I need some filtration advice from an experienced aquarist

[DriftingNemo]

As the title suggests, I need some advice on what to do with the filtration on my 63 gallon tank.

 

The tank finished cycling about 2 weeks ago and I have a Blue Reef Chromis and a Ocellaris Clownfish. I also have 2 snails and a small colony of GSP. It's fair to say the bio load is rather low. I use about 50lbs of dry ocean rock and 5lbs of live rock. I will be adding another couple of lbs of live rock in the near future. I am using a Fluval 406 canister for filtration that has filter floss, bio balls, ceramic rings and rubble rock. My sand bed is less than an inch deep.

 

For Christmas, I asked Santa to bring me a Jebao RW-8 so I can get some good flow through my rock structure. I want to make the filtration of my tank as natural as possible. I do not have a sump since the tank isn't drilled and there's not enough room in the cabinet to fit a sump larger than 10 gallons. So obviously I don't have any reactors or even a skimmer.

 

Now here's a few questions that I have for you members with some good experience:

 

-Can I fill my canister only with pieces of live rock, or should I leave the filter floss in there as well?

-Would a deep sand bed benefit my tank? (I've read mixed things about DSB's)

-Would an airstone powered-internal DIY protein skimmer be a good idea in my setup?

 

Just to mention, I might consider getting a Fluval FX6 and a UV steriliser once I get back into work. Would these 2 potential purchases be worth the money?

 

I would really appreciate any help with this topic, thanks in advance.

[Grumblecakes]

skimmer would be best. there are some decent HOB skimmers out there. live rock in a canister is kind of meh, would be better off putting carbon or something useful in it. DSB discussion is always interesting, i like the look but end up siphoning alot of it out over a year or two.

 

Airstone skimmers are alot quiter than venturi designs ( i use a cpr skimmer with air stones instead of the venturi and it works better and is far quiter). I havent tired other skimmers so i cant comment on them.

 

I dont think that UV sterilzers have a real place in a healthy system, this is opinion and not fact.

[CronicReefer]

I use a Berlin airlift 60 that uses an airstone and it works great, just as good as any skimmer you pay $200 for but I would get the 90 version for your tank if you decide to buy one. I also use a fluval 306 with various products for extra filtration and I love how easy it is to maintain. You should keep some type of fine filter pad to prevent debris from clogging your rock rubble. You also don't need a uv sterilizer in my opinion, if your tank is healthy it will give you no benefit.

[vlangel]

Sounds like you are on the right track and I agree with the other posts about a protein skimmer being a good idea and a UV not being necessary. I do have a DSB and I don't ever do anything to it at all except dance my fingers over the top 1/4" of it for aeration about once a month. IME a DSB is the lowest maintenance option and offer denitrifying benefits once it is established. As a service tech I know of DSBs that are 10 years old and still working fine.

[DriftingNemo]

Thank you all for the feedback. I prefer the look of a deep sand bed because there's a 3" tall piece of trim that goes around the bottom of my tank and would basically hide the first 3" of the DSB. My tank is far from healthy, I've got 40ppm of nitrate at the moment. I can't really fit a HOB skimmer to the tank since its so close to the wall and there's a big piece of trim on the top. I'm still intrigued by the Fluval PS1 skimmer which would be underrated for my tank, but it looks sleek and is supposed to be quiet. Would having an underrated skimmer mean that I would have to clean it out more often?

[CronicReefer]

Thank you all for the feedback. I prefer the look of a deep sand bed because there's a 3" tall piece of trim that goes around the bottom of my tank and would basically hide the first 3" of the DSB. My tank is far from healthy, I've got 40ppm of nitrate at the moment. I can't really fit a HOB skimmer to the tank since its so close to the wall and there's a big piece of trim on the top. I'm still intrigued by the Fluval PS1 skimmer which would be underrated for my tank, but it looks sleek and is supposed to be quiet. Would having an underrated skimmer mean that I would have to clean it out more often?

You actually should always buy a skimmer that is rated for a water volume larger than your current tank. This is why I suggested the Berlin airlift. The 90 is good size for your tank and you can probably get one with an air pump for around $75. Also what test kit are you using for nitrates?

[Markburns43]

Stay away from the ps1 tons bad reviews. Constantly plugs constantly vibrates despite there statement of quite operation. Youll be playing with the skimmer more than youd like.

[DriftingNemo]

You actually should always buy a skimmer that is rated for a water volume larger than your current tank. This is why I suggested the Berlin airlift. The 90 is good size for your tank and you can probably get one with an air pump for around $75. Also what test kit are you using for nitrates?

 

I'm using an API test kit, I've learnt to tell the almost invisible difference of 10ppm to 80ppm

[CronicReefer]

I'm using an API test kit, I've learnt to tell the almost invisible difference of 10ppm to 80ppm

Don't even believe the API test kit. Depending on how hard you shake for one minute at the end can change the results of the test. Do it slow and you will get a lower nitrate test than if you do it fast. I honestly stopped testing for nitrates about 2 months ago after finding out mine had been under 10 this whole time and my API was testing 40ppm or higher every time.

[DriftingNemo]

Although the AirLfit 90 isnt aesthetically pleasing, I think thats the skimmer I'll be getting. Hopefully throughout time I would get some coralline algae growth on the skimmer and get it to stand out less. I just need to find a powerful enough air pump to power the skimmer.

[CronicReefer]

Although the AirLfit 90 isnt aesthetically pleasing, I think thats the skimmer I'll be getting. Hopefully throughout time I would get some coralline algae growth on the skimmer and get it to stand out less. I just need to find a powerful enough air pump to power the skimmer.

There are others brands that work in a similar fashion but I actually liked how the airlift looks lol. The airpump I use for my 60 is rated at 4.5L/min so if you get one with double that I would think it would be fine. Just be sure to hook it up to a gang valve so you can control the air flow rate to adjust the skim level. It's really easy to set the level and just forget about it till its time to change the airstone unlike other skimmers I had to readjust after every water change.

[DriftingNemo]

There are others brands that work in a similar fashion but I actually liked how the airlift looks lol. The airpump I use for my 60 is rated at 4.5L/min so if you get one with double that I would think it would be fine. Just be sure to hook it up to a gang valve so you can control the air flow rate to adjust the skim level. It's really easy to set the level and just forget about it till its time to change the airstone unlike other skimmers I had to readjust after every water change.

 

There's some relatively cheap and adjustable air pumps on eBay that I'll probably end up getting. I'll be adding more live rock to the tank, so that might help to hide the skimmer. I remember having 40ppm of nitrate in my old system but after I upgraded my filtration it dropped to undetectable levels within a few weeks, I was using an API test kit back then. There's also the Tunze 9004 skimmer that looks really sleek, it's also rated for 65 gallons but it costs twice as much as the AirLfit 90.

[CronicReefer]

There's some relatively cheap and adjustable air pumps on eBay that I'll probably end up getting. I'll be adding more live rock to the tank, so that might help to hide the skimmer. I remember having 40ppm of nitrate in my old system but after I upgraded my filtration it dropped to undetectable levels within a few weeks, I was using an API test kit back then. There's also the Tunze 9004 skimmer that looks really sleek, it's also rated for 65 gallons but it costs twice as much as the AirLfit 90.

I tried to hide mine behind my frogspawn coral but I really don't notice all to much since it is clear plastic. And I was a little skeptical how well this skimmer would perform since it was such a cheap skimmer but this thing works 100x better than my CAD PLS-50 ever hoped to work and a lot of people are buying that skimmer right now from what I've seen. The canister filter you have is great for adding a lot of extra media to help with filtration if you ever need it, I'm really happy I got the 306 for my tank.

[DriftingNemo]

I tried to hide mine behind my frogspawn coral but I really don't notice all to much since it is clear plastic. And I was a little skeptical how well this skimmer would perform since it was such a cheap skimmer but this thing works 100x better than my CAD PLS-50 ever hoped to work and a lot of people are buying that skimmer right now from what I've seen. The canister filter you have is great for adding a lot of extra media to help with filtration if you ever need it, I'm really happy I got the 306 for my tank.

 

To be honest, my 406 makes some good flow, but I don't think its powerful enough for my 63g. I never had a protein skimmer so I don't really know what to expect. I think I'll be going for the AirLift 90, I guess sometimes you have to sacrifice aesthetics to benefit your tank..

[CronicReefer]

To be honest, my 406 makes some good flow, but I don't think its powerful enough for my 63g. I never had a protein skimmer so I don't really know what to expect. I think I'll be going for the AirLift 90, I guess sometimes you have to sacrifice aesthetics to benefit your tank..

That jebao rw-8 will add some crazy flow to your tank because the 406 alone is not enough for sure. I too wanted to do without a skimmer but I read that they remove about 1/3 of the waste in the water before it has time to breakdown so I was on board with that.

[DriftingNemo]

That jebao rw-8 will add some crazy flow to your tank because the 406 alone is not enough for sure. I too wanted to do without a skimmer but I read that they remove about 1/3 of the waste in the water before it has time to breakdown so I was on board with that.

 

The 406 can barely move the surface of my tank. It's not like I'm going to be keeping SPS or anything like that, I'm only focused on softies and maybe some LPS. Theres some tanks that only use live rock and a protein skimmer for filtration and seem to be doing well. How big is your tank with the 306 on it?

[CronicReefer]

The 406 can barely move the surface of my tank. It's not like I'm going to be keeping SPS or anything like that, I'm only focused on softies and maybe some LPS. Theres some tanks that only use live rock and a protein skimmer for filtration and seem to be doing well. How big is your tank with the 306 on it?

29 gallons. But I have a second powerhead that is around 300gph for extra flow. I keep a few SPS but nothing difficult or that requires strong flow.

[DriftingNemo]

29 gallons. But I have a second powerhead that is around 300gph for extra flow. I keep a few SPS but nothing difficult or that requires strong flow.

 

A 306 seems suitable for your tank, my 406 would probably be best suited for a 40 gallon tank. I would sure as hell like to have an FX6! There's some sort of canister filter that has a protein skimmer built in, but I don't remember what it's called.

[CronicReefer]

A 306 seems suitable for your tank, my 406 would probably be best suited for a 40 gallon tank. I would sure as hell like to have an FX6! There's some sort of canister filter that has a protein skimmer built in, but I don't remember what it's called.

Honestly I think your 406 is find for your tank since you are getting that powerhead and a skimmer. Plus you have ample amounts of live rock. I keep the bottom two chambers of my filter filled with seachem matrix and then use the top chamber for my resins and phophate remover.

[DriftingNemo]

Honestly I think your 406 is find for your tank since you are getting that powerhead and a skimmer. Plus you have ample amounts of live rock. I keep the bottom two chambers of my filter filled with seachem matrix and then use the top chamber for my resins and phophate remover.

 

Most of my rock is a very non porous ocean rock which doesn't hold much bacteria, the 5lbs or so of live rock probably holds more bacteria than the 50lbs of ocean rock. Im thinking about ditching the bio balls and replacing them with some matrix or some more live rock rubble. I'm still considering whether or not a deep sand bed would be worth doing.

[DriftingNemo]

Sounds like you are on the right track and I agree with the other posts about a protein skimmer being a good idea and a UV not being necessary. I do have a DSB and I don't ever do anything to it at all except dance my fingers over the top 1/4" of it for aeration about once a month. IME a DSB is the lowest maintenance option and offer denitrifying benefits once it is established. As a service tech I know of DSBs that are 10 years old and still working fine.

 

My tank will have a short lifespan, maybe 2 years or so... Does it take long for a DSB to kick in and reduce nitrate?

[farkwar]

I bet it produces much more hydrogen sulphide than nitrogen gas. Much more.

 

Assuring a short lifespan.

 

Leave the denitrifying bacteria in the live rock, matrix or cermedia. Where it can't be disturbed without force.

 

Put a over rated protein skimmer on it to actually pull junk (fish poop) out of your water. Over rated as in one rated for a much larger tank. A skimmer is the only real filter that pulls stuff out of your water WITHOUT human intervention. Maybe an ATS does as well, maybe.

 

Sell the Fluval on Craigslist. Bio balls only work with pre filtered water, otherwise they trap detritus and become nitrate factories. And best in a wet dry filter, which a canister isn't.

 

For pedantic clarification, the cycle is the Nitrogen cycle. If it's done, then your tank is dead. You start the cycle, it runs and filters your water. When it stops, tank is dead, fish dead, coral dead, bacteria dead.

[CronicReefer]

Most of my rock is a very non porous ocean rock which doesn't hold much bacteria, the 5lbs or so of live rock probably holds more bacteria than the 50lbs of ocean rock. Im thinking about ditching the bio balls and replacing them with some matrix or some more live rock rubble. I'm still considering whether or not a deep sand bed would be worth doing.

I would just stick with what you got for a sand bed since everything is already established and you have fish in the tank. Setting up a deep sand bed is something you should do from the start but they are not necessary either. I would probably get rid of the bioballs and switch to matrix since it is recommended for canister filters and you can fit a large amount in the fluval. Just make sure you have a fiber mesh pad in the first chamber to trap small debris. Once you get the skimmer going that will be doing a lot of extra work for you.

[DriftingNemo]

I would just stick with what you got for a sand bed since everything is already established and you have fish in the tank. Setting up a deep sand bed is something you should do from the start but they are not necessary either. I would probably get rid of the bioballs and switch to matrix since it is recommended for canister filters and you can fit a large amount in the fluval. Just make sure you have a fiber mesh pad in the first chamber to trap small debris. Once you get the skimmer going that will be doing a lot of extra work for you.

 

I just did a 10 gallon water change today and cracked open the canister for the first time. I have filter floss in the red piece where you would usually put sponge in. The pads were filthy and had turned dark brown, I rinsed 2 of them in tank water and completely replaced he other 2. I also tested my water before the water change. My nitrates went down from 40ppm to around 20ppm or even less. So I suppose I'll be adding a skimmer when I decide to increase my bio load. I can wait a little longer and save up for a Tunze skimmer which would be practically invisible in my tank. To sum it up, the 406 is kicking ass at the moment

[CronicReefer]

I just did a 10 gallon water change today and cracked open the canister for the first time. I have filter floss in the red piece where you would usually put sponge in. The pads were filthy and had turned dark brown, I rinsed 2 of them in tank water and completely replaced he other 2. I also tested my water before the water change. My nitrates went down from 40ppm to around 20ppm or even less. So I suppose I'll be adding a skimmer when I decide to increase my bio load. I can wait a little longer and save up for a Tunze skimmer which would be practically invisible in my tank. To sum it up, the 406 is kicking ass at the moment

I usually have to replace mine every 2-4 weeks and I wash them out and rinse the canister container every water change. Just keep up with the maintenance and it will serve you well.