Newb question....

[dollabill420]

Can regular run of the mill HOB filters and heaters that are all glass and plastic be used on salt, they don't specify either way just says aquarium use and some of the gear isn't cheap Wallmart scuzz, it would be for a small fish only with little bioload

 

[hackteck]

sure you can

 

[carey]

I used a hang on back filter and a protein skimmer on my 55g SW til recently. I also run an aquaclear on my 29g sw as well as a top fin on a 10g sw tank.

As long as you keep up on your water changes and are careful with the heater you should be fine.

 

[dollabill420]

Thank you very very much, and for the quick response lol, I knew the pet store was a propaganda machine, there worse then Nazi's

 

[hackteck]

lol did they try to get you to buy something you didnt need?

 

[dollabill420]

Do you do water change as often with salt as you do a fresh water I heard less but it's a 20 gallon so I was gonna 25% change a week as a start and see what my tests say from there, it's gonna be low stocked fish only with two heaters a 40 gal rated HOB and a homemade fluidized sand filter

 

[dollabill420]

lol did they try to get you to buy something you didnt need?

Not to buy I was just looking still doin research but they were definitely trying for "special gear" I knew I was gettin chewed up lol

 

[carey]

You would be fine changing out a few gallons a week. I'm thinking 4 maybe for a 20g. Yopu won't actually have 20g of water in the tank after sand and rock displacement.

 

[dollabill420]

You would be fine changing out a few gallons a week. I'm thinking 4 maybe for a 20g. Yopu won't actually have 20g of water in the tank after sand and rock displacement.

Yeh I was gonna do a good rounded bucket(5gal) think ur exact with the 4 gal lol, nice tanks btw I've read alot of ur posts you been helpin me and didn't even know it

 

[dollabill420]

You think a power head or FSB filter be better, or both

 

[carey]

When I was do my pwc's on my small tanks I use a premarked painters bucket from a home improvement store. It has the gallons listed right on the side so you can take out exacly what you want and know exactly how much to put back in. I go by 3g pwc's since I can't lift the bucket with more than that! LOL

Glad some of my posts have been helpful. I do tend to ask some basic silly questions so it should enlighten those who dont' wanna ask.

Good Luck! keep us updated with what you end up doing!

 

[carey]

whats a fsb? I would put in a nano powerhead and just use your hang onback filter on the other side for flow.

 

[dollabill420]

whats a fsb? I would put in a nano powerhead and just use your hang onback filter on the other side for flow.

Fluidized sand bed filter (FSB), yeh I usually put a mark on all my tanks and always take it too that also built a collapsable stand to have my bucket above the tank and use a hose to siphon it in I'm 6'2 but hella lazy to hold a bucket anymore been in and outta and looking in to aquariums for over 15 years (always fresh) and didn't like the bucket getting set on the rim of the tank I think I'm paranoid but better safe then sorry lol seen a buddy stand in a tank suspended on each end and stack rocks to his height that was over 200 pounds in a 20 gal then take some out and jump up and down and still hold water lol craziness