Canister for sps system?????

[reefbroao]

I am considering replacing water changes with running a canister 1 day a week. Any input on this. I would like to eliminate the instability of water changes on my sps system but I have not run a canister filter in a reef tank before. I would be using this maybe once a week with new filters each time to just polish and remove as much organic matter as possible.

I'm not sure how effective it will be I am just looking to find new ideas on how to make the water more stable. I know this will mean I'll have to dose alk/cal and trace elements but I'm not too worried about that.

I'm assuming It is not possible to completely eliminate water changes.

If this is all a bad idea feel free to share with me your plan for keeping water stable.

 

[Sapelo]

Given the low water volume of a canister filter, I dont know how running one is really going to help you.
Sure you might remove some detritus with a polishing pad, but you'd have to clean the whole thing after you run it or you'd just be giving the nasties a place to grow and flourish.
Water changes are a way of replacing spent water with new, fresh air (so to speak) and replace lots of trace bits our reefs...especially sips, need to thrive.
In general I dont think a canister filter has a place in a reef tank and other than possibly giving you a little more filtration, I dont know what it adds.
Dosing is entirely separate from the canister or water changes. Dosing relates to water testing and ensuring that you maintain your Ca, Alk and Mag in consistent (key here) levels as required by your coral.

If you are concerned about swings caused by water changes, you could do more frequent and smaller changes

 

[gone fishin]

Personally I don't think a canister filter can replace WC's. If your concerned about stability, there are many threads on doing daily automated WC's that may be of interest to you.

 

[Breadman03]

Canister for sps system?????

Another alternative would be to pick a salt mix with parameters that match what you want to maintain. You wouldn't get those parameter spikes during WC's and would then just dose to maintain those numbers.

 

[reefbroao]

I use coral pro and i don't even have to dose. my parameters stay good
nitrate-5 i have a dumb bioload and it never gets any lower.
phos- undetectable with a hi res elos kit
cal- 450
alk- 9
mag-1400


I had an idea that the canister wouldn't do much, but just an idea. I guess ill be doing smaller water changes and buying an extra heater for my water.