hello to all, just looking for some advice..

i have been running a successful African cichlid thank for the last five years. i was looking to up grade to salt water with live rock and fish only to start with the hopes of adding corrals in the future. my tank is a 75 gallon tank, and i run a wet dry filter are these filters good for sw? i have one that is rated for 120 tank. i was reading that the bio balls turn into nitrate factories over time would a protein skimmer counter act this? or would is be wise to convert my w/d into a refugium. and would anyone have info on how to convert a w/d into a refugium?

i was thinking of a filtration set up with these components.

w/d filter
uv sterilizer
carbon canister

thanks in advance

richie

 

Welcome to 3reef Richie,

For filtration I myself believe you are better off with adequate live rock for your biological filtration rather than a canister or a wet dry. An adequate skimmer and construction of a sump.

UV seem to have their place, and many hobbyist like them.

Look at Algae Turf Scrubbers as well for a means to exporting nutrients if that becomes and issue.

 

Have to agree, nothing works better than clean, healthy live rock and a good skimmer for me. I'm a big fan of a biopelletskent canister to go along with it, but I'm not going to call it essential.

Keep your chemistry in balance, do regular water changes, keep lots of flow in the display, don't rush, and enjoy.

 

On a related note, by "enjoy," I mean sit pressed up against the glass yelling "why won't you grow faster" at your corals. Not that I would ever do that...

 

thanks for the reply and info ... and i had another question if i have a submersible skimmer do i need to pumps one to power the skimmer and one to send the water for my sump into my tank? sorry if that a novice question.

 

Usually you place a skimmer in your sump. The sump has either a siphon or drilled flow into the sump which is located below the tank . essentially gravoty fed. The sump then return water to the display tank through a pump (i use a mag drive) and tube system. The skimmer would just need the one pump (they often times come with one, I enjoy the Eshopps) to circulate water from the sump in the skimmer then out. I hope this is what you asked