FX4 on 45 gal = Stupid?

[ExpatFish]

Saw a great sale on an FX4 filter from Fluval.

I only have a 45 gal tank but the filter I have (fluval 207) is at the top end of the range.

My logic is if I get an FX4, I can just turn it down but will have better filter action capacity / opportunity for future tank upgrades.

Is that a big mistake?

 

[homer1475]

Why even consider a canister filter?

Plenty of live rock, and water movement is all thats needed for a reef tank. I ran a tank with just live rock, power heads, and a heater in the tank for years.

This is not FW, all filtering capacity takes place in the surfaces of your display.

 

[laverda]

Canister filters generally are not the best way to go for a reef tank. They tend to produce lots of algae unless cleaned at least weekly. While they do a great job of removing stuff from the water column, it remains in the system and brakes down to nitrates and phosphates in the filter. If you are up to ringing out the filter media every 5 days or so with salt water it should work great. Most people let them go until the flow is diminished. Over time this allows nitrate and phosphate to build up in the rocks until you have a major algae issue. That said, you are unlikely to have too much filtration or flow with the second canister. Canister filters are best used for carbon and similar media on reef tanks.