New 46 Bowfront

[JessicaK]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and I just bought a 46 bowfront. I really want to do a fish-only. I've never done a fish only, I did have a 5 1/2 gal nano reef about a year ago, with just 1 yellow-tail damsel. It was up and running for a year and did really well until the heater malfunctioned in the middle of the night and just about everything died Anyway, I think I'm ready for another tank and I just wanted some suggestions about filtration since it seems like everyone has different ideas.

I was thinking about doing a canister and some powerheads with some live rock. Although, I like the ease of HOB filters. So maybe a HOB with 2 or 3 powerheads?? Is that a bad idea? Not sure if I'll need a skimmer or not.

Thanks

 

[stevefromga2000]

if you have the extra money, skip the filter completley. get lots of live rock. if you get 1.5 to 2 lbs of live rock per gallon, then you won't even need the filter. i would suggest at least 2 powerheads no matter what. put them on opposite sides and point them at each other so that you get the ripples (or waves) on the top. you won't need a skimmer, (unless you skip the filter), but i would definitely suggest one. when i got mine, it not only made the tank better, but the water is soooo much clearer now. i still have the filter running, but only because i am just under 1 lb per gallon right now, still working on it. either way, you have a few decisions to make, but i would think about them before starting. that way, if you decide to go with more rock and a skimmer (i suggest this), then you can save the money on the filter. and if you don't want a skimmer, then you can decide ahead of time. good luck no matter what you decide and welcome to aquariumadvice.

 

[melosu58]

If you add the LR then it will be a FOWLR tank. I`m not much on filters. In my early days I used LR and a skimmer. It always worked for me. The last 2 yrs I`ve upgraded to a 125 and added a refugium. IMO LR and a skimmer are the way to go. Here is a good article on skimmers.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=13

 

[roka64]

WELCOME TO AA!!!

Please do not cycle your tank with live animals.

I agree, you can spend your money on other items, so skip the filter. If you want to save money on LR, get a mixture of base rock and LR. I just ordered 150Lbs of base rock from http://marcorocks.com/, for my new 125G. I'll mix about 70-100Lbs of LR from my LFS, as I see pieces that I like.