Canister filter with a Skimmer?

[londontown2002]

I am converting from a canister filter to a sump with skimmer. Is there any benefit to using the canister filter in the sump? Is more filtering, better? Are there any adverse affects to using this method?

[Fenix]

Well I have no idea what you are trying to do but it doesint sound safe. Canisters are not supposed to be fully submerged, so you would not want to put it into a sump.

As far as filtering for a SW tank, all you really need is a good skimmer and LR.

[polcat_4u]

Personaly I would get rid of the canister filter. Especialy if you were going to run any media in it, they can trap nutrients and cause problems. Some folks do use them and put carbon in them. I just think it's another piece of gear to maintain. The sump and skimmer should work great for you.

[londontown2002]

Yeah, I know that, I wasn't going to submerge the canister, just the intake and output. Maybe I will be more percise next time.

[polcat_4u]

Yea, sometimes we read these things literally but at least we read them I didn't think you meant submerged. But still I would make my life simply and not use it.

[londontown2002]

Thanks, Someone told me that it will increase the nitrates in the water. Any truth?

[polcat_4u]

Yes, like I said if you run any media in it it will start trapping nutrients that turn to nitrates. Even if you run it empty, after a couple of weeks the bottom will have all kinds of crud in it. That means you have to clean it, and that's just another pain in the rear.

[Colefish]

Ditch the filter. It will wack your water conditions.

[goochs]

I use a canister because I don't have a sump and if I did I would still use the canister.. It is a great cleaner and if you need quick chemical or mechanical filtration.. it ready for it. I never have had a problem with high nitrates but I do clean the canister every month although the same bio stuff goes back into it. My nitrates have always been right around a 2 maybe 3 at tops and I have fish and inverts in the tank. I would like to have a sump but I only have a 20gal and figure it would be a waste. I also do not have a skimmer for I do a 10% water change a week anyway.
The bis thing is to not overfeed and let the rock and critters do their thing. I do have one heck of a lot of pods living in mt crushed coral which probably helps a great deal

[Ben CC]

Canisters can pull out a lot of bad stuff, and they give you a method for running carbon. They get dissed a lot on the boards because they do need periodic maintenance, but if you are willing to clean them every few weeks, go for it.

[dchao]

Yes, I have a canister too with activated carbon in it. carbon get rid of DOC which my protein skimmer missed, they do compliment to each other. Yes, I clean it every month and change the carbon in case in any DOC trapped in the carbon is released back into the tank.

Goochs, just wash the bio stuff in tap water, the chlorine will kill the bacteria off. Since you don't want it becoming a nitrate factory.

[Stevan]

Originally posted by londontown2002
Thanks, Someone told me that it will increase the nitrates in the water. Any truth?

They work well IF you keep it clean and don't use any pads etc and change the media often enuf.

[Key Of David]

I have a Eheim 2217 canister on my 55 gallon and it did spike my nitrates when it first cycled but now since the DSB has taken effect and the addition of live rock my nitrate levels have dropped back to zero. If I had to dose something or use carbon in the future I will use it but other than that i'm taking it off soon as I am comfortable in doing so (i cycled the tank with it).

[dchao]

londontown2002,

You might have a problem returning water from sump to the tank 20" above it due to the water pressure difference. Canisters are designed to siphon water from the tank and then return the water to the same water (which has same water pressure). You need to look at pumps that are designed with the correct head height for your setup.

All filters that contains some sort of media are designed to produce nitrate as the end result. Some are more efficient than the others. If you have a FO tank, the nitrate is less of a problem. If you have a reef tank, you want the nitrate as low as possible, so you've got to work on the (disolved organic carbons) DOC which is one of the starting substances which produces the nitrate. That's what a protein skimmer will do.

LR is less efficient in converting to nitrate which will give more time for the skimmer to extract the DOC, and LR also has denitrification bacteria inside to turn nitrate back into harmless nitrogen.

Therefore, it's not a good idea to use canister if you are going to setup a reef tank.