Does A Cycled Tank Still Need A Cannister Filter

[GATECRASHER]

or can i stop using it?

i got 5" DSB and 33 kg lr. got one medium powerhead also. Can i remove my cannister filter?

[panlee]

I do not use canister filter for my marine tank as:

- I find it is troublesome to maintain

- I use other filter/method to keep water quality

- most good marine tank i see use sump instead of canister. LFS would advice you to get canister cos they sell them.

- canister filter is fine with immatured tank as it could aid the build up of needed bacteria but not when tank matured

Briefly, here is how I intend to keep my water quality:

- use DSB and LR for biological filter, help reduce nitrate build up

- use internal overflow for surface skimming, or else you can find layer of oil on your water surface

- use protein skimmer (as good as I can afford)

- use a sump tank to increase water volume

- build a refugium in the sump tank for nutrient export

- use calcium and carbonate buffer

- drip kalkwasser

- water top up to cover loss due to evoporation

When your tank is cycling, you watch out for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

After that you watch for pH, dkH and calcium. I am assuming coral tank. Fish only tank less demanding.

I don't even have any mechanical filter except one cotton I use to filter overflow food. If I were you I would drop the canister and build a sump instead.

[GATECRASHER]

my tank got no holes for sump ler and I box not available at my place wor

[khengguan]

For fish only tank, less demanding mean ? once the water matured i can omitted

to take the PH, dKH and calcuim. ur opinion plse. (panlee)

[panlee]

One area I can think of for fish only tank...you do not have calcium demanding coral/clams... but not very sure if there is still need to maintain...any expert around pls help I just learn all I know from forums, mainly reef tank requirement.... and this link got alot of good reference reading http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb...eb2003/chem.htm... hope this helps...

[terryansimon]

I do not use canister filter for my marine tank as:

- I find it is troublesome to maintain

- I use other filter/method to keep water quality

- most good marine tank i see use sump instead of canister. LFS would advice you to get canister cos they sell them.

- canister filter is fine with immatured tank as it could aid the build up of needed bacteria but not when tank matured

hmm. mind telling me why the need for so much maintenance for a canister filter? and why is it classified as a tank for nitrate breeding ground? looks like the physics of saltwater and freshwater are totally different, coz I don't read *either that or I haven't read. hehz* about canister filters becoming weapons of mass destruction for your fish tank.

[Kalib]

Think for fish only tanks other thing which you should note is pH.

[Clownfish]

hmm. mind telling me why the need for so much maintenance for a canister filter? and why is it classified as a tank for nitrate breeding ground? looks like the physics of saltwater and freshwater are totally different, coz I don't read *either that or I haven't read. hehz* about canister filters becoming weapons of mass destruction for your fish tank.

Imagine every week u have to disconnect everything to pry open the canister to change the filter wool....

then after which u hav to start the canister going agian... which is a lot of job....

[terryansimon]

EVERY WEEK?!

you mean the filter wool will become dirty that fast? but how come? I thought those things were made to last for up to two/three months?

[oshkosh]

One area I can think of for fish only tank...you do not have calcium demanding coral/clams... but not very sure if there is still need to maintain...any expert around pls help I just learn all I know from forums, mainly reef tank requirement.... and this link got alot of good reference reading http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb...eb2003/chem.htm... hope this helps...

That's right. You do not need to worry about dKH and Calcium in a fish only system.

If you keep inverts like shrimps and corals, you will need to consider elements like calcium and iodine.

Keeping a fish only system in a mature tank is relatively work free, I could even get by without testing my water for weeks, (even for pH), just make sure to clean the filters often.