Filtration

[Mc96928]

Can someone please help me out. I just started a 75 gallon tank that i acquired. No fish or anything. I don't want to start until i have a filtration system set up. If someone could guide me in the right direction to what i need. I would love to have a coral tank in the future.

 

[Budda619]

Start cycling the tank with a biological filter. One pound on live rock and one pound of live sand per gallon. This way you can build the bacteria you need for the volume of water.

 

[Mc96928]

Do i need any type of mechanical filter? Or does that come later on?

 

[Budda619]

Yes you do. Have you considered a sump? You will need a protein skimmer

 

[Mc96928]

I did consider it but set up seems a bit confusing

 

[Budda619]

Having a sump helps. First it adds more volume of water to your display tank. Therefore stabilizing it more. It gives a place for your skimmer. Skimmer removes extra nutrients before it hits your main filter. A sponge will also help with mechanical filtration. I use activated carbon for my chemical filtration. It absorbs some wastes out your water plus polishes it keeping it crystal clear. Sump also allows you to have a refugium which u can grow algae to lower phosphates and a place for copepods to grow in a predator free enviroment

 

[Budda619]

Do what i did. Google saltwater for dummies and download the pdf

 

[Mc96928]

That sounds great! I was just about to ask if you could give me a bit more detail. But ill do that instead! Thank you