Waterbox 35 AIO canister upgrade.

[MelbReefer]

Hi All!

Been reefing for couple months now so definitely a newbie. Always loved upgrading and tinkering around my tank.

I am currently running a Waterbox 35G AIO with a Red Sea Nano Mat and Bubble Magus QQ2 skimmer. Currently stocked with 70% LPS and 30%Softies. Recently I thought of adding 2 x Fluval 407 canister filter (perfect for the space I have as theyre pretty slim) specifically dedicated for 1 bio and 1 mechanical filtration. Therefore I can DIY refugium to attach with the canister filter and a reactor to attach in the future.


So my question is:
Pros and Cons of the idea?

What to look out for and what equipment and techniques would you suggest?

Does having the nano mat and protein skimmer before entering the canister help in reducing chances of detritus and nutrient spikes inside the canister?

Since i am away from home a lot, would this help reduce the frequency of my water changes when im away? Im currently doing 10 - 15 % WC every week.


Thanks!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I don't get the idea of running one for bio... the rocks are the bio filter on a salt tank, nothing else is needed, google "the berlin method" for more info. Sure it will work for mechanical filtration but thats a very expensive option to just put a filter pad. Filter pads need to be changed frequently (at least weekly if not more often) or they can become the so-called nitrate factories. A canister does not reduce the need for water changes, as mentioned, the filter actually holds all the crap in it until you remove and clean it. A hob filter might be easier to manage for just mechanical filtration purpose, but it needs to be cleaned just as frequently. But neither a canister or a hob actually "exports" nutrients.

A skimmer is great, it exports dissolved organics from the system which will eventually turn into nitrate.

Detritus reduction comes from good flow in the tank, with good flow the detritus stays in the water so your filters can filter it, if the flow is too low, then detritus just falls to the bottom.

You can do a hob refugium, but IMO it is overkill on such a small tank.

 

[vlangel]

I really like my canister filter on my most current tank. I have kept reef tanks for 25+ years and have had sumped tanks with refugiums, tanks with HOB filters and now a tank with a canister.
I love the simplicity of a canister or HOB but the canister is much more quiet. I have not found it to be a nitrate factory, in fact I need to watch my nitrates to make sure that they do not get too low. I have rubble rock in my canister to create a cryptic biological zone and it only needs opened and rinsed once or twice a year. That is because it is an Oase BioMaster with a prefilter that can be maintained in 5 minutes without opening every couple of weeks. It is by far the easiest filter I have ever had to maintain. It also has an integrated heater so the display is not cluttered with equipment. There are many ways to keep a reef and I say to the OP, give it a try and see how it goes.