# What filter do i Use.



## G2theRam (Sep 27, 2014)

I havent had a freshwater tank in over 20 years. I recently bought a 93 gallon marineland cube and i had plans to start a reef tank. well after long thought i have decided that i want to get back to the tank that first started it all. My problem is i have been out of the freshwater game for so long that i have a few questions. The aquarium is predrilled and i would like to run a sump. My question is what do i put in a sump for freshwater? do i fill it with media? run some sort of a refugium? run a canister off the sump? I really don't know where the hobby has gone and what is working well. My only parameters are i would like to have everything under the tank since it is pre drilled. I do not want and hoses or filters running up the sides as this tank will be viewed from all sides.


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## somebody (May 13, 2014)

I run a fuge before my wet/dry. My sump is set up to go both salt and fresh because one day I will take the leap with it into reefing.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

What type and how many fish do you plan to keep in this tank? That is something to consider when choosing filter media and setup.


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## G2theRam (Sep 27, 2014)

the response is delayed after spending time looking into the different fish i have decided that i will mostly stock smaller mbuna and peacocks


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## BDASTRK (Dec 12, 2014)

Being a former Salt water guy myself ( Small scale ) I would only EVER use 1 type of filtration................Wet Dry & Ocean clear or Nuclear canister filter with a UV sterilizer and for me because I overstock so heavily a Aquaripure de-nitrater. Going cheap on filtration as you know is never a good thing salt or fresh, and you cant have too much filtration either. I have been down the Eheim, Fluval, Marineland cheap filtration road.................And Never again!


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## Loume (Dec 27, 2014)

So it's a 30" x 30" footprint, and the tank is bottom drilled in one corner, one corner overflow box?


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## G2theRam (Sep 27, 2014)

Yeah 30x30 with corner flow will have about 900gph flow in it


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## The Cichlid Guy (Oct 18, 2014)

To answer your original questions, a typical sump consists of mechanical filtration (pads, sponges, or socks) followed by biofiltration (Matrix, Biohome, etc). Chemical filtration can be added as needed to remove medication and undesirables. You won't need to run another filter off of your sump, and you shouldn't need any external hoses since your tank has an overflow box. Your heater(s) can also be placed in the sump to further cut down on wires and tubes in your tank.

You could add a refugium with live plants, but this will need its own lighting.

You will also need a return pump capable of pushing water into your tank at the proper flow rate, which can be submersed in your sump or drilled into the outside of your sump.


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## Loume (Dec 27, 2014)

If you have only the single overflow box, unfortunately, I think you are limited to 700gph max, which is actually alot for that size of overflow, and that much only because these draw off both the top and bottom, instead of just the surface.

"Engineered to deliver perfect circulation and maximize water flow to the main filter system, the Corner-Flo eliminates "dead zones," while minimizing flow noise. Water is drawn from the surface and bottom levels at an unprecedented rate of up to 700 GPH, providing the ultimate in circulation efficiency, and fishkeeping success."

http://www.marineland.com/Products/glas ... riums.aspx


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Dec 14, 2009)

Personally i would just sump it, use a filter sock like a reef tank sump, fill the sump with pond matrix, toss in a return pump, and call it a day. You can also grow house plants out of the sump under a cfl bulb for extra nutrient export.


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