37g swfowlr- what type of filter?

[marie74]

New to SW.
I want to start a 37gal as sw for a pr of clowns and a few chromis.

but... I am clueless.
What sort of filter works best for SW? HOB, canister, other???

 

[Bectan01]

You could have no mechanical filter, just use plenty of live rock as your filtration. For that size tank It is not necessary, you could consider a protein skimmer but that is also optional. You will need power heads though, for water movement. Have you looked into setting up a marine tank before? Do plenty of research and ask loads of questions here! There is quite a list of things to consider before you begin... You got the tank?

 

[marie74]

Yes. I recently upgraded my 37g freshwater to a 55, so my 37g tank is empty. My kids are begging for the pretty sw fish.... especially a pr of clowns.. so, I thought I would try a sw tank. But there is so much to learn! I am so confused! Live rock is the filtration...? So you pay around $4/ pound for rock? That's about $100 of rock! That is mind boggling to me. I'd rather not spend a fortune to get a tank up and running..

 

[Bectan01]

You could just have the live rock and use that as your primary filtration. As I said a protein skimmer is also necessary, helpful but not necessary. So you are not having to purchase a mechanical filter but you will need power heads to agitate the surface and creat water movement. I know it sounds expensive for rock! Some people use dead or dry rock and it will eventually become live over time if you need to save some costs. Unfortunately salt water isn't cheap! It takes time and money to start but I can tell you it is much more rewarding than fresh!!! You will also need a salt water test kit, a refractometer (for measuring salinity) and a good water source like a ro-di system. No tap water I am afraid. You can buy pre made salt water and ro-di water from LFS but of course the costs of that add up...
Then further down the track you may want to invest in corals or anemones and they require intense lighting which can be very expensive! Does that help?

 

[Bectan01]

I know it's confusing! Have a read here, search for similar size tanks. Larger salt set ups usually run sumps and/refugiums. It can be confusing because there are so many different ways to do things, depending on what you what in that tank. Everyone has an opinion based on their own experience so I suggest do plenty of research, listen to peoples advise and make you decisions from there. It's good you know you are wanting a pair of clowns, it's good to have a plan to start! Live aquaria is a great website for checking out livestock too...