ace99 Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 Can someone direct me to a good website regarding the disadvantages of using canister filters when setting up a reef tank? I currently have an 80 gallon freshwater tank and I'm thinking about purchasing the new Fluval FX5 (any opinions about the FX5) canister tank to suppliment/replace my filstar xp3. Because its not cheap, I would only buy it if I can use it in the future for a saltwater set-up. I know that canister filters can be used for fish only tanks but I would like to be refreshed on the argument against their use in a reef tank. My tank has not been drilled for sump but I'm assuming that I can retrofit it at a later date if I have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatpuffer Posted February 25, 2006 Report Share Posted February 25, 2006 As far as I know, they become NITRATE factory. Albert will answer the specifics on how. Js Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGr8Blade Posted February 25, 2006 Report Share Posted February 25, 2006 This is a question I wanted to ask myself. I looked at the new fluval and wondered the same thing. Albert are you still at work>LOL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert_dao Posted February 25, 2006 Report Share Posted February 25, 2006 It would be so much easier for you guys to just all accept that I'm never wrong and run with it... :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSTR Posted February 25, 2006 Report Share Posted February 25, 2006 It would be so much easier for you guys to just all accept that I'm never wrong and run with it... :P OUCH! Can't comment right now. I bit my tongue too hard after that last remark there Albert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGr8Blade Posted February 25, 2006 Report Share Posted February 25, 2006 Alberts undies must be too tight...lol. We accept that you are always "RIGHT"....(eyes rolling), please answer the question if you can, my lord of salt water..... Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukep77 Posted February 26, 2006 Report Share Posted February 26, 2006 I hope I can just jump in and answer that question. The reason you dont use a canaster filter, or more acuratly the reason most people perfer not to use a canister is like Fatpuffer said they become Nitrate factorys. And the reason that that happens is that all the crud and deterus builds up in the canister and rots. Your ideal solution for a salt set up is a sump. So in my opinion save your pennys, and skip that canister. If you want to you can set up a sump on your fresh water tank now and when your ready just convert it to a salt set up. I recently took down my nano tank that had a sump and changed it all to fresh water planted with no mechanical filteration. Thats just my 2 cents. Have fun L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudy Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 What if you pull out the sponge media and fill the canister full of live rock and bioballs? Still an issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tc51 Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 What if you pull out the sponge media and fill the canister full of live rock and bioballs? Still an issue Great question I was thinking exactly the same thing Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ace99 Posted February 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 In addition to what Rudy said...do you think that having some macroalgae in the reef set-up and having a deep sandbed would help to lower the nitrates enough? I read a good article about the cons of using canister filters for reef set-ups but I can't find it again. I believe it was on Reef Central or CanReef. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishManTy Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 Im currently running my Fluval with only 2 bags of carbon, and 3 completely empty trays... Does anyone out there use Live rock or marco in their canisters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukep77 Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 (edited) The only disadvantage of putting live rock into a canister is that the live rock will need a light source. And bio balls are the same as a canister filter, huge nitrate factories. They actually collect detirus and all the gunk you want to get rid of. A sump, with micro algea's, and a deep sand bed are your best bets for a healthy set up. Now if you are working with a small set up you can also build a small sump out of a HOB filter. Do a search on Can reef, for HOB sumps. And also check on reef cantral. A deep sand bed is a huge advantage, as long as you add lots of critters that will stir it up. Have a look at these sites. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/index.html & http://www.canreef.com/ You can do it like FishManTy, is doing it but you need to change out the carbon weekly. But that also depends on the size of your set up. If your doing it on a smaller system like 20g and down. It would work fine, but as soon as you go bigger you start running in to trouble unless you change the carbon out 2 or 3 times a week. Also most reef keeper will run carbon in a HOB for a couple hours once a week or so to buff the water, and remove some of the natural chemicals that corrals put out. Edited March 1, 2006 by lukep77 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishManTy Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 What exactly happens if you don't change out the carbon... i've been lazy the last while... Doesn't that Carbon just become unactive and do nothing? Or can it actually do some harm?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ace99 Posted March 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 Supposedly, when the carbon becomes inactive...the toxins and contaminants begin to leach out into the water again. I don't know if I buy this theory. The carbon probably ends up becoming a media where filtrates collect and thus increasing nitrate levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukep77 Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 Supposedly, when the carbon becomes inactive...the toxins and contaminants begin to leach out into the water again. I don't know if I buy this theory. The carbon probably ends up becoming a media where filtrates collect and thus increasing nitrate levels. Both are ture, the carbon over a period of time will start to leach out every thing it absorbed. And after a time the carbon just starts to collect all the crud. Iam sure you can run your carbon longer, but like I said most reef keepers only run it for a short period of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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