Protein Skimmer Pump

Protein Skimmer Pump
What filtration methods do I need for a 55 gallon saltwater aqaurium?Do I need a power filter &Protein Skimmer

I am planning to purchase a 55 gallon tank for marine saltwater fishes. It will not be a reef tank. I was planning to get a kit(which comes with a power filter).Probably from wal-mart. Will I need to buy a protein skimmer also or will the power filter be sufficent? (the power filter is rated for the size aquarium but i am worried that one in a kit will be low quality)

I have been told that for >50 gallon tanks, a power filter will not be enough. I have been told that I need a protein filter also, and maybe a air pump and airstone. I do not want to set up a sump pump below the tank or get a canister filter. I have been told that undergravel filtration is not that great, but I am unsure about this as well.

If I have a smaller tank(<50) will a power filter be suffiecent without a protein skimmer?

Thanks. I appreicate any help you can give me.

There's actually 2 things to consider with Saltwater. Filtration and water circulation. Saltwater must be kept moving at all times.

Rule of thumb for fish only is 10+ times water circulation per hour. So you need minimum 500gall / hour pump system.

You can of course split this turnover between a filter and internal powerhead/s. You cant really ever have too much filtration or circulation.

Why no cannister filter? I have had reef tanks with sumps/skimmers for many years and, like many of my associates, I have reverted to a closed filtration system (cannister). In-tank filters not good enough and hang-ons are plain ugly. Get a good cannister - no salt creep or noise.

Protein skimmer - you don't need one for fish. That film/scum that develops on top of the saltwater tanks and smells like fat is not protein at all, its bacteria that feeds on free (dormant) protein strands. It is not harmful to fish at all.

Get an internal powerhead and aim it at the water surface so its well agitated. This breaks up any dormant gunk & the bacteria starves anyway (not the good bacteria).

So what happens to all the un-skimmed protein & other undesirables? Simple answer: one purigen sachet in your filter/cannister will remove anything a skimmer can - and much more.

Regardless, you need some damn good live rock. Good 'cured' LR will handle the vast bulk of the filtration anyway, as long as youi have proper water circulation to let it do its job.

No airstones inside a salt tank. Air in saltwater creates much finer bubbles than in freshwater and if they are micro-bubbles they are detrimental to marine critters including fish gills.

Good Luck and 50gall is a good size to start out with.

p.s. keep in mind that almost everybody that starts with a fish-only tank inevitably starts experimenting with inverts and easy corals at some point.

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