Most seasoned canister users will place the following two products into the two chambers following the filter floss:. This is a synthetic filter media that is designed to absorb Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate compounds.
It also has an added benefit of polishing the water, similar to what Activated Carbon does. As the Purigen becomes exhausted it changes its color to dark blue and eventually black. The great benefit to this product is that you can recharge the media by removing it and washing it in a bleach and water solution. It comes in a bag which can be placed in a tray and will have to be disposed of once it is exhausted. The manufacturer recommends you change this out every months providing you have sized the amount of Chemi-Pure correctly.
You can now also get Chemi-Pure Elite which adds a Ferric Oxide material to the media to help reduce Phosphates and Silicates at the same time, but only lasts 4 months. The recommended usage is 1 unit for every 5 — 40 gallons. I highly recommend you add in a little media to greatly help with Biological Filtration. I mentioned that your rock will be your main biological filter, but if you have space left in your canister then I highly recommend MarinePure Biofilter Spheres!
MarinePure is a relatively new form of biological filter media. These are being installed in many aquarium sumps and canister filters to provide more surface area for bacteria to colonize.
If after getting your estimate and considering the other factors you are still not sure if your choice is a good one or not, it doesn't hurt to purchase a larger filter than you think you will need. You can never turn your tank water over too many times, but you can have a problem with not turning the water over enough because this can result in poor water quality.
A rate of six to 10 times per hour of tank water turnover time is recommended. There are many brands of canister filters on the market to choose from. Some of the most popular traditional canisters are Eheim, Fluval, and Magnum, just to name a few. No matter what brand you buy, each manufacturer has its distinctive characteristics in design, so doing your research on the different types is very important. Some are designed with special features, such as ones that use powder or diatomaceous earth to step the filtration up to very fine levels.
Robert Fenner says these types can be sub-classified as " pressurized filters " that can jack up your electric bill, so they are better used periodically rather than continually. The best way to figure out what kind of canister filter you need is to determine what function you want it to accomplish, then decide from there which kind you should buy.
Another factor that can contribute to a canister filter not running at top efficiency and slow the water flow rate is ignoring proper or regular cleaning of the unit. Here are some maintenance tips that will help prevent or lessen the further diminishing of a canister filter's water flow rate and operating efficiency. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Secondarily, especially in salt water, much of the interest in the first place is the diversity of life.
Try a sump and excellent 2x sized protien skimmer and watch health and diversity flourish. They are so expensive just wondering if there was another type you could use. All these types of filters will provide the necasarry biological, chemical, and mechanical filtration. In sump protein skimmers have more choices available, and are more consistant in their performance. You can certainly use sand as a substrate. Just be sure to add plenty of sifters to keep it turned over like gobies, sifterstars, nassarius or other burrowing snails and inverts to keep it turned over and aerated.
Alot of fish and inverts need a soft floor to sift through and will love it, but it can be a pain if you have alot of circulation equipment like powerheads or strong returns because it is very light.
Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Read other posts by Dave Acland. Dave Acland. Next: Species Profile: Anglerfish. Peter Cunningham October 14, at pm. Mike October 25, at pm. If the FX5 canister is not good because of the mechanical filters can I take them out and just put some live rock in it? If anybody has any advice on this matter that would be awesome. ChrisOaty Member. Canister filtration tends to eventually become a nitrate factory as much of the filtration becomes anaerobic.
Best thing you can do for any take is build a sump for it. It'll allow you to put away all of your equipment, add water volume to your system, and effectively separate your filtration from your display, meaning controlability. If you need help, theres tons of DIY sumps that include how-tos on plumbing. There's plenty of gurus on here that'd be more than willing to help you design something. SecretAgent Member. I ran Eheim canister filters for a couple of years with my two tanks I ran three on each, the 's, and ever since I took them off, my water hasnt been anywhere near as clear as when I had those on I just hated the cleaning of them monthly.
I wouldnt clean them more often because when I did, the water never stayed clear, but I found when cleaning them monthly, the water was always clear Now I have a sump on both but my water is just before being crystal clear.
BUt no matter, I still like the sumps better WAY better. SecretAgent, Did you ever have problems with nitrates? My FX5 keeps the water crystal clear and is dead silent which is great that is why I would hate to get rid of it. No issues whatsoever. I used carbon and the ceramic media that comes with them, and the pads. In fact, I hardly ever bought the white fine filter pads because I would rinse them out and reuse them for about 6m at a time.
I dont have nitrate issues with the sumps either Only downside to the canisters was seeing the green hoses hanging, but that was when the reef was still young and not much grown in to hide them.
I got the sumps because I wanted a refugium and didnt want to hang one on the tank. Just speaking for myself, I didnt dislike the canisters and they served me well, I would use them again if I had to Thank you for you input, that makes me feel a little better. Any idea why all of a sudden my nitrates are going up? I would think if you are just starting the tank, that would be a part of the cycle?
DaveK Well-Known Member. Can you keep a reef system using a canister filter? Yes you can, but you tend to have problems noted in some of the other posts. Mainly it tends to become a nitrate factory. Note that you have experienced a rise in nitrates, although there may be other sources. Your system is still new. To carry this a step further the question should be, is a canister filter the ideal filtration for a reef system?
To this I would say, no, it is not. There are a lot better alternatives. On a larger tank, I would recommend using a berlin type sump, with a large powerful skimmer, and optionally, a refugium.
You already have the live rock needed in the system. If you want to remain with a canister filter, it needs to be cleaned at least weekly to keep it from becoming a nitrate factory.
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