Filtration on a 20g high tank

[biggie4jets]

So my question is, with a tank this small, should you run a skimmer and a hang on back filter with gfo, carbon, floss, and poly filter pads?
Thoughts or suggestions? Only planning to have maybe 3 fish in the tank 2 clowns and maybe a blenny or something like that. Everything else will be LPS, anemones, and maybe one or two sps corals.

 

[jk_s124]

I personally wouldn’t use a skimmer. I run a skimmerless 29 gallon system and my phosphates are consistently .02 ppb and nitrates are consistently close to 5 ppm. I’ve been running it this way for a year and a half with 5 gallon weekly water changes. I do run gfo and carbon with filter floss and a algae scrubber (that hasnt been growing much of anything of the past few months). So I would think th hob sump with filter floss or pads, gfo and carbon would be enough. I have six fish in my tank also for what it’s worth. If you do go skimmerless point a return nozzle or power head up towards the water surface to create agitation to help oxygenate your water.

 

[biggie4jets]

I personally wouldn’t use a skimmer. I run a skimmerless 29 gallon system and my phosphates are consistently .02 ppb and nitrates are consistently close to 5 ppm. I’ve been running it this way for a year and a half with 5 gallon weekly water changes. I do run gfo and carbon with filter floss and a algae scrubber (that hasnt been growing much of anything of the past few months). So I would think th hob sump with filter floss or pads, gfo and carbon would be enough. I have six fish in my tank also for what it’s worth. If you do go skimmerless point a return nozzle or power head up towards the water surface to create agitation to help oxygenate your water.

 

[TriggersAmuck]

If you go the HOB filter route, take a look at these two possibilities to provide optimal use of media:

https://www.seachem.com/tidal-filters.php (provides surface skimming as well)

https://intankaquatics.com/aquaclear-70-media-basket/ (optimizes a standard Aquaclear filter to provide much more efficient use of media compared to the standard cartridges....I'm planning to use one for a HOB refugium)

 

[Dustinc1983]

I agree with the above posts. I just broke down my 20g tall and I did pretty much what JK_ said; used an aquaclear 50 (70 is great) ran a filter pad, bag of chemipure elite and a large amount of biomax. Replaced the filter pad every 2 weeks and did 2.5 gallon water changes every week. I had two power heads and one was angled up for surface agitation, oxygenation and a nice shimmer effect! My numbers were always stable, corals happy and algae minimum. I rarely dosed anything expect some seachem prime and stability. It was the easiest tank set up to be honest..

 

[biggie4jets]

I do love chemipure elite, but chemipure bags get expensive compared to bulk gfo and carbon, so I’ve been thinking about doing my own media bags of both for the new 20g tank. I have a aqua clear 50 already, that’s not being used so I was planning on just using that. I have a 40 gallon rn that’s been setup for over a year and first saltwater tank with no sump or skimmer and I never have any problems. I run 1 bag of chemi pure elite, 1 bag of chemipure blue, 1 poly filter pad cut in half, and filter floss the same size as the poly filter pad. I have a penguin hob filter where both split the media. I have about 50 pounds of live rock and an once sand bed and it’s been great to be honest.

 

[biggie4jets]

I even cut my water changes down to 1 10 gallon water change every month, instead of 5 gallon every 2 weeks.

 

[Pbh-reef]

I wouldn’t do a skimmer, a hob like seachem tidal or aquaclear are fine choices. You could also do a tunze comline filter. In my 10 gallon aio all I run is chemipure nano and filter floss. You honestly get away with no filter at all other than rocks and sand and use water changes for nutrient export and wave makers for flow/oxygenation.
Also if you have space for it I would consider a 20 long instead, more useable space for corals and fish

 

[biggie4jets]

Thanks for the info! I already have a 20 high :/

 

[Dustinc1983]

They do get expensive! I’m using some chemipure blue nano in my new fluval evo. I just started a little build thread on it. In a few months I might mix up my own and use a cheap media bag instead. What light do you plan to use?

 

[biggie4jets]

They do get expensive! I’m using some chemipure blue nano in my new fluval evo. I just started a little build thread on it. In a few months I might mix up my own and use a cheap media bag instead. What light do you plan to use?

So I have bulk containers gfo and carbon which I use to use but switched to the chemipure when I went to the hob. I would love to go back to the bulk stuff tho. I bought an ai prime for the 20 gallon tank. And I have 2 ai primes on my 40 gallon.