Bye Bye Skimmer, Hello Canister Filter
- Thread starter waltercat
- Start date
- Location
- Queens
Hey, glad to see another cannister user.. 
I'm running my 75 with an Eheim 2217 and an Eheim 2227 wet/dry.. I also have a HOB berlin turbo skimmer, turbo-twist uv, a DIY HOB fuge, about 100 pounds of LR and 100 pounds of LS and a couple of koralia 3's.. Tank has been up and running for about 8 months now with out a problem.. My bio-load includes a hippo tang, yellow tang, two clowns, two black clowns, 2 glider/sleeper gobies (which are amazing sand sifters), a borbonius anthias, a midas blenny, two skunk shrimp, and a six line, a bunch of hermits, snails and other inverts, 3 anemones, and a bunch of zoas, gsp, candy canes, brains, frogspawn, toadstools etc.. My nitrites, nitrates, amonia, and everything else is at 0. No problems at all here. =)
-Oh and the only vodka dosing I do is for myself.. Why should my fish get drunk when I could do it for them.. hehe
I'm running my 75 with an Eheim 2217 and an Eheim 2227 wet/dry.. I also have a HOB berlin turbo skimmer, turbo-twist uv, a DIY HOB fuge, about 100 pounds of LR and 100 pounds of LS and a couple of koralia 3's.. Tank has been up and running for about 8 months now with out a problem.. My bio-load includes a hippo tang, yellow tang, two clowns, two black clowns, 2 glider/sleeper gobies (which are amazing sand sifters), a borbonius anthias, a midas blenny, two skunk shrimp, and a six line, a bunch of hermits, snails and other inverts, 3 anemones, and a bunch of zoas, gsp, candy canes, brains, frogspawn, toadstools etc.. My nitrites, nitrates, amonia, and everything else is at 0. No problems at all here. =) -Oh and the only vodka dosing I do is for myself.. Why should my fish get drunk when I could do it for them.. hehe
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My tank totally crashed!
No I'm just kidding, there aren't any updates because the tank is doing just fine. I've been removing my filter every 2 weeks, dumping the water cleaning the pads thoroughly and then refilling with fresh saltwater. It hasn't affected any of my params. My tank is doing better than ever.
Why not keep the skimmer? Well few reasons:
1. I'm not convinced that skimmers are the only and best way to go with filtration. The only way I can effectively test a canister is by running it by itself.
2. I am moving in a week and the new setup (viewable on 3 sides) wasn't going to allow for a HOB skimmer. I don't have a sump so I wanted to investigate other options. Turns out I won't be setting it up as a 3 side viewable tank, but still won't put the skimmer and overflow box in so as to save space in the tank.
So far I still find dosing to be the biggest PITA. Changing the canister pads every 2 weeks takes about 30 minutes. Plus I do a little water change which ads up to about 10% a month. I'm not really big on water changes so I'm going to see if this suffices.
I've also been feeding my fish more and my algae levels are still going down. Coral growth is improving but that may be due to the fact that I started dosing Mg around the same time as the filter change.
One thing to note, since I am moving and then going on vacation for a week, I am going to be shutting down my canister and setting up the skimmer again while I am gone. I'm not familiar with my new electrical setup so I don't want to risk the chance of the power going out and then kicking back in with dirty canister filter water.
No I'm just kidding, there aren't any updates because the tank is doing just fine. I've been removing my filter every 2 weeks, dumping the water cleaning the pads thoroughly and then refilling with fresh saltwater. It hasn't affected any of my params. My tank is doing better than ever.
Why not keep the skimmer? Well few reasons:
1. I'm not convinced that skimmers are the only and best way to go with filtration. The only way I can effectively test a canister is by running it by itself.
2. I am moving in a week and the new setup (viewable on 3 sides) wasn't going to allow for a HOB skimmer. I don't have a sump so I wanted to investigate other options. Turns out I won't be setting it up as a 3 side viewable tank, but still won't put the skimmer and overflow box in so as to save space in the tank.
So far I still find dosing to be the biggest PITA. Changing the canister pads every 2 weeks takes about 30 minutes. Plus I do a little water change which ads up to about 10% a month. I'm not really big on water changes so I'm going to see if this suffices.
I've also been feeding my fish more and my algae levels are still going down. Coral growth is improving but that may be due to the fact that I started dosing Mg around the same time as the filter change.
One thing to note, since I am moving and then going on vacation for a week, I am going to be shutting down my canister and setting up the skimmer again while I am gone. I'm not familiar with my new electrical setup so I don't want to risk the chance of the power going out and then kicking back in with dirty canister filter water.
:lol2:
The canister idea is so good he is replacing it with a skimmer to reduce the chance of killing the whole tank..
- Location
- poughquag, ny
doesnt believe this, especially in a 75g with that many fish and type of fishHey, glad to see another cannister user..
- Location
- Queens
Don't mean to hig-jack the thread but I guess seeing is believing.. Here are some pictures for ya.. I tried to catch all the fish in one shot for you as well...
[Excuse the mess - Haven't had too much time to keep everything as it should be lately.]
I tried to catch all the fish in one shot for you as well...[Excuse the mess - Haven't had too much time to keep everything as it should be lately.]
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- Location
- poughquag, ny
wasnt doubting you had all the fish or what you were using for equipt, just with the type of equipt that you have, zero across the board on number's. what kits are you using nice looking tank btw
- Location
- Queens
I'm using the API test kits...
Eddie that's ballin. Glad to see Canister filters are being used.
While on the topic... I have a Canister filter that I think I am going to make into a denitrator. After some vigorous reading and looking at denitrator companies. The Fluval 304 I have has 3 trays I believe if not 4.
I was thinking of running Chemi-pure Elite in one Tray, d*nitrate media from SeaChem in one tray, and then Purigen in another. Anythoughts on this?
While on the topic... I have a Canister filter that I think I am going to make into a denitrator. After some vigorous reading and looking at denitrator companies. The Fluval 304 I have has 3 trays I believe if not 4.
I was thinking of running Chemi-pure Elite in one Tray, d*nitrate media from SeaChem in one tray, and then Purigen in another. Anythoughts on this?
- Location
- Queens
Thanks..
Hmm.. I run the cannisters with the media they come with.. However, what i do is I put other media in my HOB home made 'fuge.. What I put there is carbon and a phosphate remover.. Anyhow, I don't see why your idea wouldn't work.. In fact I think that's a great idea.. I would also consider adding some sort of "prefilter", course pad or stock media to one of the trays just to filter out some of the debris that's brought in by the filter itself.. Hope that makes sense.. Let me know how it goes..
- Location
- Philippines
So i just moved my tank and it was a pretty stressful experience which I hope has finally balanced out. It had nothing to do with my canister.
It was my xenia. While that stuff grows rapidly it also dies rapidly. I had it in a bucket on it's own and it started to die after about 3 hours in the bucket without circulation. I think it was just a chain reaction of die off cuz I kept it in the bucket overnight with circulation, but the damage was already done. I was able to salvage some so I think it will come back in a few months. But I forgot I had a couple of peppermint shrimp in there which I lost.
I think the rest of my tank is doing well, fish were back to normal last night eating and everything.
Anyways, due to the move and added agitation to the tank i have both my canister and skimmer running.
It was my xenia. While that stuff grows rapidly it also dies rapidly. I had it in a bucket on it's own and it started to die after about 3 hours in the bucket without circulation. I think it was just a chain reaction of die off cuz I kept it in the bucket overnight with circulation, but the damage was already done. I was able to salvage some so I think it will come back in a few months. But I forgot I had a couple of peppermint shrimp in there which I lost.
I think the rest of my tank is doing well, fish were back to normal last night eating and everything.
Anyways, due to the move and added agitation to the tank i have both my canister and skimmer running.
UPDATE, long overdue!
Hey everyone sorry been travelling alot in July.
Here's an update. I moved at the end of the month and it was not a smooth move at all. About half my xenia died and stressed out the tank. I ended up placing my tank against a wall (it just worked better in the room) and that allowed me to hook up my canister and my HOB skimmer.
After about a month the tank is doing stellar! It has never looked better and it is getting better day by day. I had an algae break out right after the move but that has died away very quickly. My maintenance is routine, right now I am only running mechanical filtration in the canister and still need to put in carbon. I am removing the canister every couple weeks, dumping the water completely and removing the fine floss that has gunk in it. Man is there alot of crap in that canister!
So between that and the skimmer (which has been working overtime from the move) things are great in my tank. The colors of my corals are getting brighter, coraline is growing nicely, algae is depleting, sandbed looks good.
As for the bet, I think it is kinda null at this point. The tank was doing fine before the move with just the canister, but since the move it got all messed up so I am running both. I've seen such good improvements in a short period that it would be stoopid to remove one or the other. I'll let my two betters chime in if they want, but I think it is wash. The canister isn't gonna hurt my tank, however I am running a HOB skimmer.
And for those of you who think my tank will crash in the future, I highly doubt it, that would only happen if I completely neglect it.
Here's an update. I moved at the end of the month and it was not a smooth move at all. About half my xenia died and stressed out the tank. I ended up placing my tank against a wall (it just worked better in the room) and that allowed me to hook up my canister and my HOB skimmer.
After about a month the tank is doing stellar! It has never looked better and it is getting better day by day. I had an algae break out right after the move but that has died away very quickly. My maintenance is routine, right now I am only running mechanical filtration in the canister and still need to put in carbon. I am removing the canister every couple weeks, dumping the water completely and removing the fine floss that has gunk in it. Man is there alot of crap in that canister!
So between that and the skimmer (which has been working overtime from the move) things are great in my tank. The colors of my corals are getting brighter, coraline is growing nicely, algae is depleting, sandbed looks good.
As for the bet, I think it is kinda null at this point. The tank was doing fine before the move with just the canister, but since the move it got all messed up so I am running both. I've seen such good improvements in a short period that it would be stoopid to remove one or the other. I'll let my two betters chime in if they want, but I think it is wash. The canister isn't gonna hurt my tank, however I am running a HOB skimmer.
And for those of you who think my tank will crash in the future, I highly doubt it, that would only happen if I completely neglect it.
AlohaTropics
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Long Island
I'm still curious to see what would have happened without the skimmer. Run it canister only for 6 months and see what happens!
- Location
- Queens
Hey Waltercat, awesome thread btw... Just wanted to chime in briefly.. Being a cannister/skimmer user I did a lot of research prior to setting up my tank.. I think the general consensus is that the cannister only set up will eventually lead your tank to crash and that the skimmer is necessary to prevent it from crashing. That being said I wouldn't advise running it for a prolonged period of time with only a cannister (for your fish's sake). :splitspin
I'm still not sure I understand why a canister by itself would lead to a tank crashing. If you blow the rocks periodically,clean the canister every 2 weeks and remove all the gunk, there is no way you can get buildup for a tank crash.
It seems like it could only crash with poor maintenance, which would happen with any setup. A skimmer would be more forgiving for poor maintenance, but in the long run i would assume a tank with just a skimmer would crash too.
Sorry I'm not going to be a guinea pig any longer. Things are just going too well and you don't mess with a good thing.
It seems like it could only crash with poor maintenance, which would happen with any setup. A skimmer would be more forgiving for poor maintenance, but in the long run i would assume a tank with just a skimmer would crash too.
Sorry I'm not going to be a guinea pig any longer. Things are just going too well and you don't mess with a good thing.
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