Change To Saltwater

[strangeworld2002]

Hi,

I currently have an empty 55gallon bow front aquarium and thought it would be ideal for a marine setup. I am contemplating going for a FOWLR setup but coming from a freshwater background am completely confused about what equipment I will need.

I have a Fluval 305 filter that I would like to use as I don't have room for a sump. I have a heater too.

I am aware that I will need possibly two powerheads to point at the live rock from either side and a protein skimmer.

My first questions are how do the protein skimmers connect up? do they have a tube like a filter does? and if I use my fluval 305 filter what media should I be looking at using in it? atm it has bio rings, foams?

Cheers

 

[Betta5]

If you are using Live rock then you wont need any bio filter media as the bacteria on the rock is your filter, it will break down the waste in the water.

As for the skimmer. You have a pump in the water, it pumps water to the column where its full of bubbles, then is circulated and pushed back down a return pipe where it goes back into the tank.

Is that even what you meant? lol

 

[strangeworld2002]

Yeah thats what I meant lol. Like I said completely baffled at the whole thing! So I don't need to buy a hang on protein skimmer? I could get a standard one and sit it under the tank and all the tubes and such would work fine?

Could I still use my fluval 305? just fill it with phosphate remover? (a lot of people seem to do this?)

Cheers

 

[ben1987]

you would need a sump to run the skimmer like that imo. if you dont want a sump look at the deltec mce600, thats a slim HOB skimmer and a very good one too.

yes you could run phos remover, carbon, live rock rubble etc in the external, its a good idea too aswel.