Do I need an underground filter for 29 hex saltwater tank?

Question

I currently have a 29 freshwater Hex aquarium, but I'm thinking of changing it to salt water. I am just going to put a couple saltwater fish, instead of the overcrowded mess I have now. My question is do I need to keep the underground filter, its rather unsightly and I really don't like it. But I wonder if its better for getting oxygen in the water because it's so tall. Any advice on building this saltwater Hex aquarium would be most appreciated. I'm thinking of building live rock at an angle to the top, and having a couple small fish.

Answer 1

You don't need it, but as you pointed out, it is better to circulate dissolved oxygen all the way to the bottom of the tank. If you use one, use a reverse-flow powerhead to run it so you don't have to keep lifting the plate for cleaning - this could be a mess with all the live rock you'll have on top!

I'd also advise to be careful with your selection of fish - marine fish tend to be territorial, and vertical space isn't as important as horizontal space to them - and in a hex, there's more n the vertical dimension. (they make nice seahorse tanks though, because these do swim vertically - maybe something to think about in the future!)

Answer 2

no you wont need a UGF if you have a HOB filter. you will still want to get a powerhead or two and run it without a UGF. Basically you use the powerheads to create currents which is needed for reef tanks. if your going FOWLR then you still might want to get one powerhead to work on circulataltion.

But to answer your question, no you dont need a ugf.