Canister Filter Question

[Epizzle]

I currently have a 75 gallon fresh water tank that I wish to convert to a FOWLR tank. On the fresh water tank I am using a Eheim canister filter that works great. I would like to continue using the canister filter when I convert to a salt tank. What recommendations do you have regarding what type of media to use in the canister filter when I convert to a FOWLR tank? Thanks

 

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

I would get rid of the canister filter. The main filter for a salt water tank is your live rock and skimmer. A canister is just going to create nitrate issues for you. If you keep the canister it will increase maintenance you will end up doing. I did the same thing and ditched the canister after about a month and built a DIY sump/refugium. If you keep the canister I would just run carbon and or GFO possibly. But again, I wouldn't even bother with the canister. Sell it on craigslist and buy something for your new salt water tank.

 

[whosurcaddie]

Yeah all you need is a good skimmer. Maybe a fuge if you feel inclined.

 

[Pife]

If you keep your filter it will need to be changed weekly. I would put a poly filter and maybe some carbon in it if you run it. I wouldn't run it though.

 

[Cu455]

How much rock are you going to have? How many trays does the filter have. I will use the first try for mechanical filtration. The second tray biological filtration use rings or the sponges. Now the anarobic bacteria is the big thing so they make alot of media catered to that too. The third tray chemical. Chemipure and biopellets. This is assuming you have 3 trays. To make maintaince a little easier put a sponge on the intake. This will catch most of the stuff.

 

[PsymonStark]

Ay! This would explain my algae growth at the moment! I did the same as OP and actually have 2 eheim internal canister filters. Although the one I have replaced as a GFO canister now. I'll just scrap the second one or also full with GFO probably.

 

[Cu455]

Ay! This would explain my algae growth at the moment! I did the same as OP and actually have 2 eheim internal canister filters. Although the one I have replaced as a GFO canister now. I'll just scrap the second one or also full with GFO probably.

Most new tanks will get algae growth. With a cainster filter or not.

 

[PsymonStark]

Mine is a FW which is slowly but surely being converted to a SW tank. I have Green spotted puffers.

 

[Spiffy]

I would get rid of the canister filter. The main filter for a salt water tank is your live rock and skimmer. A canister is just going to create nitrate issues for you. If you keep the canister it will increase maintenance you will end up doing. I did the same thing and ditched the canister after about a month and built a DIY sump/refugium. If you keep the canister I would just run carbon and or GFO possibly. But again, I wouldn't even bother with the canister. Sell it on craigslist and buy something for your new salt water tank.

+1

I had a canister filter too for about 2 years, then I started a refugium and never looked back. I should have used the canister as a reactor, but the thing was already broken... :sad2:

 

[billdogg]

Contrary to popular myth, canister filters CAN work on a marine tank. I can say this with 100% certainty because my 60g cube utilized one for somewhere in the range of 22 years. I was able to keep just about anything other than SPS, and that was because of the lights, not the canister filter. I used a fluval 405, with sponges on the bottom, then carbon, then LR rubble, then more carbon. I cleaned it when I did water changes, about monthly. Rather than being a nitrate factory as most will claim it to be, what I found it to be was a mini brittle and asterina star farm, as well as being the birthing grounds for thousands of pods.

Was it ideal? well, no. When I upgraded it became my emergency funk filter. Stuffed full of pillow stuffing it can clear a 120g tank in a matter of hours.

hth

 

[FDdragon]

I would also get rid of the filter. I have a 125gal and have about 150lbs of LR. plus all the rocks provide good hiding spots for my fishies and plenty of spots to put my corals.

 

[3dees]

I have a 120 gal. tank with 150 lbs. of live rock with a hob skimmer and no sump. I starting running a small canister a couple of months ago with some floss, carbon. and gfo. I clean it every other week and still have no nitrates. my phosphates are lower and my tank looks much cleaner.

 

[kenman345]

so I have a 56G with canister filter

I started with dry rock, and it's only been a few months. its a FOWLR setup.

My skimmer doesnt get skim yet really. I've broken it in for a while now but yet cannot seem to find a proper tuning to get it just right.

Any suggestions? How do I go about phasing out the canister filter if I may not have a strong bacteria population in the rocks and the skimmer isn't running properly.

 

[cloak]

For a FOWLR tank, I don't think you'll have any problems using the canister filter either, just as long as your cleaning the media on a regular basis. (sponges, carbon, GFO, etc)
Whether or not the canister filter does turn out to be a "nitrate factory," elevated nitrates don't seem to affect the fish the same way that they do the corals. You should be ok.

 

[fishchef]

We have a 125 Mixed Reef with a canister that has a 5 gal capacity. It runs at about 900 gph. Have had it set-up for about 7 years. Do I wish I had done a sump? I've never had a system with a sump. Yes, it does need cleaning bi-monthy or so. My hi-tech LFS friend is always amazed at my water quality. We don't get 0 NO3, but is that really necessary? Except for appearance and the ease of using the sump for equipment its a matter of choice. IMO

 

[ca1ore]

No functional difference between a 'canister' and a 'reactor' - latter can act as a mechanical filter and generate nitrate just like the former. Difference (other than canisters usually being self-powered) is the role they can play in SW versus FW. No real need for mechanical filtration in either, frankly; but even less so in SW, and certainly not inside a canister/reactor. As others have suggested, better used for carbon, GFO or even a biological/nitrate reducing media.

 

[Epizzle]

Thanks for the advice. I will be using the canister filter as a mock reactor with GFO and Carbon.

 

[wooden_reefer]

I currently have a 75 gallon fresh water tank that I wish to convert to a FOWLR tank. On the fresh water tank I am using a Eheim canister filter that works great. I would like to continue using the canister filter when I convert to a salt tank. What recommendations do you have regarding what type of media to use in the canister filter when I convert to a FOWLR tank? Thanks

A canister filter is often generally and uniformly too rich in O2 and hence denitrification is suppressed.

I like canister filter for QT of fish, even thou a HOT power box (cheaper) will do well also.

I would not sell a canister filter for very little; I'd use it in QT.

A CF can be used as a pump (to drive water thru UV, but a bypass is often needed to reduce flowrate thru UV except for a small CF and big UV)

 

[myofibroblast]

Would be interested to hear how the canister experience unfolds. I converted a 40g FW tank to a SW, still using the Fluval G3. Prefilter mechanical, TriEX (carbon, phos and nitrate binders in one cartridge) and live rock rubble in the biomedia trays.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Would be interested to hear how the canister experience unfolds. I converted a 40g FW tank to a SW, still using the Fluval G3. Prefilter mechanical, TriEX (carbon, phos and nitrate binders in one cartridge) and live rock rubble in the biomedia trays.

A FO tank can have high nitrate so a CF would work.