Penn Plax 1000 Canister Filter Help

[Kupp]

I had a couple questions about my Penn plax 1000 canister filter.

I have the course sponge in the bottom basket, then bio floss with the media that came with the filter on top of the floss in the middle basket and then bio floss with chemi pure media on top of that in the top basket. I have bio rings that I would like to add but it says they need to go towards the top. Is it ok to put media on top of the course sponge? Also, do I need bio floss in both of the top baskets? Is the media supposed to go on top of the bio floss or below the bio floss?

 

[Sk8r]

Your rock and sand should be your main media. Having a filter at all can be a problem for some types of tanks, because first there's a lot of food in the water, then you clean the filter and there's none. Also a filter can serve as a nitrate factory, which corals don't like.

Give us more particulars on the size of your tank, your lighting, and what rock and sand you have and what types of marine life you're intending to keep.

 

[Kupp]

I have a 55 gallon tank and have quite a bit of live rock in the tank. I have about a 2-3 inch layer of Nature's Ocean Bio Activ Live Aragonite Aquarium Sand- Pink Reef Sand for my bed. Right now I have a couple emerald crabs, couple hermit crabs, 4 snails, a sand conch, a yellow watchman goby and a pearlscale butterflyfish. I don't plan on doing corals, but do plan on adding 2 clowns, a basslet and then a fire angel last as I read it was good to add them after others have established themselves so he doesn't boss them around.

 

[Kupp]

I am having a little trouble with ammonia and nitrate right now. I have added a protein skimmer and been using AmGuard. It is a fairly new tank so have heard this is normal. It doesn't seem to be bothering the fish much if at all.

 

[Sk8r]

The pearlscale is a delicate fish. It would have been better to add it amnog the last, after several months. I take it you have no sump. Your tank is good-sized, and is not going to be as fragile as a smaller tank, but I take it that instead of a return pump, you have a pump-filter? ---If you could get the filter out of the picture altogether you would have a far easier time. If you have an ammonia reading, it will be trouble for all your fish. Get them ASAP to a quarantine tank with clean water with zero ammonia, zero nitrate and a circulation pump, or I fear you will lose them soon. The inverts will likely survive it. But the fish, not so much. Your tank is not cycled yet if you are seeing ammonia.

 

[Kupp]

The filter does have an intake and an out flow. The ammonia is very low and I have been doing 10% water changes every week since I noticed something going on. My wave maker went out before this happened as well, so wondering if that played a part and it wasn't getting enough circulation. I have a new wave maker on the way and as I said added the protein skimmer which is helping with circulation as well.

 

[Sk8r]

If you can possibly organize a 30 gallon sump, even a 10, your life will be much easier. Just get the fish out to a bare glass tank, maintain circulation in the main tank but keep feeding it. Meanwhile maintain the fish in qt. When the ammonia-eating bacteria have increased enough the tank will cycle and be safe for the fish.