canister filter

[JTL]

I would like to get a canister filter to use occasionally for various media, including GFO and carbon. Are the Bulk Reef Suppy model(s) ok or is there something else I should consider?

[Bonta]

Any would be fine. Some Canister Filter manufacters make their own brand of carbon that fits nicely with their models.

[HUNGER]

Originally Posted by Bonta

Any would be fine. Some Canister Filter manufacters make their own brand of carbon that fits nicely with their models.

i agree

[aaronnohren]

If you construct a good sump there should be no reason to have to use a canister.

[C3gear]

If you construct a good sump there should be no reason to have to use a canister.

I second this, if your sump is built correctly you can have all of the benefits of the filter and the added water volume.

[JTL]

I have a very well constructed sump. For the occasional use of carbon or GFO a sump alone is not the answer.

[Michael]

Theres nothing wrong with using a canister for running chemical filtration, im sure the model your asking about is a fine piece of equipment, bulk reef kit is usually decent enough.

[IslandCrow]

If you construct a good sump there should be no reason to have to use a canister.

I disagree with this statement. Although a canister filter is certainly not a necessity, there are things it can offer. First, it is probably the best way to use carbon due to the high flow rates. Although you can put carbon in a sump with a filter sock or something similar, it is not nearly as efficient as using it in a canister filter or some sort of reactor. Second, you can use a micron filter for water polishing, which can be helpful in getting crystal clear water. Most filter socks only go down to about 100 microns, while a canister filter provides plenty of flow to use filters as small as 1 micron.

I'm afraid I don't know much about the BRS canisters (I own a Magnum), but I hear all too often that canister filters are useless in a marine tank, and I'd really like to dispel that myth.

[WharfRat]

The nice thing about those filters is that you can adapt flow rates as needed to your situation. I'm going to be adding two of these to my system for GAC and GFO. The ones I'm going to be getting will have 3/4" ports though. The ones at BRS have 1/4" ports.

[Mike31154]

I use a Rena XP3 to run carbon, sumpless system. Works well. I like the simple square baskets. Run them all empty except the top one, with carbon bag.

[wickedfish]

O.K im going to tag along with this thread. I was planning to run the carbon for a week or 2. Will it effect any of the chemicals, as in calcium etc. Also my corals. I read somewhere it take alot of the nutrient's that corals etc thrive on. Is that true...Just some opinion's. My tank has been up 2 for 2 years now 120 gallon.

[dwculp]

Originally Posted by islandcrow

i disagree with this statement. Although a canister filter is certainly not a necessity, there are things it can offer. First, it is probably the best way to use carbon due to the high flow rates. Although you can put carbon in a sump with a filter sock or something similar, it is not nearly as efficient as using it in a canister filter or some sort of reactor. Second, you can use a micron filter for water polishing, which can be helpful in getting crystal clear water. Most filter socks only go down to about 100 microns, while a canister filter provides plenty of flow to use filters as small as 1 micron.

I'm afraid i don't know much about the brs canisters (i own a magnum), but i hear all too often that canister filters are useless in a marine tank, and i'd really like to dispel that myth.

+1

[sedor]

You could also use a reactor to achieve similar results...although it won't provide the "filtering" capabilities that a canister filter will.

[Frogmanx82]

I'm running my canister to remove nitrates. I have 6 inches of sand in the bottom, flow goes through the middle chamber via some cutouts where I have some live rock. The top section has biopellets.

[IslandCrow]

O.K im going to tag along with this thread. I was planning to run the carbon for a week or 2. Will it effect any of the chemicals, as in calcium etc. Also my corals. I read somewhere it take alot of the nutrient's that corals etc thrive on. Is that true...Just some opinion's. My tank has been up 2 for 2 years now 120 gallon.

Carbon should not have any significant effects on any nutrients your corals require. It's mainly organic compounds that bind to carbon, and though some inorganics will bind to it through processes I don't fully understand, it's really nothing to worry about. There are a lot of urban myths out there about carbon removing essential trace compounds from the water stream, but all of the chemistry experts I've heard from dismiss these claims.

I'm running my canister to remove nitrates. I have 6 inches of sand in the bottom, flow goes through the middle chamber via some cutouts where I have some live rock. The top section has biopellets.

I'm assuming you're expecting the 6 inches of sand to work as sort of a remote DSB to remove nitrates for you. I question how effective this would be. Unless you're running the water through your canister filter pretty slowly, I would think that entire 6" of sand is going to remain pretty well oxygenated, negating its effectiveness as a DSB. The biopellets probably aren't doing you any good, as they're simply converting ammonia and nitrite to nitrate. Reef tanks generally do not require any additional biofilters to perform this function, so the biomedia in your canister is probably superfluous. As for the live rock, unless you're using fairly large bits of rock, it probably doesn't have the anoxic regions for converting nitrate to nitrogen gas, so it's serving no more purpose than the biomedia.

[Frogmanx82]

Originally Posted by IslandCrow

Carbon should not have any significant effects on any nutrients your corals require. It's mainly organic compounds that bind to carbon, and though some inorganics will bind to it through processes I don't fully understand, it's really nothing to worry about. There are a lot of urban myths out there about carbon removing essential trace compounds from the water stream, but all of the chemistry experts I've heard from dismiss these claims.



I'm assuming you're expecting the 6 inches of sand to work as sort of a remote DSB to remove nitrates for you. I question how effective this would be. Unless you're running the water through your canister filter pretty slowly, I would think that entire 6" of sand is going to remain pretty well oxygenated, negating its effectiveness as a DSB. The biopellets probably aren't doing you any good, as they're simply converting ammonia and nitrite to nitrate. Reef tanks generally do not require any additional biofilters to perform this function, so the biomedia in your canister is probably superfluous. As for the live rock, unless you're using fairly large bits of rock, it probably doesn't have the anoxic regions for converting nitrate to nitrogen gas, so it's serving no more purpose than the biomedia.

Well, I have no flow through the sand bed at all. Flow is diverted through the center chamber after cutting it open. Biopellets are not bioballs. They are a biodegradeable carbon source that will support nitrate reducing bacteria. The live rock is probably too small for nitrate reduction, as I said, I mainly have it for the pods and worms to have someplace to go beside the sand. I don't mess with the canister without wearing gloves.

[IslandCrow]

Biopellets are not bioballs. They are a biodegradeable carbon source that will support nitrate reducing bacteria.

My mistake. It does sound like they serve a very similar purpose, though. And if you're not pushing water through the sandbed, I can see that as being effective at nitrate reduction to at least some extent.

[bonzanin]

I agree with bonta...

[BeachBumm]

I run a canister ( Fluval 405 ) on my 200 gal. with Carbon and GFO. It helps when my corals start wars with one another .No negative effects that I have seen and I have been doing it about a year .I have to change media on average every 2 weeks .

[gofor100]

started a similar thread a couple of days ago and this one seems to be getting more play... I'm tagging along.