HOB enough??

the only thing i have running in my tank is an emperor 400 HOB mechanical filter. I know most people if not all have sumps and protein skimmers. Is it possible to keep a tank going with just this one filter kepping water params in check. i have had my tank up for about 3-4 months now and water param tests have been perfect. only other thing i have in my 55 gal. FOWLR is a K2. i have a damsel and a clarki clown in there i just added about a week ago. what do you all think??? i am trying to find a HOB skimmer but cant find one.

 

Equipment

First time when i'm start my reef tank..i tried to used some basic stuff but it gave me a lesson.....saltwater is not a cheap hobby....absolutely you will need protein skimmer,sump and good light (if you want a reef tank)..you can find either on craigslist or forum or buy a new hob skimmer cost you less than $ 100....Google is the key...good luck

 

You can make a tank work with a HOB filter. You will however need a skimmer. If you need it to be a HOB style look at the AquaC Remora. I have heard all good about them. The filter with proper cleaning will be fine, but you will need to be strict about your water changes and tank maintenance. Down the road as you save up you may want to get a sump/fuge setup. People make SW work with many different setups, its all about how much work you want to put into it.

So if it was me, I would, get a skimmer first, dont push your Bioload, save my money to buy or build a sump/fuge. Good luck, keep us informed and put up some pics.

 

Good post. I agree with this. IMO you will need a skimmer. I started my 55 with a HOB filter and skimmer and it did fine. However, I cleaned my filter weekly and replaced the carbon pads bi-monthly. As you have more and more livestock and if you plan on having corals, then you will need a skimmer, or do large, frequent water changes. I used the AquaC Remora HOB skimmer and really liked it.

 

I second pecco22's advice. A skimmer is going to be a must IMO, they make it much easier to keep your parameters in check once you start stocking up. I have found that your local clubs or craiglslist are excellent places to get used equipment for great prices. I have bought all my equipment used and saved a ton of money. Typically you pay a half to a quarter of the new price and they work just the same.

I am using a Remora pro with a Rio 1400 on it and it keeps my 33 nice and clean. As time goes on and you stock up in your tank you will probably need a larger skimmer and a sump to put it and other equipment in. The key is patience, researching what you buy and wait to find the good deals around you.

Hope you can find a good deal.

 

+1 on above

the skimmer is a great investment IMHO

but if your going to stay FOWLR and keep your stocking density below the generally accepted levels for the size tank you have, then the skimmer can wait IME

With the 2 fish you have now a clown and a damsel - you could run that tank indefinitely with just the HOB - IME
you could add a dwarf angel if you wanted and still be fine with just that HOB - IME

regular testing, regular water changes and the ability to recognise signs of deterioration are key with any method of running a fish tank

a skimmer is a great insurance policy IMHO
and thus a very worthwhile expense



Steve

 

thank you all so much

 

This is a bit odd coming from a rep for a skimmer company. You do not NEED a skimmer. Live rock is by far the most important filtration on a marine tank. What a skimmer does is remove waste before it can turn into toxins that your rock needs to process. If you don't have a skimmer your rock will populate more densely to to keep the water clean. The downside to this is, the live rock will be processing all of the wastes that go through your system and turning them into nitrates. This means you will have more nitrates faster in your system and you will either need a large fuge or a good water change schedule to make up for it.

I ran my mixed reef at zero nitrates, without a skimmer and without doing water changes for over a year. I had a big fuge to keep nitrates down and it worked really well for me. Now that I run a skimmer, I wouldn't go back to not running one. My thinking on it is, if you can remove a on of nutrients before your bio-filtration can process it, than why not?

 

I kept a 12g nano fowler with just a HOB and chemipure. I had it like that for a while, just didn't worry aobut a good skimmer. Did some searching and lots of people talk of the cpr bak pak and aqua c remora. remora is a little pricey but opted for the back pak as i got a good deal. When i put the skimmer to work it seemed like everything just came alive more. I now have added more live rock and am able to host corals. For a reef get a skimmer!