I've just purchased a 180 gallon tank and I am wondering will the fluval fx-5 filter be enough for a fish only saltwater set up.

Geoff

Anyone?

yes it should be enough, but canisters are really for big cichlid tanks. wet/dry's and protein skimmers are the more often for saltwater, but a canister will work just fine if u do a simple reef with really hardy fish like damsels and dottybacks-which, sadly, don't make a big presence in a 180g. What fish r u planning on keeping? groupers, eels, and puffers can also work.

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I'm so sorry I haven't been on the forum in so long! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten this lovely website! I moved to a different county back in May 2011 and started high school in a totally different school district. So I'm still adjusting and studying hard, and don't presently have any aquariums. But once I do, I'll be right back on this forum!

Looks like I'm alittle late on my reply but I think this would be a great filter for your setup. I think just over 5x flow should be good for a fish only sw tank. That might even have enough flow so you could put a y in the line and have two return lines from the filter.

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It has become more than a hobby! My 29gal Dream Reef DIY Build

What did you end up getting?

Hey, dear guys what a nice sharing i like to share my ideas about your matter , You must have an adequate biological base, the appropriate choice of animals, not over-populate, and don't over feed. Get one of these factors wrong, and you most likely will have problems with your saltwater tank.
Thanks again for this nice sharing.

I think that's true any time you keep animals as pets. But good advice always research and make sure you have the correct habitat for the animals you wish too keep.

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I have the FX5 on my 90 gallon fresh water planted tank. Its a powerfull filter but i think that for a large salt water tank you prolly want a wet/dry set up with some sort of sump. The main issues with the FX5 are the stock out put comes with this funny nozzle that causes an akward flow, i replaced mine with a 3/4 inch pvc elbow, if you decided to go with the buffer pads in the media trays be prepared to change them like ever week, they get clogged up and slow the flow down. Right now all 3 trays in my fx5 have ceramic bio rings in them, no buffer pads and no activated carbon bags.