Don't know what I have to buy for my ZeroEdge Aquarium sump.

[l3xxx]

Im planning on purchasing a ZeroEdge Aquarium. 58gal. It comes with a 35gal sump & refugium. I'm realy new with the whole coral reef aquarium thing. Im purchasing a EuroReef CS6-2 skimmer for the sump. I just don't realy know how it all works. Am I suppose to buy a fliter? And if I do, what do you recommend. What else do I have to put in there.
:? :? :? :?
Im planning on putting all types of coral. Im going all out. Im also purchasing a 48" 20k Solaris H4 LED Illumination system. 400w 20k.

 

[Brian5000]

That some nice quality, expensive equipment there. Have fun

While there's lots of options and preferences and theories, the only filtration that is absolutely necessary is live rock (with plenty of current) and a protein skimmer. The live rock contains bacteria that eats up ammonia n' such. The protein skimmer sucks up dissolved protein released by decaying detritus.

Mechanical filters don't remove nutrients, they only concentrate the crap that releases them. That makes it easier to remove, but if the filter isn't cleaned very regularly, it can actually make things worse. Lots of people use them; lots more don't.

Refugiums are wonderful inventions. Put lots of algea in there that would otherwise be unsightly in your aquarium, and they suck up nutrients before anything grows in your display. Lots of people swear by them.
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BMW 321

 

[l3xxx]

Would it be good if I put an Ocean Clear canister filter. Or any type of canister filter. And is it good to put a UV sterilizer?

 

[Brian5000]

Canisters fall under the "mechanical filter" category. I have no experience with UV sterilizers. I don't know how useful they are.
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Mercedes C11

 

[l3xxx]

What type of filter would you personaly recomend?

 

[ChrisRD]

Save your money - skip the canister. As mentioned, the live rock, good circulation and a protein skimmer will provide plenty of filtration. If you want some form of mechanical filtration, you can use a micron bag in the sump - much easier to clean IMO (which should be done frequently).

 

[habsfan]

I'm new to SW(6months) but have been doing FW for a number of years.
I'm assuming you're new to SW also. May I reccomend that you take it SLOW and read and research as much as possible. This is a great hobby but it can also be a frustrating hobby without the proper planning.

 

[Brian5000]

I have a very basic setup in my 75 gallon aquarium. I have live rock and a protein skimmer, that's it (unless you count the sponges on my pumps, which I think are a must if you use submersible pumps). If I had been a little more ambitious setting up my aquarium, I probably would have loved a refugium, but lot of folks do fine without one.

Apart from the protein skimmer, the current trend is all biological filtration. Let nature do all the work for you.

I think the area where people go wild buying equipment are the machines that maintain nutrients for corals. Calcium reactors, CO2 reactors, dosers, etc. are all things that maintain elements for healthy coral growth. Again, some people swear by them, others have done fine for years without them. It's kind of a preference thing. For the most part, if you know you're eventually going to have thousands of dollars in corals in your tank, you may want to look into this stuff. They can make things a little easier when you have tons of hungry corals sapping out every drop of calcium in your tank. If you aren't sure what you're going to do, or you're on a limited budget (like me), then you don't NEED this stuff. Even if you do end up with lots of corals down the road, manually dosing the necessary additives work fine if you stay on top of it.
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Jainism Forum

 

[l3xxx]

Ok. I guess I'll save my money by not getting a filter and just letting nature take its course with algae and live rock. Im installing the protein skimmer, the refugium with lighting, and im planing on getting a UV sterilizer on the side, just in case of parasite outbreaks. If I have 2 protein skimmers, a EuroReef ES 5-3 and a EuroReef CS6-2 skimmer, can I install both of them in the sump if they fit. Wouldn't it be better?

 

[ChrisRD]

Sure, if they fit you can run both. Probably overkill on a tank that size but it can't hurt IMO.

 

[l3xxx]

What do you mean by overkill?

 

[SnowManSnow]

thats a lot of skimmer for that small of a tank.

IMO one would be enough.. but what do i know!?

 

[IslandCrow]

I see you live in Orlando. You probably already know about it (might be where you picked up that zero edge aquarium), but pay a visit to Sea in the City. Talk to Marcye, the owner. I've only been down there a couple times, but I was very impressed with the store, and everyone there, especially Marcye, appears to be very knowledgeable and honest (a rare combination). It sounds like you have some money to burn, so although you shouldn't go crazy (doesn't sound like you are so far), definitely invest in some quality equipment. You're already doing really well with probably the single most important piece of equipment you'll own: your protein skimmer.

I'm not at all familiar with the zero edge aquarium setup, but the only other thing I can think of that you haven't mentioned is water flow. With a 58 gallon tank, you'll want a minimum of 580 gallons/hour going through your tank (10x your tank volume). For what you're planning, that's probably a good starting number, but you're probably going to want to eventually shoot for closer to 1000+ gph as you add rock and corals. That'll be a ways down the road.

I agree with skipping the canister filter, at least for now. Further down the road you may decide you'd like to have one (I own one), but they're really not necessary.

Lastly, invest in a good camera, because we're all going to expect to see pictures once you get this all set up.

 

[l3xxx]

I actually did go to Sea in the City, and I think it was Marcye who I spoke with. She was realy kind and knew alot about the ZeroEdge. She was the one who told be about the Solaris Illumination system. I have a recording studio in my house that I'm remodeling. In the wating room I was planning on buying the ZeroEdge as a center piece in the room. Way much more entertaining to guests than a flat screen tv. I asked how ZeroEdge if their aquariums had enough water flow for corals and anenomes. Their response was that their aquariums come with a Mag 18 pump. 1800gph. Even their 22gal tank has a Mag 18. I thought it was pretty impressive. They also remarked that their plumbing can be rearanged to achieve the water flow your looking for.

 

[ChrisRD]

What do you mean by overkill?

...meaning, it's more than you need. :wink:

 

[bjoiner]

What do you mean by overkill?

...meaning, it's more than you need. :wink:

I've heard it said you can never have too much skimming. Is this not true? (I'm not being sarcastic - just curious.)

 

[ChrisRD]

IMO there's a point of diminishing returns where a larger (or additional) skimmer doesn't really make any sense, but personally, I wouldn't be worried about it doing any harm (other than the expense of buying/running it).

If the system looks nutrient poor you can always feed heavier.

IME the opposite problem is far more common - ie. cheap/insuffient skimmer that's not exporting enough nutrients.

 

[IslandCrow]

Everyone I've talked to at Sea in the City seems to really know their stuff. If they say you have enough flow, you're probably good. Every tank is a little different based on aquascaping and coral types and placement, but you'll get a good feel for that as you progress. Sounds like you're off to a really good start. That's going to be quite an impressive setup.