Newbie...quick filter question

[cadeucsb]

I am going to start a 10 or 20g nano (havent decided yet)... I am wondering about filtration, which i know is fairly opinion based...

my tank plan is a fowlr... probably 2 small fish (clown fish size) and about 25-30lbs of rock.

I will do minimal filtering and rely mostly on the rock, since the fish load will be fairly small. But I am wondering if i should even mess with a HOB filter with a surface skimmer attachment from one of my freshwater tanks, or just leave the tank nice and equipment free (other than powerheads) and just do the weekly water changes.

 

[incysor]

Personally I think you should still get a HOB filter that's oversized for whatever tank you get. However you could certainly try just doing water changes for awhile and monitor your levels closely to catch it early if they start to rise.

If you go without a filter, you'll need at least an airstone to keep the water aerated. Or hook your PH up with a venturi attachment.

B

 

[cadeucsb]

yea, i think i might run something like an AC 150 with the surface skimmer attachment...

any suggestions on how to setup the skimmer for marine use or just use it as i would in the freshwater tank?

 

[incysor]

yea, i think i might run something like an AC 150 with the surface skimmer attachment...

any suggestions on how to setup the skimmer for marine use or just use it as i would in the freshwater tank?

My wife's got the AC500 with the surface skimmer attachment on her 10g as a refugium. Once you add the surface skimmer attachment you reduce your flow quite a bit, you might want to go bigger than the 150, especially if you're going to do a 20g. You don't really need to do anything special for the surface skimmer just set it up as normal.

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[cadeucsb]

how important is the filter flow? i will probably have 2 powerheads in the tank as well....

if i go 10g, i will probably do an ACmini with the skimmer attachment and an AC201 powerhead for flow.

 

[incysor]

how important is the filter flow? i will probably have 2 powerheads in the tank as well....

if i go 10g, i will probably do an ACmini with the skimmer attachment and an AC201 powerhead for flow.

Flow is more important for the tank than the filter. However there is a certain amount of flow that has to happen through the filter as well. The surface skimmer attachment cuts down the flow drastically. My wife wanted the AC 300 to use as a fuge, but with the surface skimmer attachment on it she'd have had to have a couple power heads as well.

With the AC 500, she only needed one small rio 50 for a cross current.

It's really just a matter of how many PH you want in the tank. The footprint of the surface skimmer attachment is gonna be the same for any AC filter you use it with.

B

 

[cadeucsb]

yea, i might go with the ac300 for future fuge use if i get creative and wanna build it... so you take the filter pad out? if so, how exactly does it do anything?

 

[incysor]

yea, i might go with the ac300 for future fuge use if i get creative and wanna build it... so you take the filter pad out? if so, how exactly does it do anything?

Filter floss goes on the side next to the pump. There's an acrylic baffle, and the main fuge area with sand, miracle mud, liverock rubble, and macro algae. She's also got a piccolo skimmer in the side with the pump.

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[YMCA]

making an Aqua clear filter into a fuge isnt hard the only thing i had trouble with was my AC300 sloped inwards and i had to get like 3 different peices b4 i realized it

 

[cadeucsb]

using an AC HOB with skimmer attachment, do you take the filter media out or run the filter as u would in a FW tank?

 

[ReddDawg]

And to tag on to the question, at what depth should the intake be on a HOB filter?

 

[incysor]

using an AC HOB with skimmer attachment, do you take the filter media out or run the filter as u would in a FW tank?

What filter media are you planning on using?

The AC HOB filters are cool because you have a lot of flexibilty to use whatever type of filter media you'd like. My wife's running an AC500 with a bit of filter floss, and the main portion as a fuge.

You could use the carbon filter floss inserts, use it as a fuge, put phosban, or purigen or detritrator in it...

My point is this is a very vague question, because you can set the filter up many different ways.

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[incysor]

And to tag on to the question, at what depth should the intake be on a HOB filter?

The intake tubes on my HOB filters really aren't adjustable.

If you're talking about the surface skimmer attachment for an AC filter, you just move it so that the water surface isn't visible from the front of the tank.

Usually this means the water level is just above the bracing that surrounds the top of the tank...but this might not be the case if you're tank doesn't have the bracing.

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[ReddDawg]

Thanks incysor

Mark

 

[cadeucsb]

what does water height have to do with the skimmer attachment? the top of my skimmer attachment floats up and down to stay at the water surface level

 

[incysor]

what does water height have to do with the skimmer attachment? the top of my skimmer attachment floats up and down to stay at the water surface level

Mine does too. However, if your tank is deep enough, you can place the assembly far enough down that even floating it's below the brace, and your water level will then also be below the brace.

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