New 55 gal tank set up

[Dan55G]

About to pick up my new 55 gallon tank!!! Need some advice on a filter. Another site recommended a 110 gal filter. Any advice or tips would be great!!!

 

[roydooms]

About to pick up my new 55 gallon tank!!! Need some advice on a filter. Another site recommended a 110 gal filter. Any advice or tips would be great!!!

You would want a filter that is rated for at least twice the size of your tank.

 

[carey]

Hello! Welcome to the forum!

It's always better to overfiltrate than not have enough.

Are you gonna run a sump in the future or just a hang on or canister filter?

 

[Dan55G]

To tell you the truth I'm not that familiar with a sump filter. I'm just working with a 25 gal tank now so I'm a complete newbie. I have a small hang on back filter now, which is obviously not capable of handling a 55 gallon tank. From the quick reading I did on sump filters it seem like the way to go. But also seems like the most complicated.
Would I have to drill a hole in my tank for a sump filter?

 

[carey]

To tell you the truth I'm not that familiar with a sump filter. I'm just working with a 25 gal tank now so I'm a complete newbie. I have a small hang on back filter now, which is obviously not capable of handling a 55 gallon tank. From the quick reading I did on sump filters it seem like the way to go. But also seems like the most complicated.
Would I have to drill a hole in my tank for a sump filter?

Not at all. You can use an overflow box.

 

[joy13]

I have both a drilled and an overflow box on tanks, IMO drilled tanks are a lot easier to plumb and less noisy. I am thinking about taking down the tank with the overflow just so I can get it drilled.

Canister filters I stay away from them they seem to cause a lot of nitrates.

HOB filters I use those as well for smaller tanks. You can actually get HOB fuges as well but they are rather pricey.

 

[Dan55G]

So would an overflow box also prevent water overflow in a power outage? Is drilling your tank an easy diy project? What items would I need to set up a sump filter system?

 

[Tomchong22]

So would an overflow box also prevent water overflow in a power outage? Is drilling your tank an easy diy project? What items would I need to set up a sump filter system?

In a power outage it is not the overflow you are concerned about. It's the return line. Just make sure to drill a hole just below the water line. As far as drilling.... I would not recommend it unless it is acrylic glass. You are better off with an overflow box and a return line..... All you need for a sump is an overflow, piping to get to the sump, sump, a return pump, piping to the tank, then like a diy spray bar or whatever you want. In my tank I made a spray bar for the water with holes angled different directions to get different currents in the water.

 

[Dan55G]

Any recommendations for an overflow box and sump?

 

[Dan55G]

What is growing on my live rock? Is it bad?

 

[hackteck]

that kinda looks like cyano i could be wrong though

 

[Ibrahim]

That's definitely red algae or cyano. Test your phosphate levels and cut back on lighting

 

[Sarcothelia]

Red cyano, and yea it's bad, but its not terrible. There is this stuff called chemiclean red slime remover and I used it with shrimp/crab/snails and fish in the tank. I don't know if it's safe with corals, but it definitely worked.

 

[Grizz]

I used chemiclean in a 20 gal. test tank i put some rics in there and had no ill effects YMMV.

 

[Tomchong22]

It's def cyno. What I would do is cut lights to 6 hours a day. Remove what you can by hand. Feed every other day. Cyno is very common in new tanks. I would not recommend adding a clean product just yet. Just do the steps above and you will have it gone in about a weeks time.

 

[Dan55G]

20 gal sump filter??
So I was thinking about making a sump filter out if my 20 gal tank once I get my 55 gal. I have no experience with sumps. Anyone have a plan a can reference and a supply list? Instructions would be nice too.

 

[Sarcothelia]

It doesn't always go away easy. After I let my 14g go fallow, no lights on but filtration going, cyano was still around a month later though in very small amounts.

 

[Dan55G]

Picked up the new tank! Check it out. I'll probably sand & stain the wood darker or just paint it black. Now I just have to figure out this whole sump filter situation.

 

[carey]

It looks great as it is imo.

Would prob look better in black though I gotta admit. Looks like a lot of work.

Good luck, keep us all updated!

 

[Dan55G]

Finally got around to switching to the 55. Here are some pics. Still need to paint it black. Not really feelin the wood look. Now I just need to get some for rock and fishes to fill it. lol