general questions

[retorres70]

just got another 30 gal. tank, freebie, so im seriously considering SW. i have been readin some, not much though, and wondering what would be a good filter for a tank this size? is there a different type of filter for SW? not trying to do anything fancy just something with a couple fish and a few rocks. what is a skimmer? keep reading that here but don't know what it is? am going to get a book and read b/c im in no hurry just wondering. Lighting should that be different?
recap:

rec. for filter for tank?
if there is a diff. filter type?
what is a skimmer?
should lighting be different than hood?

thanks ahead of time. enjoy FW crew hope this one is just as good

 

[fishfreek]

rec. for filter for tank?

45-50lbs of Live rock and a 3" Deep Sand bed in conjunction with a quality skimmer.

if there is a diff. filter type?

You can use the off the shelf filters but you will need to clean them regularly to prevent nitrate buildup if you intend to keep inverts. If your only looking at a fish only style setup then a canister filter would be fine.

what is a skimmer?

A skimmer is a form of filter. The purpose of a skimmer is to help remove the suspended disolved protines in the water column. Skimmers do this by adding air into the water and forming millons of small bubbles in a reaction chamber. The disolved solids collect on the bubble walls and are forced into a collection cup for removal.

should lighting be different than hood?

Again if you want only a fish only style setup then a single or double no florecent fixture will be fine. A double would be best so as to help accenuate the natural coloration of the fish. If you use live rock then it will benifit from some extra light so as to help it maintain its coraline algae coloration. Should you decide you want to keep corals as well as fish then your going to need to look at some higher outputl ight options like VHO, Power compact or metal halide. These can be found in comercial hood/canopies or you can get a retro kit and put it into your own DIY built canopy.

 

[retorres70]

so is a skimmer needed? if not then in what situation would it be needed?

 

[Nate C]

A skimmer is always a good thing (imo). One way to look at it is a skimmer will remove Proteins and waste from the water *before* it enters the Nitrogen cycle.

Regardless of what type of biological filtration you choose (live rocks, cannister, etc..) removing proteins from the water before they break down will reduce the load on your remaining biological filter fairly significantly.

If higher water quality is your goal, (most of us...) then a decent skimmer could be one of the best pieces of hardware you can buy.

hth

 

[malkore]

Nate that's a great way to put it. In a fish only tank, a skimmer isn't mandatory, but certainly a wise investment.
I just got rid of my cyano by ditching my PITA Prizm skimmer and upgrading to a CPR bak-pak. In a matter of 10 days I went from cyano nightmare, to barely any cyano...and that's the ONLY thing I changed in the tank.

If you go full reef (stronger lights, so you can have corals and other fun inverts) then a skimmer is a must. Also if you plan to keep messy carnivorious fish, a skimmer should be used to clean up the un-eaten food.

For your size tank, get a CPR bak-pak. I can shoot you alink to one that's only $104 plus shipping. I doubt you'll find one cheaper...and if you find a different skimmer for cheaper...its crap and a waste of your money.

 

[retorres70]

malkore if you could post that link or email it to me i would appreciate it for future references. i am also thinking about using a 55 gal. so if you could recomend on for that size i would appreciate it.