Now that you have your tank picked out, its time to find a filter. Lets say you are starting out with a 30gal tank not drilled. You want to setup some thing nice without taking alot of space. There are a few different options that you can go with for this type of system.
The HOB (hand on back ) filter will take up the least amount of space and still do the job you need it to do, but there are limitations. Visually this filter, as the name states hangs on the back of the tank and is mostly unseen. Typically with these you will get some filter floss and some carbon in the cartridge. These filters do keep the water fairly clean and add water circulation to the tank, but you will need to change the filter regularly depending on bio load in the tank. The more fish you have the more often you will change it.
You can also get HOB sumps. These are a nice addition to a tank as it gives you some more options. With any sump type filter, this allows you to hide other equipment such as a heater or a protein skimmer. This option also allows you to add more media to the filter section. Most of them have sections or baskets that will allow you to change out the filter floss separate from the carbon unlike the HOB filter. There is also other baskets to add bio media or gfo.
The canister is also another good space saving option for a smaller size tank. It allows you to have a bit more BIO load, with all the needed filtration. The down size to these is they normally sit under the tank and have hoses run up to the tank for suction and the return. They done need to be serviced so often but they do need to be checked. It is best to size this filter to the size of the tank and what you have for a bio load.
I am really a fan of the larger sump type filters. They allow for you to significantly increase the water volume of the tank which add stability. My favorite part of a sump is you keep all of the equipment like skimmers & heaters (aside from powerheads) out of your display tank. It also give you the options for upgrades and other new tech to be added like, controllers and testing probes, roller mats, UV, media reactors, etc... Though these systems are a bit bigger you can still fit alot of stuff in a smaller compartment, just need to research some designs.
There are a lot of options to choose from out there.. Remember to have a successful reef tank you don't need all the bells and whistles. Time and research is your biggest advantage.
Happy reefing.
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