canister filter?

[bigcheese007]

I have a jebo 829 canister and I was wondering if anyone has replaced the filter media with live rock. Will this be a more effective filter with the live rock or should I leave the filter media in it. I also have a hang on bio wheel 350 filter. I am eventually going to upgrade to a sump w/ fuge, but will the filters suffice for now?

 

[1-9-06]

The canister filter would be better used for running carbon on occasion and as a powerhead but leave the filterpads in. the live rock is a popular idea for good reasons but the biowheel needs to go until you get the sump. i've never heard of any benefit from using this freshwater technology.

 

[REEF-n-Chicago]

Drop the biowheel! This only hurts the tank.

 

[billsreef]

How much live rock do you have in the tank?

 

[chaznsc]

i am not using one on mine

 

[aninjaatemyshoe]

I don't know if liverock is really a replacement for sponge/mechanical filtration. I don't think liverock should be used to trap detritus. It won't simply do the same job while avoiding the corresponding nitrate problems. If you want mechanical filtration, you need to clean it regularly. Liverock doesn't get around the problem.

Some other ideas:

-Keep everything in and only use it for cleaning out detritus and other crap that can build up, kinda like how you would use a siphon to take that stuff out. Clean between uses.

-Take out sponges, just use it for chemical media.

-Convert it into a sulphur denitrator. I won't get into the specifics here as it would take awhile, but there is plenty of info on RC about what they do and how to make one.

-Some canisters can be converted into refugiums, depends upon the design. Actually, the biowheel is probably better designed for this.

-Sell it.

 

[o.c.d.]

Ive been running a larg eheim canister for 6 years, with changing media a handfull at a time. Filter maintence every 4 to 6 months. I did install a gravity fed refugium 2 years ago,not by nescesity only for another project. I do have 500lbs liverock and deep sandbed. My tank runs well, I keep lots of zoathids,corlimorpharians,gargoinas,soft,lps, and sps. For sps its hard to keep acro but plating montipora needs propigation regularly also digitata,xenia,gagonia ect. many corals prosper in my tank and have made me enough money in trade that my wife has no more ammo. lots of people tell me its wrong but most of my fish are still from start up . You can run canister with little work . phosban and carbon ran through reactors, good skimmer, lots flow, 15% water change monthly no problem. works for me.