UV Sterilizer & not to pricey filter(Canister, Wet/Dry, Sump)

[Fishnewb1]

I have a 55 gallon tank with 40lb of LR, Seaclone Protien Skimmer, and an Emperor 400. In this tank i have 2 perc clown, powder blue tang, Regal tang.
People say that my filtration is bad for this many fish and I was even thinking about more or some LL corals.

What is a good pick of these Filters/UV sterilizer...

Please give me names of brands or if you think DIY is the best please tell me where i can find out how to do it...

[PerculaClown]

if your planing on a reef tank than why dont you try a refugium? Power filters dont do a good job and can end up as nitrate factories if not cleaned frequently.

[Fishnewb1]

Originally Posted by PerculaClown

if your planing on a reef tank than why dont you try a refugium? Power filters dont do a good job and can end up as nitrate factories if not cleaned frequently.

Good idea but I also want to kill all the parisites in my water so it needs at least a refugium and a UV sterilizer and what brand of Refugium is the best??

[Fishfirst]

I personally think that refugiums are awesome... but I'd diy with an overflow, tank, a light, and some cheato or calerpa and a return pump.

UV sterilizers only mask the problems in your tank... it won't kill all the parasites in the entire system, but it will control them some.

I get the feeling that this sudden urge to get a UV sterilizer is in the interest of your lost fox face. I think your biggest problem is not realizing you are overstocked with two tangs in that small of a tank and not parasites (although with two tangs in the tank there are bound to be outbreaks when stress levels on them rise) Get rid of them, and you won't have to spend the $150 dollars on the UV sterilizer.

[Fishnewb1]

It will be hard to get rid of the tangs without killing them...the LFS is very picky. But I will try.

And also can you make a refugium in a sump??

Because that would be a lot easier if it is possible...

[Fishfirst]

well yeah, if the sump is big enough or made for it... do you use bioballs?

[Fishnewb1]

I dont have one yet but the one that I am thinking on buying does.

[Fishnewb1]

what is cheato or calerpa??

[cheseboy]

a type of macro algae that looks like spaghetti AKA: Spaghetti algae

[Fishnewb1]

If I have the sump with a refugium could i still have the two tangs??
If I had a refugium would that take the place of a sump??

[Fishfirst]

its all about space. Tangs need a lot of space that a 55 gallon cannot provide.

[Fishnewb1]

Originally Posted by Fishfirst

its all about space. Tangs need a lot of space that a 55 gallon cannot provide.

what about untill they get bigger then sell them??

[Fishfirst]

that would be Okay, not ideal but okay. especially with a delicate species like powder blue tangs... 55 gallon is definately pushing it...

[Fishnewb1]

what do you think about my anemone... u think my lighting is too low so what about a lunar light 4-56w + 1-56w is that enough it would come with a wet/dry filter.

And what would you think about my bioload with the wet/dry (Proclear 150) + a refugium with mabey even more fish than I have now???

[Fishfirst]

I would skip on the wet dry and just do a fuge. Although I think you are maxed out now, you could possibly add a few bottom dwelling fish to your system. No more tangs, foxfaces, puffers, triggers, angels, or anything like that.

[Fishnewb1]

In your 55 FOWLR what kind of filtration do you have on that??
I mean i was going to get a sump but if you think the refugium will be enough i would use that.

What size would you recomend?? A sump refugium?? Hang on back...

Is this adaquate for reefs even without mechanical filtration??
Do i still need a Skimmer?

[Fishfirst]

I would keep the skimmer and get a refugium... right now I just have about 75lbs of liverock in the 55 gallon FOWLR and a skimmer. It does the trick as long as I do water changes every two to three weeks.

[Fishnewb1]

would the amount of water changes be less if I had a wet/dry or would that even be a disadvantage??

Do you have a hang on back or a sump??

They say with these you can have mandarin fish??

[Fishfirst]

I would say you would have to do more water changes with a wet dry because they create nitrates like crazy. I have a sump fuge.
Mandarins are very specific in their diet. Fuges protect some of their diet's population by not letting the mandarin hunt for them in there. Sadly, sometimes fuges don't even keep up with the mandarins high demand for pods, and the mandarin starves. They need a lot of food... and usually will eat nothing but pods.

[Fishnewb1]

So you would NOT reccomend ME getting a mandarin fish yet. Would you recommned a sump fuge or hang on back fuge?? I have read that for mandarin fish they need a hang on back otherwise the return pump will chop the pods up...

What other fish would you recomend gobies, blennies??