Canister

ILLBEEDAT · 03/01/2007, 08:48 PM

What is the best canister filter for 150gal reef / Just canister no refugium or wet and dry.

sir_dudeguy · 03/01/2007, 08:54 PM

NONE!

if its a reef tank, the only filtration you want is live rock. The ONLY thing i'd use a canister for is carbon, but you could use a smaller one for that.

For live rock, you'll need around 150 lbs of rock to filter the tank. Will it be expensive? Heck ya it will lol, but you wont get any of the problems that the canisters or wet/dry's or HOB filters can cause. Those can all build up nitrates very fast and very high...making a reef very difficult even w/simple corals.

If money is an issue, i'd get at least half base rock, or if you want to save even more but just take a few weeks longer, get all base rock. You can get the base rock from reeferrocks.com for around 2 bucks a pound (compaired to live rock at the stores being at least 5 bucks normally....at least in AZ) and sometimes you can find locals selling either live or base for dirt cheap too.

Base will turn live after a while. After it cycles, it is "live".

shavo · 03/01/2007, 08:55 PM

unless you want to be changing that filter weekly/biweekly i wouldn't use a canister on a reef app.

ILLBEEDAT · 03/01/2007, 08:58 PM

what about skimmers

sir_dudeguy · 03/01/2007, 09:04 PM

well a skimmer is not a source of filtration (breaking down amonia to nitrite, and nitrite to nitrate). A skimmer just pulls out crap from the water. Lots of stuff you cant even see in the water too. But on a reef that big, yes, you'll need one IMO. As for what brand, i cant help you cuz i've never dealt w/that large of a scale before

ILLBEEDAT · 03/01/2007, 09:04 PM

Im moving from a 55gal reef to a 150gal reef and really dont want to add a refugium or W&D have about 100lbs of LR now what should I add to this 150 to make a successful reef with-out those filters.

virginiadiver69 · 03/01/2007, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sir_dudeguy
well a skimmer is not a source of filtration

jmack · 03/01/2007, 09:40 PM

just my opinion but i tried going without a canister and my water clarity suffered...i use the canister for poly filters, carbon & micron filters. I have a big skimmer but it doesn't seem to have any impact on the water clarity.

IMAGINEER · 03/01/2007, 09:56 PM

get the Rena XP4 it will do great , but clean the filter once a week

oli5 · 03/01/2007, 10:02 PM

To answer what you asked, I suggest the Fluval Fx4 but take out all the bio balls and other biological filtration.

jmack · 03/01/2007, 10:19 PM

I have 2x Fluvals on my tank and it works great

sir_dudeguy · 03/01/2007, 10:39 PM

Quote:

To answer what you asked, I suggest the Fluval Fx4 but take out all the bio balls and other biological filtration.

at which point you just payed a bunch of money for a canister that's gonna be run empty (or with carbon). If you're gonna do that, why not just buy a cheaper HOB filter and use that to run carbon?

Quote:

just my opinion but i tried going without a canister and my water clarity suffered...i use the canister for poly filters, carbon & micron filters. I have a big skimmer but it doesn't seem to have any impact on the water clarity.

like i just said, you can run carbon in a cheaper HOB too. I'm not saying canisters suck...because if you can find a cheap one to run carbon, then go for it...but why spend top dollar to get a really good canister when you're just gonna use it to run carbon or whatever?

And may i ask why you dont want to add a refugium? (other than the fact that you wont have to build one in your sump if you got one?)

And since you've already got about 100lbs of rock, i'd just go and buy 50 lbs of dry base rock (again...reeferrocks.com has got tons of great reviews and they're cheaper than live rock) and in a month or 2 it will all be live rock.

sir_dudeguy · 03/01/2007, 10:43 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by sir_dudeguy

Not really sure what that meant, virginiadiver69....???

ILLBEEDAT · 03/04/2007, 11:11 AM

How about a hang on refugium will this do the job.

03/01/2007, 08:48 PM	#1
ILLBEEDAT Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 84	Canister What is the best canister filter for 150gal reef / Just canister no refugium or wet and dry.

03/01/2007, 08:54 PM	#2
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	NONE! if its a reef tank, the only filtration you want is live rock. The ONLY thing i'd use a canister for is carbon, but you could use a smaller one for that. For live rock, you'll need around 150 lbs of rock to filter the tank. Will it be expensive? Heck ya it will lol, but you wont get any of the problems that the canisters or wet/dry's or HOB filters can cause. Those can all build up nitrates very fast and very high...making a reef very difficult even w/simple corals. If money is an issue, i'd get at least half base rock, or if you want to save even more but just take a few weeks longer, get all base rock. You can get the base rock from reeferrocks.com for around 2 bucks a pound (compaired to live rock at the stores being at least 5 bucks normally....at least in AZ) and sometimes you can find locals selling either live or base for dirt cheap too. Base will turn live after a while. After it cycles, it is "live". __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

03/01/2007, 08:55 PM	#3
shavo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 6	i wouldn't unless you want to be changing that filter weekly/biweekly i wouldn't use a canister on a reef app.

03/01/2007, 09:04 PM	#5
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	well a skimmer is not a source of filtration (breaking down amonia to nitrite, and nitrite to nitrate). A skimmer just pulls out crap from the water. Lots of stuff you cant even see in the water too. But on a reef that big, yes, you'll need one IMO. As for what brand, i cant help you cuz i've never dealt w/that large of a scale before __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

03/01/2007, 09:56 PM	#9
IMAGINEER Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: ORLANDO/CHARLOTTE Posts: 190	get the Rena XP4 it will do great , but clean the filter once a week __________________ LORD OF THE EEL !!

03/01/2007, 08:58 PM	#4
ILLBEEDAT Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 84	what about skimmers

03/01/2007, 09:40 PM	#8
jmack Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: NV Posts: 1,060	just my opinion but i tried going without a canister and my water clarity suffered...i use the canister for poly filters, carbon & micron filters. I have a big skimmer but it doesn't seem to have any impact on the water clarity.

03/01/2007, 10:02 PM	#10
oli5 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 369	To answer what you asked, I suggest the Fluval Fx4 but take out all the bio balls and other biological filtration. __________________ I think therefor I am Current Tank Info: 75g mixed reef, 20g FW, 5g QT

03/01/2007, 10:19 PM	#11
jmack Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: NV Posts: 1,060	I have 2x Fluvals on my tank and it works great

03/04/2007, 11:11 AM	#14
ILLBEEDAT Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 84	How about a hang on refugium will this do the job.