Canister Filter Suggestions?

Thank you but I still have 1 question . I don't want an overflow tank. I want it to be completely clean looking. how do i get water from the tank into the sump without an overflow?

 

http://www.3reef.com/forums/show-of...hos-dual-10g-mantis-tank-mr-fister-69077.html

just thought I would attach this Mantis tank thread for Kashoub's interest

Steve

 

Anybody wanna explain my previous question?

 

you cant. you NEED an overflow. If you really want to avoid a sump, get a hang on the back fuge (which u probably wont want either since u dont want the overflow box oranything on the back) and u CAN run a skimmer and a canister as long as u clean it regularly. if you know ur not going to slack on the cleaning then its not going to be a problem. I recommend Fluvals. customer service on them is AWESOME.

 

Ok, so this just about explains my experience with using a canister filter. I've been running one on my 29g mixed reef system for what will be a full year next month. I've had a sump based system on a 55g before this so I have experience with both and I would say I prefer the canister filter on smaller tanks.

I've read claims all over the internet about the constant maintenance that these filters require. So out of fear I started out obsessively cleaning my filter head-to-toe weekly. This was not fun as it was advertised. Then I decided to experiment myself and see how long it really took for this thing to become the nitrate factory that it has rap to be. So with no cleaning it took about 7 weeks to detect 5ppm of nitrates. From this marker I've decided that there was no need to clean this type of filter weekly like what I've read, but opted for a monthly cleaning routine which simply consists of me dumping the water from inside the canister, rinsing the sponges, bi-media and changing the carbon and phosphate removers. This process takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Not a big deal (to me).

My system does not register any nitrates. However I do run a AquaC HOB skimmer with my canister. I did do this no cleaning test before I had the skimmer though. The poster I quoted already pointed out all the pluses that canisters provide so I won't re-list that info. I'm not sure if I would use a canister filter on anything larger than 40g or so, but for smaller tanks I do see them as the burden that they are made out to be.

 

The only issue i see with this, and what people don't tend to understand, is your liverock absorbs some of the phosphates that's created from your dirty cannister filter. This is what makes LR such a great filter. It can only absorb so much untill it starts to leach back into the column. This is where problems come into play. You can run a system like that for a while and be fine and then eventually you'll be posting the dreaded "I have green hair algae" post.

 

I would only like to add to this thread with the following
I run a 70, without a sump, without a fuge, and also maintain 0 Nitrates ( purigen/ carbon /phosphate remover in a Fluval cannister)

I have the Deltec
I have 42 x tank volume in flow
I have about 1/3 by volume of the tank with live rock ( cant recall the weight it was 2 years ago)

I have had success in tanks in UK previously using cannister filters with sintered glass media for biological filtration

and IMO as long as you maintain the 1st tray where the heavy/ larger stuff is collected

you can achieve consitent good water quality

there may well be better ways - true

but cannister filters can be effective IMO

Steve

 

This is why my top 2 trays are loaded with 1L of Matrix. This allows to load more equivalent bio-media than I could physically do with just LR in the DT. Coupled that with adding the phosphate remover of your choice without the need to purchase a reactor you can maintain good water quality. Now I do agree this could all go south if the hobbyist neglects regular maintenance, which in my experience is required monthly.