Hello reefers, today I have done some filtration research and I do want a mostly natural reef although a canister can save me a bit of money from reacters pumps etc, so who here uses canisters? I know people use them for reacters which is partly what I am doing for some carbon and some bio media now when people refer to canisters as nitrate factories, why.? Wouldn't it depend on your schedule and media? I know people in the real word don't switch filter socks everyday. What if you have biohome ultimate and you change a filter pad every week? I know canister filters are inconvenient but lets refer to the fluval fx series. Ease of access and you can even drain the water from the inside. I know other canisters are more inconvenient but can't people with smaller tanks or have no room for a sump have a canister, I feel like there is far to much shaming on canisters. I have used a crappy Aqua Zonic Aquapro 800 on my 40 gallon and my phosphates and nitrates are very low and I service every month and a half. Also canisters are much less prone to failing like for a sump you have a pump, overflow, pipes etc. For larger aquariums I do believe you need a sump because it will be cheaper and yes, servicing a canister to some 'Energy Efficient' reefers is a no-no and that's fine but I am also like that. I have no room in my cabinet for a sump but I can put a cansiter filter on the outside of my cabinet and it will not look that ugly. Now yes, sumps do have two major pros, more water volume and equipment hiding, but I realised that if you just get a Hang on Fuge you can have a fuge and put some equipment in there. Also, for someone who doesn't want to calculate measurements, spend a bunch of money on piping and drilling overflows, a canister is still doing its job, the job isn't a bunch of fancy features and equipment, its reliable filtration, there are tech junkies out there and this may not be for you but the things any filtration needs to do more Important than anything is-
Get Rid of Floating Particulates
Biologically Filter out Ammonia,Nitrite,Nitrate and Phosphate (Last two not fully and rock mainly does that.)
Make the Water Clear of Impurities, Toxins, Oders, etc. (This is carbon btw, I think you know. Lol)
Now sumps do all this and so do canisters, Yes in a canister you won't have all the room like a sump but you can still incorporate it. Now people are probably saying 'I don't want a Hang on Fuge or HOB Skimmers' and there are some low profile options that go in tank such as the Tunze DOC Comline skimmers which are black and small. Get rid of bacterial films on the surface and yes, they don't pull out all the skimmate in the world but it comes down to these facters: Small or Large, Less Chance of flood or Higher Chance of Flood. and for the Hang on Fuge, you can get a in-tank refugium or acclimation box for the macroalgae you so desire or if you want the reverse photoperiod for pH stablilty, get the aquifuge because the only part that goes in your water is the pump and the front of it is black and it has plenty of room in it for growth and you put a drawstring where the water enters the fuge for some mechanical filtration.
UV Sterilisers are useful additions to the reef tank and maybe use the big, bulky expensive ones on the return line on their sump, fair enough but the aqua ultraviolet Hang On uv sterlizers are good to! Low profile (To an extent) and does its job of what UV sterlizers do, just connect it to the outlet of your canister filter and if it doesn't fit, just find a low profile reliable pump to put in your hang on fuge or in the tank and it will pump water through the UV Sterilizer.
People like sumps because of their ablilty to add more water volume, why.? I am not sure on this one but I heard it was for coral toxins, CARBON! If you have a larger water volume it won't be able to add more anything and coral toxins will just build up more! Now writing this I just realised that it keeps things more stable but anything 30 or above keeps thing stable anyway, Yes swings in water chemistery will be worse and yes, I admit I cannot find anything to fight for this,.
Hope you reefers enjoyed my write up on canister filters
Happy Reefing,
Charlie
Get Rid of Floating Particulates
Biologically Filter out Ammonia,Nitrite,Nitrate and Phosphate (Last two not fully and rock mainly does that.)
Make the Water Clear of Impurities, Toxins, Oders, etc. (This is carbon btw, I think you know. Lol)
Now sumps do all this and so do canisters, Yes in a canister you won't have all the room like a sump but you can still incorporate it. Now people are probably saying 'I don't want a Hang on Fuge or HOB Skimmers' and there are some low profile options that go in tank such as the Tunze DOC Comline skimmers which are black and small. Get rid of bacterial films on the surface and yes, they don't pull out all the skimmate in the world but it comes down to these facters: Small or Large, Less Chance of flood or Higher Chance of Flood. and for the Hang on Fuge, you can get a in-tank refugium or acclimation box for the macroalgae you so desire or if you want the reverse photoperiod for pH stablilty, get the aquifuge because the only part that goes in your water is the pump and the front of it is black and it has plenty of room in it for growth and you put a drawstring where the water enters the fuge for some mechanical filtration.
UV Sterilisers are useful additions to the reef tank and maybe use the big, bulky expensive ones on the return line on their sump, fair enough but the aqua ultraviolet Hang On uv sterlizers are good to! Low profile (To an extent) and does its job of what UV sterlizers do, just connect it to the outlet of your canister filter and if it doesn't fit, just find a low profile reliable pump to put in your hang on fuge or in the tank and it will pump water through the UV Sterilizer.
People like sumps because of their ablilty to add more water volume, why.? I am not sure on this one but I heard it was for coral toxins, CARBON! If you have a larger water volume it won't be able to add more anything and coral toxins will just build up more! Now writing this I just realised that it keeps things more stable but anything 30 or above keeps thing stable anyway, Yes swings in water chemistery will be worse and yes, I admit I cannot find anything to fight for this,.
Hope you reefers enjoyed my write up on canister filters
Happy Reefing,
Charlie