What kind of filtration for a 180 fowlr

[mazon56]

Im about to buy a 180 fowlr and what to know what kind of filtration to use. I want to get a big skimmer the tank is going to be heavily stocked and ill prob. Have about 200lbs of live rock. Refugium
, berlin, wetdry Idk what's best to keep everything down and safe.

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[mazon56]

Van anyone help me with this

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[LatinP]

Will it always be a fowlr tank or will you plan to switch to a reef later down the road? I could recommend bioballs if it will be a fowlr tank for the foreseeable future, but it's much easier to get a fuge now and start fresh with a fuge already in place than it is to a month or two down the road have to replace an entire sump to remove bio balls and alter to make space for one.

I'd say easy solution is to just get a sump w/ a refugium that way you have options later on. As far as other filtration components... a skimmer rated for around 225-250g, a few two little fish reactors for GFO and carbon, heater, a chiller or fans (if needed), good return pump and finally last but not least a sump big enough that if your power fails at some point will allow enough water to drain from your overflow down into your sump and not flood the house.

 

[skene]

if it's only going to be a fo tank... why even bother with getting a skimmer. The nasties aren't going to affect them.

 

[LatinP]

I dunno nitrates in a heavy load FO tank can hurt fish, I've seen ill effects on tanks that get up to 160-200ppm. With a heavy bio load and high nitrate levels fish do suffer. I put a skimmer on all my saltwater tanks, just my 2 cents.

 

[skene]

at 200+ppm of nitrates they are no longer swimming in water.

:dead1:

 

[mazon56]

Yes its going to stay fowlr and the canister isn't a bad idea but doesn't that become a nitrate holder after time. Im planning on getting a big skimmer not sure about a dsb or bare bottom. I just don't know Weather to run a wet dry or a berlin with a big a** skimmer

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[Manhattan Aquariums]

If you are definitely going with 200 lbs of rock then you have plenty of surface area for aerobic bacteria that would typically occupy the surface of bioballs found in a wet/dry filter. You could probably get by just fine with a refugium or berlin sump but should get a skimmer to remove waste. They are so cheap nowadays and easy to use and the improved water quality resulting from the use of one allows much higher stocking densities than going without one. Without a wet/dry filter the skimmer would also aerate the water which you will need with lots of fish and no wet/dry. If you skimp on the rock, stock heavy with fish and feed a lot, you may run elevated nitrite levels which will indicate you need more surface area for bacteria that drive the nitrogen cycle. Obviously you could feed less and remove some fish but the numbers simply indicate that you need more bacteria for the present bioload. If you don't overfeed the tank and do regular water changes, a rocked tank filled with fish, a big sump with a oversized skimmer, and a reactor with carbon should work out just fine. With only maybe 100 lbs of rock or less I would opt for the wet/dry. Good luck!