Beginner hobbyist - HOB/AIO/Sump?

  • Thread starter Thread starter austin95
  • Start date Start date
  • Tagged users Tagged users None

austin95

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 14, 2025
Messages
42
Reaction score
18
Location
Richmond, VA USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello everyone - I am a new hobbyist and am wondering something. Will I be successful without a plumbed sump?

I am starting my very first saltwater tank soon. 55 gal FOWLr is the goal.

Plumbing a sump seems more involved but not impossible for me. But I think I just want to explore the hobby some and go with HOB equipment.

I’m thinking a skimmer, HOB filter, heater and 2 800gph power heads by Secce.

Thoughts?

Thanks, as always. This community has been extremely helpful
 
My first 15 years with saltwater tanks was with hob equipment. I never had a sump until 3 years ago. And I only have one sumped tank, 3 others are still with hob equipment. A sump only makes the main tank look nicer because you can hide the equipment in the sump rather than hanging it off the tank. When you have filter + skimmer + reactor + lights all hanging from the tank it gets busy and a little unattractive, but its still very effective.

Your proposed set up looks good to me, its a simple strategy and simple is good. You can even leave the tank without a skimmer for a while until you have a higher bioload. Good luck
 

HOW MUCH DOES A FISH’S FEEDING REQUIREMENTS AFFECT YOUR STOCKING DECISIONS?

  • A lot! - I avoid fish that require frequent or specialized feeding

    Votes: 10 27.0%
  • Quite a bit, but an automatic feeder can change my answer

    Votes: 6 16.2%
  • It depends on whether my nutrient export can handle it

    Votes: 5 13.5%
  • It depends on how badly I want the fish

    Votes: 10 27.0%
  • Not much. I’m willing to adjust my routine

    Votes: 9 24.3%
  • Not at all. Feeding demands don’t limit my stocking choices

    Votes: 6 16.2%
  • I usually learn about the demanding feeding schedule after buying the fish!

    Votes: 2 5.4%
  • I haven’t really considered this before

    Votes: 3 8.1%
  • Something else (see my comments in the thread)

    Votes: 1 2.7%
Back
Top
Home
Post thread…
Market
What's new