# 55g tank ????



## rhh1518 (Oct 15, 2005)

Im new to sw!!! i plan on starting a 55gal tank with 50 lbs live rock,live sand and sand mix. i plan on using a protien skimmer,a couple power heads. probably 100-150watts of light. i plan on having fish, inv., and coral when said and done. i also have a fluidized bed filter by rainbow would this be a good addition for filtration or not? also do i need a sump with wet and dry or will the substrate protien skimmer and power heads work fine.please give advice on anything above you see wrong or obtuse. have not started yet but i am soon. in the future i will be moving up to a 150-200g but thought 55g would be good starter. thx for your time in advance!


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

I know absolutely nothing about SW - just wanted to welcome you to the board!


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

For a tank like the one you envision, a fluidized bed filter is not a good choice. It would be only a nitrate factory extraordinare. So would a wet/dry. Neither is good for what you want. The sand, rock & skimmer alone will do most of the work just fine, and then all you need is a mechanical filter to remove the particulates. That filter should be cleaned ever few days in order to prevent it from becoming a biofilter in itself, making nitrate & reducing the effectivenes of the other stuff. The powerheads are a good idea. May I suggest the self-oscillating Powersweep type powerheads? These mimic the wave action which your reef critters will really appreciate.


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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

I had dismal luck with the powersweeps in my reef (but they worked great in my temperate marine tank - I suspect the high calcium/alkalinity in the reef were the problem).
I've had much better luck with the Hydor Rotator fitting on a Maxi-jet powerhead - great flow and the Rotator is easy to clean every few months to keep calcium buildup in check (I soak it in vinegar then rinse well).

I agree with oldsalt about the fluidized bed filter - not needed and will cause nitrate problems.


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

Wait, TOS, So your saying if i were to have 55 gal FOWLR setup...all I would need is the sand, rock and skimmer?!?!


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

sure, I think it's one of the best ways to filter a sw tank. Of coarse, I added a few things here and there when I changed over to a reef, but the basics are there, skimmer, sand, rock.


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