need help with setup.

[dmopar74]

here it goes, i have-

54g corner tank
20g sump
asm g3 skimmer
quiet one 3000 or 4000 pump, which to use?
3 maxi-jet 1200 powerheads with wavemaker, even needed?
fluval 405 or xp4 for bio as theres just not enough room in the sump.

tank will be FO

which pump should i use, do i need the powerheads, and will a canister be ok to use on a FO tank?

 

[Kevin8888]

Ok, the 3000, is more then enough flow for a tank that size. I would recomend setting up a manifold type return (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pbh2oret.htm).
Generaly speaking you need 10x your tanks volume of flow an hour, so technicaly you need only 550gal flow, so with the return pump the powerheads are unnessisary (the 3000 gets 750gph correct?). That being said, the Rena xp4 gets almost enough flow for the tank haha.

Ok, so in the case of filtration, more bio is better. theCanuck uses canisters for bio on his systems successfuly. You will want to get the types that don't collect gunk, like no bio sponges or anything like that, and the only "mechanical" filtration you want is the skimmer. Only use things like Ceramics and beads (theCanuck has alot of success with ceramics I believe). Do you intend to have a sand bed? A fine grain sand will also help alot with the bio, that and its nice to look at.

So no live rock? may I ask how you are decorating it? I've always found tanks without live rock rather empty, but thats just me.

 

[dmopar74]

i will add rock piece by piece when i can, and prob start with a few pounds. i have a 5g bucket full of fine marine sand.

my cans are also full of ceramics so it looks like im set!

 

[Kevin8888]

I recomend checking your cans regularily to ensure that there isn't to much buildup of wastes, better safe then sorry.

 

[FLESHY]

Macro algae is always good IN tank if you cant keep it in a sump OUT of tank. Have it growing in all of my SW aquariums and in sumps at the lab I work at. Dont discount natural filtration.

Flow is more a matter of whether or not you have dead spots. By powerheads, and place them accordingly. Pretty hard to have too much flow, but Im an SPS reefer.

 

[Kevin8888]

Macro algae is always good IN tank if you cant keep it in a sump OUT of tank. Have it growing in all of my SW aquariums and in sumps at the lab I work at. Dont discount natural filtration.

Flow is more a matter of whether or not you have dead spots. By powerheads, and place them accordingly. Pretty hard to have too much flow, but Im an SPS reefer.

True, but you can do sps with a manifold return, and you actualy have even more control as to where the flow goes. And there is to much flow, low flow corals will die slowly under high flow.