180g filtration ?

Switching my 180g to saltwater. Just want to make sure my filtration is going to be up to par.

1200gph hob CPR dual overflow goes through a filter material and trickles through bio balls
Large Wet/dry filter.
Mag 12 return pump. 1200gph. To 3 -1" return hoses in the tank one on each side and one in the middle.
Vortek Mp40
140 lbs aragonite sand. (I guess will turn live)?
180 lbs of live rock

I don't have a skimmer yet. But will be getting one in a few months when I start adding fish

So is this adequate filtration for a FOWLR tank
Is there anything I should add or subtract? Thanks

 

Sounds like a plan. I'm a skimmer freak and I would say get that skimmer as soon as you possibly can. I don't like having any sore of built up nutrients in the tank. Then again, I panic if my skimmer is off for 2 hours.

 

Lol, alright. Thanks. I plan on getting a skimmer as soon as I can. I'm going to get everything up and going first,

 

Setup a refugium with macro algae (chaeto) and I would say get rid of the wet/dry filter. At least that is what I would do.

 

My advice.....remove the bioballs and instead of the HOB overflow drill your tank and either go with a corner box(s) or 1 or 2 glass holes overflows, with them you rely on gravity instead of a U tube

IMO and experience 1200 gph will be way too much flow through your sump for a 180, I have my Sicce 5 valved back so I have about 400-500gph

 

It worked great for my cichlids tank. Now that I'm going FOWLR I might have to dial it back .but I thought the rule was the more your water turns over the better. It's still trickling through the sump, it's a big sump. I would love to
Drill it but the bottom is tempered and the overflow I have is a CPR with vacuum pump.so it is prettying self syphening.

 

Can I ask why remove the bio balls? isn't it extra biological filtration? What are the draw backs and is there any benefits the them

 

In saltwater, Bio Balls tend to be debris traps which makes them nitrate engines. You will get all the biological filtration you need from your live rock, as long as you treat it well and keep it healthy. I would definately ditch the bio balls, and I second the comment on getting a skimmer ASAP - I would not run SW without one, not even for a day. I also agree with you on the more flow the better through that sump. I run about 1400g/hour though my sump on my 250G. If you set up your sump as a fuge..you may need to dial that back...but if it is just a place to store heaters, skimmers, etc. than your proposed rate should be fine IMO.

 

Bio balls are very efficient when it comes to breaking down ammonia, nitrates is the final step. But in the low oxygen areas of liverock there is another set of bacteria that break down nitrates to nitrogen and bio balls do not have the low oxygen areas.

If you have too much flow through your sump the skimmer will not be as effective at removing the organics, they will just flow right by. I like to match my sump flow to how much water the skimmer pump can process. The one exception would be if you have a down draft style of skimmer which has a high water flow