Canister Filters And Saltwater

[Kman]

I myself prefer the large sump method as I do a more natural tank setup. In the large sump you can do a productive refugium that takes care of all your filtration needs and supports the food web to feed fish and corals. But there are many options in this hobby.

 

[shamous113]

This hobby is 10% science and 90% witch craft. Theirs always more then one way to make it work. just an Idea do two large canisters (redundancy) and a above tank refuge that gravity feeds back to the main display, giving you a hope of maintaining a pod population.

 

[jeffopentax]

This hobby is 10% science and 90% witch craft. Theirs always more then one way to make it work. just an Idea do two large canisters (redundancy) and a above tank refuge that gravity feeds back to the main display, giving you a hope of maintaining a pod population.

Haha sure seems like it sometimes! Not sure about an above tank refuge. Don't think i'll have much space given the height of the tank and stand. I had plenty of pods in my 135g running a canister. Enough to sustain my large mandarin for about 3 months before I sold him. Must've been some witchcraft at work!


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[Kman]

Actually if people seen the way I run my tank with my complex ways of eyeball it, almost never test it, no skimmer with a really really heavy bio-load. With all the colorful SPS and corals and fast growth I would probably be accused of some sort of witchcraft or sorcery. lol

 

[AdInfinitum]

My 125 gallon ran for 10 years (fish, softies, nems) on a canister. No water changes, no media changes (just sponges and rock rubble...when the flow dropped off to nothing I'd rinse out the sponges...) I'd pull a 5 gallon pail full of Caulerpa out every few weeks. That was my extended "break" from the hobby...total neglect really but didn't lose any fish...(only had a few favorites in there) and nems were so happy they just grew and grew but never split...

FWIW...don't take this as a recommendation...lol

 

[bluewater]

You couldn't pay me to use a canister. This comes from decades of witnessing gaskets fail on all kinds of systems. Do yourself a favour and put those canisters inside a large sump to catch the leaks

 

[Nonuser]

if I had a tank that size, I would have one of those trough type containers for a sump, prolly plastic pond would work best. With sumps I love the water fall effect and the inability to adjust the flow rate to ever work consistently and how if you turn your return pump on feeding mode it messes with your skimmer. the open water and the need for an ATO. Its really the idea way to go.

 

[AdInfinitum]

if I had a tank that size, I would have one of those trough type containers for a sump, prolly plastic pond would work best. With sumps I love the water fall effect and the inability to adjust the flow rate to ever work consistently and how if you turn your return pump on feeding mode it messes with your skimmer. the open water and the need for an ATO. Its really the idea way to go.

I will be using a plant tank from an old Super Pets store 72x36 3/4" acrylic with water fall dividers. I think divided sumps are much better, even if you use internal containers to create modular divisions.

 

[TORX]

My 5cents. Acceptable levels is the difference. 10-20ppm nitrates is acceptable in a fish tank. Sometimes even a little higher. We typically aim for 2 or less in a reef tank. Filter media is a huge contributor to nitrates. Either clean them constantly, or just remove them from the system all together and pick a lower maintenance system...like a sump.

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[Alberych]

Hey Torx has higher than 20ppm ever been indicative of trouble for fish? I was under the impression that within sane levels nitrate had no effect on general vertebrate health. Whether it has an effect on aquarist enjoyment of course is another matter...

 

[TORX]

In a reef tank, Nitrates can inhibit coral growth, even kill some corals. Some thrive in higher nitrates, but higher in this case is 10ppm. They can also be a cause of some algae and feed dinos. Things react differently in salt water then fresh water. Even Ich is a different strain. That is why I always tell life long freshwater aquarist to forget everything fresh when doing a salt tank. It is just easier that way.

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[TORX]

There are dozens of other things that higher nitrates to in a reef tank.

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[Alberych]

Oh I misread what you were saying. I thought you were saying no higher than 20ppm for fish =D

 

[AdInfinitum]

LD 50 for most studied fish species is well into the thousands of ppm nitrate with no clinically discernible long term effects up to several hundred ppm. I have had many acros brightly coloured and growing rapidly in 100ppm nitrates however others gradually declined and montiporas would not tolerate even half that level. Just as there are some well known systems that thrive despite extremely high PO4 levels.

Very mature systems seem to be able to get away with water conditions that in theory should be intolerable to most things....there is still far more about our systems that we don't fully understand compared to what we do.

 

[jeffopentax]

So in a nutshell, canisters are good enough for fish, but not so much for corals and inverts?


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[TORX]

I would not recommend one in a reef tank. They work yes, but over all a sump can do everything a canister can do and more while doing all of that easier.

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[reef keeper]

For a 270 gallon you should be looking for 100-150 gallon sump.

 

[Pipes]

IMO,FWIW, do what want, and use this as an experiment to prove both sides wrong. Life is an educational experience. So to quote Magic School Bus. "Go ahead, make mistakes and get dirty" Just take pictures, and give details so we can follow along. I'm curious to see how well you do. So DO IT!

 

[jeffopentax]

IMO,FWIW, do what want, and use this as an experiment to prove both sides wrong. Life is an educational experience. So to quote Magic School Bus. "Go ahead, make mistakes and get dirty" Just take pictures, and give details so we can follow along. I'm curious to see how well you do. So DO IT!

I've gotta try it. I always encourage "I told you so!"s when i go against the grain and it doesn't work out


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[Pipes]

Go for it!