How many filters do you need for a sal****er tank?

RubenD wrote:
I currently have a 46G bowtank running with a Red Sea Skimmer and a Canister
filter. It's running great.
However, I notice the Canister filter doesn't suck/clean as much as I wish.
The power head (with sponge filter) and the skimmer seems to be doing a
better job.

I tried to get into a sump but decided not to at the end, instead I'll wait
upgrade to a tank with built in overflow/plumbing.

People without a sump, how many filters do you use/need?



Believe it or not, my best tank (20 long nano) has NO, i repeat NO
mechanical or chemical filtration. And NO SUMP. I do have 1 hagen
aquaclear hang on power filter going on it, but the media basket is
filled with rubble rock - no sponge filter, no carbon, no zoelitic stuff
- nada. So basically the filter is acting as a teeny little sump.

Aside from that, I have a crappy hang on skimmer (seaclone 100 - with
the intake filter sponge removed) and two power heads in there, and
that's it. Most of the biological filtration is being done by water flow
over the live rock, plus I have a 6" deep sand bed.

The secret is:

1) big cleanup crew (for such a small tank) - about 10 cerith snails, 2
Tonga conchs, 1 queen conch, 5 astreas, 5 blue legs, 1 sand sifting
star. Ceriths and the conchs are the most important here, since they do
the sand bed. Astreas and hermits are not so good for that. They handle
the live rock.

2) filter feeders - 2 big Hawaiian dusters, 1 8 inch derasa, 1 4 inch
maxima, some pink and white xenia, and a whole bunch of zooanthids (the
tridacnids and the xenia help with nitrates)

3) Deep sand bed - yes it REALLY DOES WORK for nitrates.

ALL nitrogen related stuff (including nitrate) currently is 0, and my
water is crystal clear.

All I do to maintain is put in 1 tsp of each part of b-ionic twice a
day, and maybe a 10% water change every other week or so.