumps & Overflow Boxes at AquariumGuys.com

Bubble-less Reservoir Aquarium Sump - 30 gallon I think this would be the easiest, but also at 30 gallons, maybe a bit overkill for a 55? But that includes everything I need, except a pump to get the water back into the aquarium, right?

Reef Sump for 10-75 gal. tanks (Eshopps) Otherwise, would that work, plus a pump and protein skimmer? Would the skimmer just go in the same section as the sock? And do I fill the sock with bioballs or something?

Marineland Tidepool I for 40-80 Gal Tank According to it's description, all I would need besides this one is a protein skimmer plus pump? It looks kind of cheap though.

Otherwise if you guys could please look through the page at the different models and help me choose, I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks guys!
 

quaddity

quaddity

Large Fish
#3
Feb 25, 2007
641
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Mesa, AZ
www.myspace.com
#3
The cheapest way is to buy a hang on back skimmer like a Remora (depending where you live I see them around here for around $60 used). That's all you need with about 1 to 1.5 lbs of live rock per gallon. Then a couple good non direct flow power heads like Koralias for circulation. I had a very successful 90 gallon reef tank set up this way. You don't want to throw corals right into the tank anyways it will be good to run as a fowlr for a while until you get your lights.

A wet dry filter like you are talking about is a sump. The wet dry part is the bio balls which typically water drips through the combination of water and oxygen allows bacteria to thrive. They aren't that useful for fowlr or reef tanks and can become nitrate factories. The good thing about a sump is you'll have more water volume and you can hide things like heaters and skimmers in the sump, have a refugium area, etc. So the to do that you'll either need to drill your 55 gallon or get a hang on back overflow that siphons the water down to the sump. There's a lot of expense there in the plumbing and return pump.
 

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T

TMF89

New Fish
#4
Jul 13, 2010
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#4
Oh okay, thanks for the info! Would I be able to buy one of thecheap refugiums/sumps, just to hide the heater/skimmer in there, along with a pump? I'll look at the site and see how much it costs, but it would obviously be the more expensive of the two options. Maybe I could get a skimmer that either sit on the back or be placed in a sump, and then save up for the sump itself?
 

quaddity

quaddity

Large Fish
#6
Feb 25, 2007
641
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0
Mesa, AZ
www.myspace.com
#6
TMF89 said:
I looked in the thread of the guy who's setting up a 70 gallon, and you said that you used a Remora Pro? Googled it on Marine Depot, but apparently there are a lot of different configurations, and I'm prety confused by them.

AquaC Remora/Remora Pro Protein Skimmers
Click to expand...
You basically have 3 Remora types of skimmers. You can run them with different pumps. The drain fitting is a barbed fitting on the collection cup so you can run a line down to a container and no have to take the tray off to empty it. They also have the prefilter boxes that overflow into the skimmer input. I had one for my 90's Remora Pro but never used it.

Remora - hang on back, stock with Rio 800 pump. Performs better with a Maji jet 1200 pump. Good for up to 75 gallon tanks.

Remora Pro - bigger version of the Remora same deal with the pump performs better with a bigger Rio or Mag pump than the stock Rio 1400. Good for up to 120 gallon tanks.

Urchin (what I'm using in my 70's sump) is the in sump version of the Pro. Same skimmer but the overflow is out the side of the skimmer instead of the front like the hang on back Remoras.

All of them are good skimmers IMO and will beat any other HOB skimmer I've seen.
 

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Gloomisboy

New Fish
#7
Jun 14, 2010
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#7
Dont mean to thead jack but i am in the same situation but working with a 46 gallon bow front. Was thinking of getting the remora pro with the mag 3 Would that be overkill on such a small system. Would the maxijet 1200 be enough? Again sorry for the thread jack but i am still tring to get my saltwater system going.

Thanks
 

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