New to reef aquariums and need some advice

[BarryBlaze]

Hi

I am going to be setting up a 29 gallon reef tank and im trying to recycle some of the things that i have from some of my freshwater setups. The thing i want to use the most is a Aquaclear 110. I see mixed reviews about HOB filters and reef tanks so im not sure how good or bad they are. Ive also seen the FUGE conversion stuff around as well so I’m not sure which way to go. Also if I decide to use the filter as it sits instead of modding it, what’s the best set up for bio/mech filtration?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[blaxsun]

What kind of tank are you getting? Well, the Aquaclear 110 won’t be ideal - as it doesn’t have any surface skimming ability. I would probably look at something like the Tidal instead. Filtration is really important in a saltwater tank, so if you don’t have a setup that can export enough nutrients it’s going to cause all sorts of issues. A HOB protein skimmer is also highly recommended.

 

[TxReefer21]

Hi

I am going to be setting up a 29 gallon reef tank and im trying to recycle some of the things that i have from some of my freshwater setups. The thing i want to use the most is a Aquaclear 110. I see mixed reviews about HOB filters and reef tanks so im not sure how good or bad they are. Ive also seen the FUGE conversion stuff around as well so I’m not sure which way to go. Also if I decide to use the filter as it sits instead of modding it, what’s the best set up for bio/mech filtration?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

I’m running a hob tidal 55 with a fluval PS1 protein skimmer. water is pretty pristine the surface skim on the tidal definitely isn’t the greatest I keep surface agitation 24-7 though

 

[BarryBlaze]

I’m running a hob tidal 55 with a fluval PS1 protein skimmer. water is pretty pristine the surface skim on the tidal definitely isn’t the greatest I keep surface agitation 24-7 though

what size tank is it?

 

[TxReefer21]

what size tank is it?

40g breeder so a tidal 55 for your tank would be perfect. I should’ve went with a tidal 75

 

[BarryBlaze]

What kind of tank are you getting? Well, the Aquaclear 110 won’t be ideal - as it doesn’t have any surface skimming ability. I would probably look at something like the Tidal instead. Filtration is really important in a saltwater tank, so if you don’t have a setup that can export enough nutrients it’s going to cause all sorts of issues. A HOB protein skimmer is also highly recommended.

Its gonna be a closed top type of tank

 

[TxReefer21]

Its gonna be a closed top type of tank

Closed top? I have this as my top and works perfect just snip out what you don’t need

 

[Susan Edwards]

Hi

I am going to be setting up a 29 gallon reef tank and im trying to recycle some of the things that i have from some of my freshwater setups. The thing i want to use the most is a Aquaclear 110. I see mixed reviews about HOB filters and reef tanks so im not sure how good or bad they are. Ive also seen the FUGE conversion stuff around as well so I’m not sure which way to go. Also if I decide to use the filter as it sits instead of modding it, what’s the best set up for bio/mech filtration?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

The aquaclear 110 is a great filter but not for salt water reef set ups. In a pinch, in an emergency qt set up I used one with sump media and for flow/filtering. I don't think it would do much good as a main reef filter. Other advice is good

 

[Idech]

Closed top? I have this as my top and works perfect just snip out what you don’t need

Where did you buy this ?

 

[TxReefer21]

Where did you buy this ?

Lowe’s ! Or just search like egg crate ceiling tile

 

[Idech]

Lowe’s ! Or just search like egg crate ceiling tile

Wow. What is it called ? I know it’s egg crate but what’s the « real » name for it at the store ?

 

[TxReefer21]

Wow. What is it called ? I know it’s egg crate but what’s the « real » name for it at the store ?

 

[c_johns89]

I have a small nano tank (10g) and I run two hang on filters. One is an aqua clear with the standard filter sponge, carbon, and bio media. The other was an old one that I converted into refugium/macroalgae reactor and I hang a grow light over it from Home Depot. This setup has worked really well so far in terms of keeping nutrients in check and I haven’t had to deal with nuisance algae in the main tank.

You could totally convert it into a cool refugium for your setup if you didn’t want to run it as a standard filter.

 

[MaxTremors]

The aqua clear will work just fine. So long as you have adequate live rock (which is the majority of your biological filtration), the aqua clear can be used for water movement and to hold filter media and polish the water (filter floss - change every couple days, and carbon/Chemipure/purigen/etc.), the 110 is more than adequate for a 29 gallon. As you mentioned, you can convert it into a fuge down the road if you want to. I’m pretty sure you can get a surface skimmer for the intake or dyi it. A HOB skimmer would be good, but not necessary. If you have a glass lid, I would definitely recommend the skimmer so you have adequate gas exchange. I personally like glass lids, it helps immensely with evaporation and keeps dust/pet dander out. It can diffuse your lighting a little bit, but it’s mostly negligible.

I think some people who are newer to the hobby don’t know that Aqua clears/power filters used to be used all the time for reef tanks, I kept a successful reef with one for several years. There’s obviously better ways to do things, but you can absolutely have a successful tank using an aqua clear as your primary filtration (again, in a reef tank the live rock provides the biological filtration, so filters in SW are really for water movement, and mechanical and chemical filtration.

 

[BarryBlaze]

What kind of tank are you getting? Well, the Aquaclear 110 won’t be ideal - as it doesn’t have any surface skimming ability. I would probably look at something like the Tidal instead. Filtration is really important in a saltwater tank, so if you don’t have a setup that can export enough nutrients it’s going to cause all sorts of issues. A HOB protein skimmer is also highly recommended.

I ended up buying a tidal 55 and i have an old aqueon 20 that im gonna mod into a refugium.