filters

[aamick1971]

iamb building my first reef tank,i have two tanks now with africans in them one being 55 gal. the other 120 gal. show tank.i have always used emperor 400's in my tanks 2on the 55 and 2 on the 120 also power heads in both 802 aqua clears. now my reef tank is going to be a 20 gal. so far i have an emperor 400 for it an extra power head 802, 20pounds of reef sand, 20 pounds of live sand, instant ocean mix and a power compact lighting system.i had a fish only sw tank for many years,with damsels in it with a mini bio wheel 5 1/2 gal.will what i have support a small reef system.
thanks,
allen

 

[lando]

the majority of the filtration in your tank should come from the LR and LS. For a 20gal. you should shoot for between 30-40lbs of LR. YOur Emeror will be fine, but you might want to think of removing the bio-wheels. They can cause high nitrates. However, if you have enough LR that iwll not be an issue. You can use the Emperor as mechanical filtration and a place to run carbon.

 

[lando]

Sorry...forgot to mention...

WELCOME TO AQUARIUMADVICE.COM!!!

 

[malkore]

well I wouldn't put damsels in the tank...they are too fiesty to get along with most other fish in a tank size of only 20gallons.

You have enough sand, but are you skipping the live rock?

AS long as your HOB and powerhead give you at least 200gph turnover, you should be ok. I'd only run carbon and filter floss in the HOB, unless you'll be diligent in cleaning the filter sponges every other day.

 

[aamick1971]

i am plan on putting live rock in the tank, crabs,snails and a starfish or two.the hob filters 400gph the power head also 400gph.now this might sound like a dumb question,but why would the nitrates get higher using bio-wheels?this keeps them in check in fresh water. i know that i am new to this,this sound backawds from fresh water. any anwers would be highly considered in the planning of my tank.
thanks,
allen