Converting HOB filter for SW tank

[PringlesLFE]

I have an Emperor 280 on my 20G Long. Currently only has ~20 lbs of live rock and live sand. I only plan on keeping a pair of Ocellaris clowns in there once the tank's fully cycled and when I have some more money, begin nano reefing.

I' m just curious what possible DIY projects can I do with the Emperor? I heard the bio wheels and filter pads just aren't really so great, esp for a SW tank, so I've taken all that out and it's just basically an empty box helping me circulate water. I've heard mixed reviews about the DIY HOB Hagen filter thing so i'm not sure if that's the route for me.

Any ideas?

 

[turtlesrock]

put in some ac filter blocks and just rinse them weekly in tank water. do you have a skimmer?

 

[F.F. Julio]

actually I did something similar on a frag tank I had I had a fluval 404 that I filled all the trays with liverock rubble for extra bio filteration. The only thing is about every other week during a water change I would take the trays out of the filter clean it well and swish the trays in my water that I took out of the tank to remove detrius. The problem with using canister filters on salt tanks is that they are nitrate factories if you dont clean them regularly, hence why most people dont use them on salt tanks.

I did a refugium conversion on an aqua clear 110 that worked really well and its pretty easy to do.

 

[F.F. Julio]

put in some ac filter blocks and just rinse them weekly in tank water.

I wouldnt use any type of sponge filters unless you are gonna want to rinse them pretty often because they tend to build up organic waste and boost up your nitrates.

I had a fluval 404 that I removed everything but the trays and used as a cryptic fuge. I filled all but one tray with Live rock rubble and used the top tray for a phosphate remover and carbon. Every other water change I would remove the trays from the filter and swish them around in the water I removed from the tank to get alot of the built up detrius out of them.

I did a mod on an Aqua Clear 110 that made it into a HOB refugium that is pretty easy.

 

[turtlesrock]

I wouldnt use any type of sponge filters unless you are gonna want to rinse them pretty often because they tend to build up organic waste and boost up your nitrates.

I had a fluval 404 that I removed everything but the trays and used as a cryptic fuge. I filled all but one tray with Live rock rubble and used the top tray for a phosphate remover and carbon. Every other water change I would remove the trays from the filter and swish them around in the water I removed from the tank to get alot of the built up detrius out of them.

I did a mod on an Aqua Clear 110 that made it into a HOB refugium that is pretty easy.

i know thats y i said to rinse them often, like every 5 days, thats wat i do