Porous rock rubble in canister filter?

20 gallon · 07/22/2014, 11:45 AM

I was thinking about adding porous rock to all 3 sections of my canister filter in hopes of it turning into "live rock" that would be able to complete the nitrogen cycle, by both nitrifying and denitrifying.

I currently have 500 grams of fluval biomax in my top section

I was thinking about adding the rock rubble to the other 2 sections of the filter with the filter pads on the bottom. I disconnect my canister filter and rinse all sections with water from canister when I do my water changes. I then dump the water from the canister filter and add new water to the canister which gives me an easy ~10% water change for my 20 gallon reef tank.

Does this sound like a good idea?

billdogg · 07/22/2014, 02:31 PM

Sure - as long as you stay on top of the maintenance. I had a fluval 405 on my 60g cube for well over 20 years. From the bottom up (direction of flow) it was black sponges (coarse/fine), carbon in a chemipure bag, LR rubble, LR rubble, and back to tank. It was a pod and mini brittle star factory.

scubadan206 · 07/23/2014, 02:12 PM

I have a similar model, but with the small UV light on top. I often run it on my 120 DT and then transfer it to my initial quarantine tank setup to jumpstart the cycle in the new tank. It's kind of like a cycled tank in a can.

Anything you can put in the chambers with lots of surface area will be beneficial to you. I cut to shape one of those ceramic blocks and put in the final chamber of the canister. Those blocks have like a million square feet surface area[exaggeration].

like everyone will tell you, yes, you can use them. Just make sure you keep up with maintaining them. Otherwise they will become the problem in your filtration, not the solution.

Daniel.

Hudzon · 07/24/2014, 08:21 AM

I think you would need to experiment as in my experience you need to match the two environments needed, one a low O2 and the other high O2 surface area and the flow through them. If you are producing more nitrate than is being converted to nitrogen then you need more anaerobic zone and the water needs more time in that zone.

ca1ore · 07/24/2014, 09:16 AM

I guess I would ask you why you think you need to do this? Do you have insufficient live rock in the actual tank? Are you looking to have the canister function as a way to handle nitrates? At the end of the day, its not going to do any harm as long as you clean it regularly. I run a canister of denitrate on my tank as a source of seeded media for my QT. I never found it to be effective at reducing nitrate but it is an excellent biomedia.

07/22/2014, 11:45 AM	#1
20 gallon Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 81	Porous rock rubble in canister filter? I was thinking about adding porous rock to all 3 sections of my canister filter in hopes of it turning into "live rock" that would be able to complete the nitrogen cycle, by both nitrifying and denitrifying. I currently have 500 grams of fluval biomax in my top section I was thinking about adding the rock rubble to the other 2 sections of the filter with the filter pads on the bottom. I disconnect my canister filter and rinse all sections with water from canister when I do my water changes. I then dump the water from the canister filter and add new water to the canister which gives me an easy ~10% water change for my 20 gallon reef tank. Does this sound like a good idea? __________________ 120 watt full spectrum chinese ebay led dimmed 50% \| ~ 800gph powerhead and cannisterfilter with cermaic biomedia \| reef octopus HOB 90 gallon 1 Birdsnest - 2 Ocellaris Clowns - 1 blue green chromis

07/22/2014, 02:31 PM	#2
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	Sure - as long as you stay on top of the maintenance. I had a fluval 405 on my 60g cube for well over 20 years. From the bottom up (direction of flow) it was black sponges (coarse/fine), carbon in a chemipure bag, LR rubble, LR rubble, and back to tank. It was a pod and mini brittle star factory. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

07/24/2014, 09:16 AM	#5
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	I guess I would ask you why you think you need to do this? Do you have insufficient live rock in the actual tank? Are you looking to have the canister function as a way to handle nitrates? At the end of the day, its not going to do any harm as long as you clean it regularly. I run a canister of denitrate on my tank as a source of seeded media for my QT. I never found it to be effective at reducing nitrate but it is an excellent biomedia. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

07/23/2014, 02:12 PM	#3
scubadan206 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Kenosha WI Posts: 985	I have a similar model, but with the small UV light on top. I often run it on my 120 DT and then transfer it to my initial quarantine tank setup to jumpstart the cycle in the new tank. It's kind of like a cycled tank in a can. Anything you can put in the chambers with lots of surface area will be beneficial to you. I cut to shape one of those ceramic blocks and put in the final chamber of the canister. Those blocks have like a million square feet surface area[exaggeration]. like everyone will tell you, yes, you can use them. Just make sure you keep up with maintaining them. Otherwise they will become the problem in your filtration, not the solution. Daniel.

07/24/2014, 08:21 AM	#4
Hudzon Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 267	I think you would need to experiment as in my experience you need to match the two environments needed, one a low O2 and the other high O2 surface area and the flow through them. If you are producing more nitrate than is being converted to nitrogen then you need more anaerobic zone and the water needs more time in that zone.