Saltwater help... again? I'm confused, LFS I have been dealing with said live rock be the primary filtration?

Question

I went to a different LFS yesterday and now my head is spinning!

My 55 gallon tank was set up using 55 lbs live rock (14 lbs base rock). I intend to get the live rock up somewhere around 75 lbs. I have two powerheads and a hang on protein skimmer with biological filtration (Bak Pak CPR). I was told that that would be all that I need for filtration.

However.... yesterday I went to a different LFS and the owner told me that I will need to either by a wet/dry system or hook the fluval 405 (that is on my tropical tank) up to the saltwater and get something less for the tropical.

The lady that I have been dealing with discouraged me from using the fluval with the salt water (unless I turned it off when feeding) - she said my little critters at the bottom may not get enough food.

Please help, I am ready to cry:( I have spent so much money and just when I was getting ready to add fish I hear this! All I have a tank full of rocks!

Answer 1

Go with the first source,keep your stocking levels low,don't over feed.Give the live rock time to develop its colonies of bacteria and inverts. Turning a Fluval off and on would create more problems than it would solve. A wet/dry system is a nitrate factory,and is the old technology,it would work, but it would defeat the purpose of the skimmer and the live rock. I'll bet the second guy had a wet/dry system to sell. It's better to pick a Guru and stick with (her,in this case) and don't deal with two opinions. Also get an up-to-date book that will help you understand the ways that your system works and study, study, study. Then you won't be tossed about by the theories of others. Yes, all you have is a tank full of rock,but they are very cool rocks,and given time to regrow to their former glory would make a very interesting display without ever adding fish. Go slow,add very few fish at first,be patient,like you said,you've spent a lot of money,don't blow it now by trying to hurry things too much. The first LSF will understand that you are in a hurry to add fish. Let them understand that you are willing to wait to get everything right. The live rock will make a fine filtration system,but it doesn't happen over-night. -----Good luck----PeeTee

Answer 2

There are a great number of LFS owners/employees who are well experienced in saltwater aquariums and will give you good advice. However a majority of them (usually younger workers) have little or no knowledge or experience in this subject which requires a lot of time to learn. Ask them if they personally have a tank at home, or how long they have been working in salt water. If they say only a month or two, be cautious as to their advice.

I agree with 0000 here and it Sounds like you have a good system going there. I use the CPR/w protein skimmer and powerheads and that is all I use. (and live rock)

You don't need any wet/dry system or a fluval 405 Sounds like they were trying to sell you something.

The power heads will move the food around the tank and your critters at the bottom will have pleanty.

If your tank is cycled go ahead and get afish. I will caution you however if your tank is not matured, 6 month - 1 year, be careful which fish you choose. The micro bacteria in your tank has not matured enough to sustain the higher end fish (sweetlip clowns triggers etc.).

Answer 3

I have about the same size SW tank as you(50g). Same setup also, except I do run a Fluval 104 for Phosphate removal only(tap water), and it gets rinsed in TAP water once every 2 weeks(otherwise can become nitrAte factory). When I started mine, I got 50lbs quality live rock(no base) and 10lbs live sand mixed with 20lbs crushed coral. I added Bio-zyme and 5 damsels immediatly. No deaths, minimal ammo/nitrIte spike, and was fully cycled in 7 days. I was running a SKILTER then, but now the CPR skimmer. Good live rock goes a long way. Dont cry, go get some fish and enjoy. Just take it slow, and stay away from inverts till its established awhile. My 50 now houses 2 Dwarf Zebra Lionfish, a spotted sharpnose puffer, and a Damsel(my wife likes/dont know why the Lions haven't eatin it yet?), and have not lost 1 fish in almost 18 months(gave other 4 damsels back).BTW dont use the bioballs in the CPR, if you got them(I got the reef ready CPR, which had none).

Answer 4

As far as equipment, your good. Your tank still needs to cycle to before you (like we all have) rush to put some expensive fish in it. I would get some Turbo snails and hermits crabs to help with cycle process. The is the hardess part with a new setup is the wait. This can take a week or so depending on your bio load. You have live rock so this is a GREAT way to speed up the process. Now my concern is your lighting. Your post speaks of your filtration but not you lighting. The is another major component to your system. Not enough lighting will kill off all the goodies you need in order for tank to thrive. There are tons of marine aquarium forums that will help you out. But again, YOU DON'T NEED TO BUY ANYMORE FILTRATION ITEMS.

Answer 5

I have been doing saltwater for 20+ years now and have tried many different filter systems.
Live rock, Live sand, Protein skimmer and a good cleaner crew is the way to go.
I WILL NEVER GO BACK to wet-dry's, bio-wheels, Canisters...
Sounds like someone is trying to SELL you something you don't need.
With the Live rock, Live sand, Protein skimmer and a good cleaner crew I find my water perameters stay WAY better for WAY longer and it cuts my tank mantainance time to about a quarter that it use to be.
The ONLY thing that I have to dose with is Bio-Cal, because it has all the trace eliments needed and I only do partial water changes once every 2 months.
I was turned onto this method by 2 MARINE BIOLOGISTS who are co owners of my local MARINE FISH STORE not some guy just hired off the street with 2 weeks experiance in fish and coral like most LFS.
The only thing that I would add to what you have is a 3rd powerhead to try to get rid of any dead spots in the tank.
Check out this 75gal Reef tank W/fish and most of the others on this site and you will see what the Berlin system can do for you.
The pics with the BROWN algae are when it was going through it's algae stage of cycling, you will get it too but just be patient and it will go away(brown, green, red slime)
http://www.captivereefing.com/vbpicgallery.php?do=view&g=136
Good luck and Don't Rush Mother Nature

PS
DON"T CYCLE YOUR TANK WITH FISH.
The live rock and sand should do the job very quickly.
Maybe throw in a few snails and hermit crabs after about 2 weeks.

Answer 6

1-2lbs of live rock per gallon, a quality protein skimmer and adequate water flow/water circulation will be sufficient.

The wet dry and fluval are options, but not a requirement (and you may experience higher nitrate levels using them).

Answer 7

Sounds like the LFS that you went to yesterday wanted to make a sale. I had one like yours for almost 15 years with no other filtration system..

Answer 8

I think what you have should be just fine.I really don't think you'll have a problem with it.I would throw a few Dominos for a week or 2 before adding any other fish to break in the tank.

http://www.petsforum.com/cis-fishnet/afm/G29018.htm