Was wondering if anyone had some recommendations on the type of filtration I should use on my new tank. I am planning on having some live rock, a snowflake eel, and a couple of triggers. Any ideas?

general consensus is go big....like 3 -4 times your tank capacity

that being said you have a few different options..in my opinion there is no right or wrong type...it's a matter of preferance and specific need

1. sump..................if your tank isn't drilled for a skimmer box a syphon system can cause all kinds of trouble in the event of a power outage

2. HOB {hang on back} filters are cheaper and I like the idea of a couple filters then you can cycle your maintinence so you will always have one filter running with benifiecial bactieria in it - they tend to be "ugly" as you can see the pick-ups and the tank will have t be away from the wall for them to fit

3. canisters have a lot of flexability for different medias and the newer systems seem to be easily maintained - and they can be hidden under the tnk in the cabinet or along side if you wish and the unsightly pick ups aren't as prevelent

4. there are hybrid type filters as well....RAPIDS makes a canister/sump system that suposedly won't over flow in a power outage and they also have an auto top off attachment to go with it as well {i will be upgradeing to it one of these days}

i guess the amount of money you have to buy your filtration is a factor as well............but big is most important ............don't forget a couple decent powerheads as well for circulation ...................

there are more qualified people on here to speak to filtration as well i'm sure they'll chime up soon enough ..........

good luck ...Snowboss

heres that Rapids filter system i was talking about..........note that it has a skimmer in it as well.................if im reading correctly you could just by the overflow system and use it on a standard sump right? im not quit understanding how it works yet......i think the overflow has a small pump on it that keeps the "syphon" going, and when the power goes out the syphon breaks and when it comes back on it primes itself again......................

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=16747

Dang. That Rapids unit looks like it's made up of 4 or more seperate units. I bet it works pretty well though.

The best filtration equipment you can add to your tank aside from good quality live rock is a great skimmer. I would not run a saltwater fish tank without one. If you plan on buying one, dont ever, ever, ever go cheap on the skimmer. My very first skimmer was a Seaclone 100 and what a mistake it was to buy it. I had to constantly tune this sucker daily and never got the dark skim I now get from my AquaC EV 180 skimmer. Do some research on good skimmers on the net before you purchase one. I highly recomend the AquaC EV protein skimmers.