Marine Filters? Suggestions?

Jen Pigs Fly

Calling out to all you fish keepers out there!

I have a 60 litre tank, and am hoping to have a small saltwater tropical tank, I'll just get two clown fish or something, nothing too extravagant.

Now while I have my life rock, tank, heaters, salt, etc all organised, I find myself comming up short when it comes to getting a filter and protiene skimmer?

So what filter would be good for a 60 litre tank?

I have a tropical filter, but it's not made for saltwater.

And what can anyone tell me about protiene skimmers?

And prices and such would be nice as well, I suppose around €100 euro is what I'm hoping to spend on the filter.

But any pricelists or webpages would be nice! And what brands of filters work for you? I really am at a loss when it comes to these two things.

I am setting up the tank in december, so I still have time!

ValerieR

I am a freshwater fish keeper and am no specialist in marine ... If you have never kept fish, it might be a good plan to consider freshwater for a while before moving to marines, building up on experience at a lower price level shall anything go wrong.
60 litres is quite small and such a set up would qualify as a nano marine tank. As for freshwater, the larger the tank is, the easier it is to keep the water parameters stable. Apparently, the stocking levels for a marine fish-only tank is 1" of fish per 2 gal. of water (6 inches of fish in your case).
Equipment-wise, I am not too sure of what is required. All I know is that I have a friend who keeps a small number of marine fish in a 125l tank without any other additional equipment but the standard Jewel filtration/lighting without any issue. Maybe you should talk to a well established and reputed shop in order to sound them out. There are a few around Dublin : Seahorse Aquariums at the Red Cow Roundabout, Aquarium Solutions in Ashbourne, Aquatic Village in Brittas, Wackers on the Long Mile Road to name a few.
2nd hand equipment can be found on various website at a good price compared to new stuff. You might be able to source a few things and also read up on the subject of marine set ups on www.irishfishkeepers.com which is an Irish based discussion forum on all aspects of fish keeping.
I hope this helps.
Good luck with your research and project.
ValerieR

Jen Pigs Fly

I've kept a few freshwater tropical fish already, had a chinese fighting fish (He was blood red, was amazing, sadly he died), some guppies and some other bettas, barbs and chichlids.

Well the type that I'm looking to get is two true percula clownfish, hopefully, while large enough they only grow on average 8cm, which for only keeping two will be grand, no other fish unless I get a smaller breed of clownfish.

I will take a look in a few of those shops, I'm definitly getting around 7/8Kg of Live rock so I don't have to worry as much keeping the tank correct for the fish. I suppose pretiene skimmers do about the same, but I may as well get one.

Jen Pigs Fly

I have an elitre stingray 15 filter, does anyone know if that will work for saltwater tanks? Apprently it does according to the product description but I want to know for sure.

So anyone use this filter? the Elite tropical tank sets provide this filter, I got the Elite 60 set which included this filter.

Anyone else get this? And if so, has anyone used it for a saltwater tank.

Just want some more info.

bogman

I would recommend irishfishforum.com for help and advice http://www.irishfishforum.com
then go to http://www.zooplus.ie for your purchases

Jen Pigs Fly

Been using the elite stingray for a month and a half now, it's very good, very quiet, and the media only needed to be changed there a week ago.

Also been using an old fluval for when I'm mixing the water to go into the tank.
(Normally I will let it sit for 4 hours .. let the salt dissolve properly, do proper tests, specific gravity is normally correct straight away however)

Satyr_The_Great

fluval ( not sure on the spelling ) make good filters..but from what i know, you will need a skimmer too aswell as a good filter. correct me if im wrong.

Jen Pigs Fly

Satyr_The_Great wrote: »

fluval ( not sure on the spelling ) make good filters..but from what i know, you will need a skimmer too aswell as a good filter. correct me if im wrong.

I'm not going to use a protiene skimmer, yet anyway, I'm just going to do a 10% or so water change every 10 days or so.
(can get the water at a shop near me that sell 1.022SG salt water for like 50cents a litre, quite handy if you ask me)

So far I'm only going to stock the tank with two clownfish and a goby. Perhaps a Royal gramma as well, but only if I get a bigger tank.

cichlid child

You do not use a filter in a marine tank.
You can get a skimmer in most aquatic shops.
As somebody pointed out you can get 2nd hand stuff and an awful lot of advice here.
www.irishfishforum.com

Jen Pigs Fly

cichlid child wrote: »

You do not use a filter in a marine tank.
You can get a skimmer in most aquatic shops.
As somebody pointed out you can get 2nd hand stuff and an awful lot of advice here.
www.irishfishforum.com

First time I've heard that! every place I've gone to to get my supplies and bits and bobs have talked to me about filters and how to take care of them.

it is preferred to have both a filter (external one) and a protiene skimmer. As my tank is only small, a skimmer is not needed as long as I do a 10% water change often and do not overstock my tank. And in a 60 litre tank it would only be 6 litres every 2 weeks or so.

But sure two months on and the filter has helped me tremendously, doesn't need the media to be changed too often, is very quiet, and creates a nice natural current, it also does an amzing job with clearing the water quickly!

Like i said, I will be getting a protiene skimmer once I upgrade my tank, as while the small one will be managable, I do not even want to think about anything bigger!

cichlid child

xxxJennyxxx wrote: »

First time I've heard that! every place I've gone to to get my supplies and bits and bobs have talked to me about filters and how to take care of them.

it is preferred to have both a filter (external one) and a protiene skimmer. As my tank is only small, a skimmer is not needed as long as I do a 10% water change often and do not overstock my tank. And in a 60 litre tank it would only be 6 litres every 2 weeks or so.

But sure two months on and the filter has helped me tremendously, doesn't need the media to be changed too often, is very quiet, and creates a nice natural current, it also does an amzing job with clearing the water quickly!

Like i said, I will be getting a protiene skimmer once I upgrade my tank, as while the small one will be managable, I do not even want to think about anything bigger!

An external filter will turn into a nitrate factory.
In a marine aquarium the liverock is your filter

cichlid child

Jenny I am not trying to be negative I am just saying with no skimmer and an external filter you should be very very careful about nitrates.
Please take this as advice and not critisism.

Jen Pigs Fly

cichlid child wrote: »

Jenny I am not trying to be negative I am just saying with no skimmer and an external filter you should be very very careful about nitrates.
Please take this as advice and not critisism.

Don't worry I'm not!
I'm taking every single bit of advice on board really! It just sometimes I find that one person will say something completely different than another person!

cichlid child

xxxJennyxxx wrote: »

Don't worry I'm not!
I'm taking every single bit of advice on board really! It just sometimes I find that one person will say something completely different than another person!

Good there is an awful lot of advice out there and as you said some people do things one way which is different to the next person.I am just stating what worked for me after a few costly mistakes.
Hope everything goes well for you if you check out the link in my last post there is alot of marine keepers on the site

Wolfsberg

Hi,
You can use an external filter but it should be packed full of small pieces of live rock which you can get quite cheap. You can use a regular internl filter but the sting ray isn't very good, I'd recomend somthing like a fluval 2 plus, an Eheim pickup or Eheim Aquaball. Good flow of water is important so there are no dead spots in the tank. I ran a 70L tank quite sucessfully (although expensively) with lots of live rock, a fluval 205 external filter, TMC Vskim 120 nano skimmer, small powerhead Hai Yang light bar with LEDs. I did 30% RO water change every 2 weeks with tap water top ups every few days from evaporation.
I wouldn't bother with the goby in such a small tank, just go with your clowns and a few hermit crabs or a damsel or something like that.
This was my nano shortly before I sold it...




Rory.

Jen Pigs Fly

cichlid child wrote: »

Good there is an awful lot of advice out there and as you said some people do things one way which is different to the next person.I am just stating what worked for me after a few costly mistakes.
Hope everything goes well for you if you check out the link in my last post there is alot of marine keepers on the site

That site has been very helpful! thanks for the link to it!

Jen Pigs Fly

Wolfsberg wrote: »

Hi,
You can use an external filter but it should be packed full of small pieces of live rock which you can get quite cheap. You can use a regular internl filter but the sting ray isn't very good, I'd recomend somthing like a fluval 2 plus, an Eheim pickup or Eheim Aquaball. Good flow of water is important so there are no dead spots in the tank. I ran a 70L tank quite sucessfully (although expensively) with lots of live rock, a fluval 205 external filter, TMC Vskim 120 nano skimmer, small powerhead Hai Yang light bar with LEDs. I did 30% RO water change every 2 weeks with tap water top ups every few days from evaporation.
I wouldn't bother with the goby in such a small tank, just go with your clowns and a few hermit crabs or a damsel or something like that.


Rory.

I like the tank, it's looking good, I do have a fluval filter ... it's older than my stingray, and I have used it a few times, it's incredibly good, however it is also an internal filter.
I am going to get an external filter .. it's all a case of money. I was assured that as long as I don't overstock the tank, keep an eye on the chimical side of things and do a water change often a protiene skimmer is not a neccisity.

Like I've mentioned, I will hopefully be getting a bigger tank in a while, which I will have all the bells and whistles for!

I suppose it's like me going the long way around it! It's mad interesting though!

Wolfsberg

xxxJennyxxx wrote: »

I like the tank, it's looking good, I do have a fluval filter ... it's older than my stingray, and I have used it a few times, it's incredibly good, however it is also an internal filter.
I am going to get an external filter .. it's all a case of money. I was assured that as long as I don't overstock the tank, keep an eye on the chimical side of things and do a water change often a protiene skimmer is not a neccisity.

Like I've mentioned, I will hopefully be getting a bigger tank in a while, which I will have all the bells and whistles for!

I suppose it's like me going the long way around it! It's mad interesting though!

You will find keeping marines way more difficult without the skimmer, its not the be all and end all but it would definately be money better spent than buying an external at the stage you're at.... Use one of the internal filters you have and spend the hundred euro you had for an external on either extra decent-quality live rock or a nano skimmer... the one I had was about 120 to 140 notes.

Fishyfreak

If you are using the Berlin Method (i.e filtering by Liverock) you should not have any other sort of biological filtartion in the tank.

If you insist on getting a filter ensure that you only put Liverock chippings in it.

DO NOT put sponge in it unless you plan on killing the sponge every week under the tap. If you don't do this the sponge will generate Nitrates and caues you all sorts of problems.

I would definitely go for a skimmer and a decent powerhead/pump for flow in the tank.

Log onto www.irishfishforum.com Loads of salties there.

Jen Pigs Fly

Fishyfreak wrote: »

If you are using the Berlin Method (i.e filtering by Liverock) you should not have any other sort of biological filtartion in the tank.

If you insist on getting a filter ensure that you only put Liverock chippings in it.

DO NOT put sponge in it unless you plan on killing the sponge every week under the tap. If you don't do this the sponge will generate Nitrates and caues you all sorts of problems.

I would definitely go for a skimmer and a decent powerhead/pump for flow in the tank.

Log onto www.irishfishforum.com Loads of salties there.

I actually never though of that! Well with my filter media, what I've been doing was replacing one of the sponges, and then a week later replacing the second sponge, so that the beneficial bacteria and such arn't just being washed away.

And the live rock chipping, never though of that, can I buy them? Or could I just take some from the live rock that I already have? I have 8KG in a 60litre, so I've got quite a lot of it!

Jen Pigs Fly

Wolfsberg wrote: »

You will find keeping marines way more difficult without the skimmer, its not the be all and end all but it would definately be money better spent than buying an external at the stage you're at.... Use one of the internal filters you have and spend the hundred euro you had for an external on either extra decent-quality live rock or a nano skimmer... the one I had was about 120 to 140 notes.

I've been warned of that alright, I'm looking to get a skimmer at the moment, any brands you would reccommend?

I have 8KG of cured live rock (for a 60litre tank), and I've noticed a few tiny little things crawling around on it, it's quite strange haha, keeping an eye on them just to make sure that nothing dangerous grows from them.

Wolfsberg

TMC vSkim 120

... the little tiny things are part of what makes live rock LIVE!

Jen Pigs Fly

Wolfsberg wrote: »

TMC vSkim 120

... the little tiny things are part of what makes live rock LIVE!

Ok thanks for the recommendation!
my rock is very active haha, I currently have these thingies (for lack of better word) on my tank glass, they look like tiny transparent jellyfish although I get the feeling they could be sponges? They are transparent but a skeleton can be see, they're pathetically small, I'm currently trying to figure out what they are, I had a few on the glass yesterday, but today there is only one left, it's quite weird!