Wet/dry? or Canister?

Question

Im starting a 75 gallon saltwater fish only tank. Whats better to use? a EHEIM Canister filter or a wet/dry filter?

***I would easily go with a canister because its cheaper but i heard that canisters arent good for saltwater tanks...true?

*Also, can someone reccomend me a protein skimmer i should get for a 75 gallon? i don't want to blow a lot of money on it though..

Answer 1

I would go with the canister filter personally. They are in fact an excellent filtration choice for a saltwater fish only tank. Take a look at several brands (best if it's hands on in the store) and pick one that seems easy to you to maintain. Be sure to buy the proper flow rate for your tank and you should enjoy years of service from a quality model.

MM

Answer 2

Personally I would just go with a sump set up. Much cheaper and better filtration in my opinion. If you really want low cost and good filtration you can make a sump out of a tuperware container or old aquarium. The biggest cost would be a pump and overflow box. They are very simple to set up and can be done at a fraction of the cost of a canister or wet/dry. Do a web search for the berlin filtration method. It is the best and cheapest way to set up a saltwater tank. The live rock can be expensive but that is offset by not needing to buy all the other expensive filter equipment. For protein skimmers on a budget I would recommend the coralife superskimmers. They work ok and don't hurt the pocketbook too much. I would say stay away from the seaclone brand skimmers. They may be cheap but will give you so many headaches before you buy a replacement.

Answer 3

Generally a wet/ dry using the Berlin method works best as you can more easily control nitrates by using cured live crumbles (about 1-1/2 " in diameter) in place of bio balls. That said I have often set up canister filters this way adding nitrifying a denitrifying live rock to the chambers inside a canister filter. Either way, the biggest mistake made by those using canister filters for saltwater is failing to clean (rinse) filter media regularly resulting in the filter becoming a nitrate factory (by this I recommend every two weeks).
A well maintained canister filter will work well with a fish only tank especially when combined with other filtration and a UV Sterilizer. You also do not need to spend a lot of money on Eheims, although excellent canister filters, there are other excellent reliable canister filters available such as the Via Aqua or Filstar for less money (especially the Via Aqua)

Back to wet dry filters, these need not be expensive as you can easily make your own as well as a modified Mud filter too

This article: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Filtration.html will help you including DIY wet dry filter diagrams.

Back to protein skimmers; the Bak Pak is excellent and for tanks under 75 gallons the Via Aqua Multi Skimmer is excellent and combines a UV Sterilizer as well (this can be used in larger aquariums too). The before mentioned article also address protein skimmers too.

Answer 4

A canister filter is easier to maintain and sometimes cheaper, so I'd recommend a canister filter. Plus, if you have a cabinet, you could easily hide it.

~ZTM

Answer 5

id say a canister
for that size of tank

Answer 6

So i hear, Canister filter are more efficient.

Answer 7

Definitely the Eheim.

I have one, and it does a great job.


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