is canister filter ok?

[powerpoint]

i have a 50gallon tank with apprx 44pounds of live rock. I am using a eheim canister filter(old filter from my fresh water) and a aquamedic skimmer/filter, water from skimmer is poured onto a spinning spongy thing (not sure how to describe with).

i read somewhere on this forum the canister filter may not be a good idea as it may affect the biological filtration. So should i get rid of the canister?

[Olyoxenfree]

They work really nice (eheims) but it will not be enough circulation by itself. What kind of tank are you keeping? Reef? Semi-reef? Fish only with live rock? It all depends (everyone has an opinion) Even if you end up buying a refugium or something, you can always simply remove the media in the filter and use it as an extra power head. Most people will reccomend rinsing the sponge in the filter weekly and replacing carbon regularly... etc. Remember, ample amounts of live rock will seve as your primary bio-filter; in comparison to uber porous live rock teeming with life and more bacterial colonies than stars in the sky.... a little sponge doesn't seem like much does it!

[powerpoint]

i just got a pump to help circulate the water, i'm planning to get 1 blue tang, 2 clowns, and a gobby when the tank stabilises (another 4months at least), and some plants and things, at the moment i have a domino damsel and an anemone.

[Olyoxenfree]

Have you done alot of research? I mean, I hope you have a good plan for keeping a marine aquarium: Some people may argue a blue tang needs at least 75-90 gallons of water, and you may have to upgrade. I moved to marine aquariums from freshwater and my biggest tip is: always bigger. In a freshwater aquarium where you could get by with a small whisper filter in salt water you need the biggest you can find! In freshwater where a filter would provide plenty of aeration; in salt you need powerheads and oversized filters!

here is a link: http://www.3reef.com/cgi-bin/yabb/Ya...num=1109378758

[powerpoint]

thanks, that really helped. Knowing that, i'll take my time and research more carefully. Just getting caught up in the hype of a new tank.
=)