Filteration

[tomtom142]

Hi guys! Im new to salt water keeping and this will be my first tank! 30 gallons only a little set up and only 1 or 2 fosh will be added i have owned fresh water and tropical fish for about 6 years now and all my tanks are over 30 gallons if not they are 30 gallons! I mainly use fluval filters external would a fluval 206 external be sutable for a 30 gallon salt water tank as im not sure if the salt would effect the filter seals etc i want to avaoid a sump tank if highly possible

 

[Brew12]

Hi guys! Im new to salt water keeping and this will be my first tank! 30 gallons only a little set up and only 1 or 2 fosh will be added i have owned fresh water and tropical fish for about 6 years now and all my tanks are over 30 gallons if not they are 30 gallons! I mainly use fluval filters external would a fluval 206 external be sutable for a 30 gallon salt water tank as im not sure if the salt would effect the filter seals etc i want to avaoid a sump tank if highly possible

This filter is rated for saltwater usage but canister filters are not without their issues. They tend to cause nitrate issues if not cleaned multiple times per week. A sump also gives you a better way to supply make up water to handle evaporation. This isn't an issue with fresh water tanks but evaporation causes the salt water to become more concentrated. I have an Auto Top Off system that runs 5 to 8 times a day in my 120g system. You can make this work in a DT without a sump but it isn't as stable. Otherwise, you need to top off water manually every day.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Folks have successfully used similar filtration systems with success. What you will have to watch is that it's cleaned frequently so that it doesn't end up putting nitrates (and phosphates) back into your tank.

 

[David Mc]

How are canister filters any different from other filter media as far as nitrates go?

Isn't nitrate the end product of the ammonia/nitrogen cycle? We feed the fish and it eventually ends up in the water as nitrates, correct?

I seem to remember, we would use canister filters as additional filtration (carbon/floss) and leave the bacterial filtration (usually) to undergravel filters. Other than the maintenance differs it doesn't seem that much different than other filtration.

 

[Brew12]

How are canister filters any different from other filter media as far as nitrates go?

Isn't nitrate the end product of the ammonia/nitrogen cycle? We feed the fish and it eventually ends up in the water as nitrates, correct?

I seem to remember, we would use canister filters as additional filtration (carbon/floss) and leave the bacterial filtration (usually) to undergravel filters. Other than the maintenance differs it doesn't seem that much different than other filtration.

The issue is the mechanical filtration. The canister filter captures particles of "stuff" from the water. This stuff then continues to break down which leads to nitrates. People who run filter socks without changing them for a week or more see the same issue.

Food particles breaking down in an area that nothing (like snails or crabs) can consume them.