75 gallon filter choices

Ive had a 55 gallon fw tank for some time now and ive been reading around about salt recently. Ive talked to the guys at my local fish store about setting up a 75. I'm looking to do a fish/live rock tank. They are recomending I go with a aqua clear 110 hop filter and a fluval 306 canister. I'm still trying to get a good understanding of skimmers. Id like to do the right thing the first time around. Any advise would be appreciated.

 

Now someone else is telling me to not use any filters and only a skimmer and powerheads then down the road a filter if algae grows but his 120 gallon does not use a filter

 

A HOB and a canister is fine for fresh but does not do good with saltwater applications, a sump with a skimmer do the job that is needed by all means. The reason being is that type filtration causes high nirtates and high phosphates in the water chemistry and you will have multiple problems as for the sump and skimmer combined makes a fully sustainable tank in the future. The reason I say this is due to start up and the certain cycles that happen within a years time and it will happen of such as hair algae and cyanobacterias and such from start up.

 

Could you suggest a sump setup for a 75

 

I do not really have any manufactures in mind I build my own sumps and don't keep up with name brands sorry. I can tell you that the best size is whatever will fit in the stand and the bigger the better, also make sure that the sump has a bubble trap installed this part of the sump divides the pump for return and the main sump and consist of three pices of glass or plexI which most are made from plexI if you have any doubt please check out my photo album and check out the sumps that I have made.....

 

A 20 gallon to 40 gallon sump or aquarium will do ya nicely. The bigger the better. Here is help on the baffle layout and designs:

 

A bubble trap is all that is really needed for a sump.
The bubble trap is the three pieces of acrylic in front of the pump and just below the refugium on the left side of this picture.