100 Gallon Filtration  2/10/08
I have had a 55 g marine tank for two years now and am ready for an upgrade. I will make this question simple, as I have most of the basics down.
<OK>
Would a live rock, deep aragonite sand bed, protein skimmer, and canister filter be sufficient filtration?
<Yes it would be sufficient.>
I plan on no overflow or sump. This will be fish only with the live rock. Probably clown trigger and other aggressive fish.
<100 gallons is pushing the lower limits on system size for this fish. They get very large and territorial.>
Aqua c hang on, with canister filter under tank.
<Do be sure to clean the canister frequently.>
How many pounds of rock would I need and can I get away without the sump?
<You can certainly have a tank without a sump. Keep in mind you will need to stock this tank, and any other, at a reasonable (not overcrowded) bioload. As for live rock I would start with 65-75 lbs or so and see how you like the look. You can always add more.>
Thanks, your site is great for info.
<Welcome, please read through the links and related FAQ’s below for more information, Scott V.>
http://wetwebmedia.com/clntrigsys.htm
http://wetwebmedia.com/lrselfaqs.htm

Filter/Setup Questions 02/05/2008
Hello Bob & Crew,
<<Hello, Andrew today>>
I sent a couple of e-mails a couple of days ago but fear they may have gotten lost in the great beyond. If this is a duplicate of a message that is already in your queue to be answered I apologize.
<<No apology needed>>
I have a filtration question about a 125 gallon aquarium I am purchasing. I am going to add 100 lbs of live sand (brand new, I am not using the crushed coral in my current 56 gal tank), my existing 20-25 lbs of live rock from my current 56gal, along with another 25 lbs (for starters) of live rock I am purchasing when I buy the tank. I also have a Coralife 125gal skimmer that works fantastically in my 56 (knock on wood).
<<Sounds good>>
My LFS suggested (strongly) going with a wet/dry filter with the standard blue bio-balls.
<<Strongly eh???>>
I am not so sure. So I wanted your opinion on if I were to run two Aquaclear 110's and my current Aquaclear 70, along with the protein skimmer, the 100lbs of LS, and 50 or so lbs (for now) of LR, would that be sufficient to have a healthy setup? I really don't want to go with the wet/dry and especially the bio balls (after reading here on WWM) unless its an outright necessity for the health of the tank. Would this setup give me adequate mechanical filtration, bio filtration, and water movement for this tank?
<<The amount of filtration mentioned should be fine, as you are already half way there with the live rock. I would stick to just the 2 Aquaclear 110's, leave off the Aquaclear 70..The 110's are rated at 110g's each, so, that's ok. Flow wise, I would not rely on these to provide the right amount of flow. I would be adding some powerheads to create the flow for you>>
Also a quick question, if I may, on cycling the new tank. My LFS also said I "Have" to add bio-Spira to the new tank when I set it up in order to have the tank cycle in a short time frame. I can't support the two tanks (from a space perspective) for more than 2 weeks or so. With adding all of the LS, along with the LR and I also plan to add Hagen cycle which I already have a supply of, do I really "need" the bio-Spira to cycle in such a short time?
<<A common question really. How to get a fast cycle. Unfortunately, a cycle should not be rushed, its natures way of laying the building blocks of the aquarium. My advise if you want a "quicker" route to cycling, if it cant be left alone, is to use fully cured live rock, and use pure ammonia as the ammonia source to kick start the cycle. Hopefully, the levels of bacteria already present on the Fully cured live rock will give the cycle a quicker turn around>>
Thank you again for such a great site and such helpful information. It is very much appreciated.
Mike P.
<<Thanks for the questions, hope it helps. A Nixon>>