For those that have Canister Filters

[Bonta]

I have a canister filter that have 2 sponges and a BioMax media. Do I just rinse the sponges with tape water and leave the media alone ?


Thanks !

[danielsreef]

I had a Fluval 303 for over two years and had really good luck with it. I cleaned it once per month and I would rise the sponges in water taken out of the tank (not fresh water) and replace the media I used (Chemi Pure) every 3 months. I think rinsing the sponges in fresh water can damage some benficial bacteria.

[floridazooguy]

I would not rise it with fresh water I would use tank water.

[Aquarist007]

Originally Posted by Bonta

I have a canister filter that have 2 sponges and a BioMax media. Do I just rinse the sponges with tape water and leave the media alone ?


Thanks !

that is what you would do with a fresh water tank. You want the bacteria to stay on the sponges and other media to reduce nitrates. On the tanks I service I only remove the media every six months or if I notice a reduction in flow.

In salt water you do not want those bacteria to build up nitrates in the cannister filter or they could be imported back into the display tank.

I would suggest you take out the sponges and run the carbon media bags only for the cannisters(or you can bag your own for cheaper)
Change out the bags at least once a month or every three weeks.

The carbon will pressurized so it will do a better job at removing a group of organics that cause the water to yellow. At the same time there will not be other media to collect bacteria and nitrates

[Bonta]

Ooh thanks for the advice everyone. Its a Fluval 05 . I watched the video and said to replace part of the media so the bacteria will stay within it and see the rest. The Fluval has 4-5 compartments. I'm planning to add Carbon to one of them and keep the sponges.

Which one causes the nitrates ?

[Aquarist007]

Originally Posted by Bonta

Ooh thanks for the advice everyone. Its a Fluval 05 . I watched the video and said to replace part of the media so the bacteria will stay within it and see the rest. The Fluval has 4-5 compartments. I'm planning to add Carbon to one of them and keep the sponges.

Which one causes the nitrates ?

they both can---this is why I suggested you remove the sponges and keep the carbon---but change the carbon out every three weeks. By then it has lost its affectiveness and could have trapped nitrates etc.

[Bonta]

Thank you capn !

[Frogmanx82]

The idea of a canister for biological filtration is made pointless by having large amounts of live rock in the tank. You don't need any biological filtration in the canister. You should run chemical media in your canister and not use anything that requires rinsing with tank water in the first place. A thin sponge to protect the impeller from loose media can be fresh water rinsed. If you change out your filter at least monthly, you can get away with using some filter floss for mechanical cleaning and throw it out when you clean the filter.

[Aquarist007]

Originally Posted by Frogmanx82

The idea of a canister for biological filtration is made pointless by having large amounts of live rock in the tank. You don't need any biological filtration in the canister. You should run chemical media in your canister and not use anything that requires rinsing with tank water in the first place. A thin sponge to protect the impeller from loose media can be fresh water rinsed. If you change out your filter at least monthly, you can get away with using some filter floss for mechanical cleaning and throw it out when you clean the filter.

I believe I said that Frogman but you said it more eloquently

[Bonta]

Frogman what kind of media are you running ? And since we have the same brand could you post a picture of whats inside your Canister ?

Thank you !!

[Frogmanx82]

I have loaded the bottom 5 inches of the canister with sand and cut out the middle section to flow through a some rocks which are home to a large number of bristle worms and pods. The top section has a thin layer of filter floss, a layer of biopellets, and I cut the sponge to a thin layer to keep the biopellets in place. Before the biopellets I was using carbon. Now I have carbon and GFO in a tunze reef pack internal filter which is very easy to access and change.

Biopellets are a new thing that are supposed to support bacteria populations that eat the pellets and consume nitrates and phosphates. It is a similar principle to carbon dosing with vodka, vinegar or sugar. I'll have to see what effect they have. Currently my nitrates are non detectable with a Salifert test and phosphates are less than 0.01 on the Elos test.

[wooden_reefer]

If I were to use a canister filter in DT it will be a pump plus a neat way to use chemical filtration. I would not use it as a biological filter. It may be a good pump in the open loop, which does not need very high flow rate.

I will use a canister filter in the usual way in QT, with active biological filtration. The canister filter is a good filter in QT. As usual, the medium in it should be well-cycled.

[Aquarist007]

"Biopellets are a new thing that are supposed to support bacteria populations that eat the pellets and consume nitrates and phosphates. It is a similar principle to carbon dosing with vodka, vinegar or sugar. I'll have to see what effect they have. Currently my nitrates are non detectable with a Salifert test and phosphates are less than 0.01 on the Elos test. "

interesting---any links to references about biopellets

[phan10ms]

Hi guys, I'm coming from a planted tank. Lately I have been very interested in creating a 15 gal reef setup. I have a canister filter and I noticed that a lot of reef guys run an overflow setup. To my knowledge, reef guys gets oxygen introduced into the water through the overflow setup. How do you guys get oxygen into the tank for your livestock using a canister setup?

[Frogmanx82]

Protein skimmers help some but mainly surface agitation is all you need, not bubbles, so a power head or some flow directed upward at the surface is sufficient.