Filter/Protein Skimmer, What do I need?

[euro_Boy_To]

I'm starting a 30 Gal Saltwater and I want to know if it's possible to use a filter system that I can turn off at night so I can get some sleep...

Any recommendation of a setup that can do this?

I'm going to have live rock for sure to help filtering, and some nitrate removing plants should would help. I could run a filter/protein skimmer for at least 12 hours a day.. would this be enough?..

Any help appreciated..

[lando]

Welcome to AquariumAdvice.com!!!
Honestly, you can run a filter/skimmer as much or as little as you wish. It just depends on how much use you want to get out of it. I have not found anything to be so intrusive that I can not sleep. Turing equipment off at night will only decrease it's effectivness, not really cause a huge problem. For your tank you can try using 1.5-2lbs/gal of LR, good cirulation via powerheads and a decent skimmer. I think you will be surprised how quiet it will be.

[euro_Boy_To]

thanks welcome and the help Lando,

That Sounds good!! I can't wait to get my RO unit now so I can fill up the tank at least.

The guy at the store said he uses TAP water for his saltwater, just with the dechlorinating solution!.. Is this even possible?.. maybe he replaces his fish every day since he works there?

Any advice on a quiet and efficient skimmer? Or just a very efficient skimmer so that 12 hours will be enough.

Also any advice on quiet pumps? I had a rio 400 before and it was so quiet.. is the Maxijet 1200 like that?

[pkremer]

I have Maxi-Jet 900s and they are silent.

Noise depends on a lot of things. I personally run HOB Penguin filters, and found that if I raise the water level up to the output of the filter, there is only a slight trickling sound. My Coralife Super Skimmer is also quiet, just a low bubbling sound.

I guess it doesn't matter, I'm a "white noise" person... I run a fan at night anyway, so I find the water trickling sounds comforting..

[lando]

You can use tap for SW, it really varies from area to area. Depends on the quality of your tap water. RO/DI is a MUCH better option and pretty much the "gold standard" for SW tanks, especially reefs.

[tecwzrd]

Originally Posted by euro_Boy_To

I had a rio 400 before and it was so quiet.. is the Maxijet 1200 like that?

I’ve used both the Maxi-Jet 1200 & the Penguin 1140 and both have been extremely reliable, quite, & powerful and would work well with a 30 gal tank. Two of them on opposite sides of the tank pointed upward and at each other will create great convulsing currents to keep dead spots down to a minimum.

A ro/di unit is recommended for removing most of the harmful elements found in some tap water and to make the water as pure as possible.

A lot of people get them from ebay for around $100. Below are the 3 most popular sites:
Filter-Direct-store (seems to be most popular on this site)
The-Aqua-Safe-Pure-Water-Shop
ROfilterDepot

Also airwaterice.com is a good place if you don’t want to deal with ebay.

[euro_Boy_To]

thanks guys,

I'm gonna go with two Maxijet's on opposite sides. I already ordered a RO from filterdirect on ebay.

now I just need a skimmer and filter.
I think I will go with the Eheim 2231 Canister filter.. and still haven't decided on a skimmer..

I also just found a review that the Fluval 204 is dead silent... Now I'm considering that one too.

[john0087]

I have been very sucessfull with using an HOB filter and an HOB Skimmer on my 37g. For my filter, I am using a Penguin 200 biowheel and a seaclone skimmer. I know most people will say that the seaclone is junk and the biowheel is a nitrate factroy, but all my params are very good and my corals are thriving.

I do, however always have a phosphate adsorber as one of the stages in my filter. Unless you really don't want an HOB, I dont think you really need a canister filter for a 30g. This set up humms, but not too noisey. But i guess that is all personal taste.

If you are thinking about a canister filter, why not just set up a sump and place all of your filtering needs in a cabinate below the tank? That should reduse the noise and then you don't have to worry about getting the most quiet equpiment and you can filter 24hrs. You can always sound insulate the cabinate as well..

For the record, I do wish i got a remora skimmer, and i will most likely get one when i upgrade to a larger tank.......

[ferretmath]

I have a Fluval 204 running on a 20 gallon fish only setup. Believe the report - it is totally silent!

[euro_Boy_To]

I got the 204.. Thanks for the advice..

I hope the 204 is nothing like the maxijet..
I just turned the maxijet on right now .. Man I'm dissapointed...

My WHOLE desk is buzzing.. including the whole aquarium, and it's extremely loud.. Maybe there's something wrong with it?

I can feel the vibrations all the way to my keyboard from the aquarium which is 1 meter of desk away...

I think I m gonna go with a few Rio 400s and maybe 800s now..
Is that why they cost so much more? Becuase they're quieter?




Update:

Ok there WAS something wrong with my unit..
I played with the propeller a bunch.. and ran it without water for a while.. then played with it more and now it's MUCH quieter.. I can just barely hear it now.


How lucky is that? I look for quitest stuff and get the loudest pump out of everyone..

I still think I ll be exchanging it at least to make sure.

Update2:

It was quiet because it was stuck.. LOL.. now it's loud again..

Anybody have the Dolphin 385 ?

I think the propeller is way too imbalanced on this Maxijet.. I m gonna get something quality..

[Devilishturtles]

I run 1 Aquaclear 30 powerhead and a Marineland Penguin powerhead on my 29 gallon. Both are completely silent, but I like the compact look of the Aquaclears.

I also have the seaclone skimmer with maxi-jet powerhead. It is silent besides a slight bubble rushing sound. I have 5 tanks in my room, and beside from a very low hgum, all of mine are very quiet. And I even sleep with a fan on too.

[euro_Boy_To]

Just fired up the 204..
EXTREMELY silent.. Makes almost no noise after all the air comes out of it.
With a cabinet you wouldn't be able to hear it at all.. (time to get one)

And I'm still pumpless... 3 pumps and no luck.. maybe I'll get another Fluval 204 just to move water around

About how many GPH do I need for a 30 gallon tank?

[tecwzrd]

For a FO or FOWLR a tank turn over of roughly 10 times per hour is recommended so for a 30 gal that would be around 300 gph. For a reef tank you want it closer to 15-20+ times turnover depending on the current loving corals you get which would be closer to 400-600 gph.

Also keep in mind that canister filters do not always produce the gph rated on the box due to head height and often produce 10%-20% less then rated.

You could add another canister for water circulation but considering the cost compared to a PH and the fact that you would have to clean both weekly or every other week to keep no3 down I wouldn’t recommend it personally.

If you do decide you want another canister I would run it empty without any sponge filters/media or just add lr rubble to minimize waste build up.

[euro_Boy_To]

It seems like another canister is definitely not the answer...
I figured that if I put a pump down on the sand it becomes completely noiseless...

don't the fish get stressed out from all the noise if a in-aquarium pump?

I m thinking of a dolphin pump that I can run outside of the aquarium now.. I can put padding around it and make it completely silent.

[tecwzrd]

You don’t want the ph too close to the sand unless you have a sponge filter on the intake to keep sand from getting sucked up and damaging your blades. Also keeping the ph closer to the surface to gently agitate it is best for oxygen exchange.

In the 20+ years I’ve kept fish I’ve never noticed stress from the noise of a ph. Not to say they can’t hear it but most ph are relatively quite enough that the fish settle in just fine at night and sleep right through it.

A closed loop system using an outside pump is great if you don’t mind the plumbing
You can use either PVC or vinyl tubing and for intake a simple intake screen does the job. For output you can use a cheap return pipe, use an expensive Lifegard Customflo Water System, or custom design your output with Loc-Line.

[euro_Boy_To]

is it ok to use PVC for the return line? I could make something custom from home depot.

thanks.

[tecwzrd]

Sure I’d split the output to each side of the tank but that would be fine as well. See the following two links for an example:
Melevs closed loop & Brandt’s closed loop