Best Filter for a 55???

I know this question has prob been asked a thousand times and I am sorry.:-/ I have had saltwater b4 and everything went good for a few months and then stuff started to die! Sooo...I really want to make sure I do things right this time. I would like to know what you guys have had the best luck with as far as filter go and any special protein skimmers you guys like as well. Thank you so much for any advise!;D

 

Not sure what is the best filter. do you want hang on back or are you having a sump? as far as skimmers, I like and many others here like the AquaC Remora. It's a great skimmer at a great price. I have a 55 and it gets most of the gunk out...(I think lol)

 

Skip a filter. A good Skimmer and Live Rock is all you really need

J

 

really Jason? I have an Emperor 400 and I'm pretty sure my tank would (really) look like crap if I didn't have it... It takes out stuff and the charcoal in the filter clears the water...... you think no filter is needed? could you explain why?... I realize the rock is a great filter and of course the skimmer, but no filter?

 

What stuff does it take out that a skimmer wouldn't also take out? and mechanical filtration that is removing nitrates is doing the same job as the LR. So really your Emperor is just a fancy carbon holder.

J

 

hmmm maybe I'll try my tank with the filter off and see if it makes a difference ......When I take the filter out to clean/replace it there is gunk on it...the fiber filter part.....

 

skimmer,carbon and sponge all take different stuff out,so its best to have all 3.i use chaetto a carbon pad that doubles as a sponge and carbon,live rock,a plenum,and a skimmer.your clean up crew is also part of your filter,crabs and snails,and starfish,plus all the different worms that clean.all my filters ran the length of my tank until i got a sump to house them all under the tank.what brands you choose are your own choice as a consumer.

 

Hey!
I run 75gal without sump. I use Eheim 2213 filter (100gph) filled with PhosGuard (Seachem), Matrix(Seachem), DeNitrate(Seachem) + fine phenol-free filtration wool in between every layer of medium. The total cost of the filter with media was approx. 65$ (if one recalculates from EURO). I'm more than happy with this solution. Silent, very efficient, considerably inexpensive. My second filtration unit is Eheim 2227 (wet/dry). It's filled with highly porous Ehfi Substrat Pro medium (approx. 4l) The flow of this one is approx. 220gph. It's a wet/dry filter that creates very nice wave effect. It's pricey a bit: something like ~220$. Both of these are doing great job, are easy to clean, and water quality is pristine (both chemically and visually). However, if I were you I would go for a good DIY sump/refugium setup with some highly efficient skimmer. In long run this solution pays off! I simply didn't have enough space for this kind of solution.

Hope that helps!

 

I just use filter socks on my incoming water to the sump, just as your filter would do. All it does is get rid of the larges pieces of debre and the skimmer and fuge if you have one will do the rest. I also run a carbon, PO4 reactor and fluidize sand filter too.

 

Wow thanks for all of the replies! I plan on having a skimmer, filter live rock, and live sand. B4 I had a filter that hung on the back of the tank I just didn't know if there was something that might be better.