Canister filter for reef?

[aquakj]

Hey guys so I have a 75 gallon reef tank I’m currently thinking of doing changes like hanging my viparspectra lights so it looks more clean, my tank consists of mainly soft corals and LPS, I am currently running 2 hang in the back filters 110 aqua clear and 70 aquaclear which looks so bulky ,i am not running anything else no skimmers no sump, unfortunately my tank stand doesn’t have enough space for a sump as there is a brace in the middle, if not I would definitely do a sump ,so I’m thinking of switching the hang on the back filters to a canister, Fluval fx6 reason is because I’m tired of how the hang on the back filters look but what do you guys think ???

 

[Tamberav]

Pretty tank!

I hate cleaning canisters lol I would run no mechanical filtration before I would use one on a reef tank just because of that. Definitely try and find and easy one to clean.

 

[ariellemermaid]

The canister filter debate can be found all over this site and YouTube. People use them and they work just fine, others feel like they’re nitrate factories, etc. I’m using a 7 series on 40 gallons; it’s a little difficult to clean which should be done regularly, but I don’t, because it’s a challenge. It’s just hard to not get water everywhere. I suppose it looks a little cleaner than 2 HOB’s, but you still have tubes coming over the back and into the tank. Also, I’m not super familiar with the FX6 but the other lines don’t have any surface skimming like your HOB’s may have. So for my model I had to buy an extra attachment to take care of the grease slick that forms on the top of the water. Just some things to keep in mind.

 

[A Young Reefer]

it is totally possible to use canister filters ,many people had great success using them .
However I think that cleaning them would be a pain .

 

[jt8791]

Not sure I would bother with a canister filter, hob filters look a bit bulky but easier to service and more useful. Run a decent prefilter on the intake and they stay fairly clean. Although I went to a finer mesh sponge and have to rinse them every other day. Either way hob filters give you more options.

Worst comes to worst you could always make hob fuges out of ac110s. Grow red ogo to feed the tangs, logical use for the filters. For the cost of a decent canister you could probably run ac filters across the whole back of the tank and maybe even lights for multiple fuges.

 

[Screwgunner]

I have had two canister filters and after cleaning and taking great care putting them back to gether right they always leak water . So, you take it apart again and put it together and you are good . So I have cleaned up alot of water using them . Just my 2 cents take it for what its worth.

 

[N.Sreefer]

A high quality canister isn't nearly as much of a pain as a cheap one, the fx series allows you to remove water through the canister without sucking on a tube. Even after adding a sump I kept mine because I hate getting tank water in my mouth. I went 4 months without cleaning my fx6 and it ran just fine it filled up with pineapple/encrusting sponges and stayed surprisingly clean.

 

[aws2266]

I’m running a canister filter on my 55g and haven’t had any issues with my ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate. That being said it’s a pain to perform any maintenance on it. If I were you I’d leave the hang-on filters or try to setup a sump somewhere.

 

[Uriken]

A couple things: 1st off - Nice tank setup. 2nd. - I have the ViparSpectra 165w LED's. Actually 2 sets over my tank. Those come with a nice hanging cables that are adjustable if you purchased them new. Definitely hang them. Yours is to close to the top of the water. There is varying information about what height to put them but I found between 10 & 12" off the surface of the water and you get a better spread of light. I also run my blues at 60% and whites at 5% and have SPS.
3rd - I have canister filters. I actually love them. I buy the various media pads that are impregnated with carbon, ammonia, and phosphate and cut them to size and shape and rotate them every week and a half to 2 weeks and so far the tank is doing well. The canister filter I purchased I actually found online and I believe Amazon sells it as well and it has a UV light built into. Its readily and easy to clean.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Get the FX6 if it will fit. They are great filters and easy to use. The fx canisters are built like tanks and I have yet have one leak on me ever.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

If you have one sitting around, might as well use it, it certainly won't do any harm, and it will provide some benefits. I would not buy one though. I don't know, your tank looks good, I'm not sure what the question was lol.

 

[Axemanian]

Hey guys so I have a 75 gallon reef tank I’m currently thinking of doing changes like hanging my viparspectra lights so it looks more clean, my tank consists of mainly soft corals and LPS, I am currently running 2 hang in the back filters 110 aqua clear and 70 aquaclear which looks so bulky ,i am not running anything else no skimmers no sump, unfortunately my tank stand doesn’t have enough space for a sump as there is a brace in the middle, if not I would definitely do a sump ,so I’m thinking of switching the hang on the back filters to a canister, Fluval fx6 reason is because I’m tired of how the hang on the back filters look but what do you guys think ???

I have an 80g mixed reef I run with an fx4 full of pond matrix and Chemipure Blue as well as an older 406 full of marinepure and more pond matrix…also employ a Tunze skimmer. (I also have no room for a sump). 18 months in and zero probs. Regular water changes, nitrates around 10, my corals are happy. Fx4 is a cinch to maintain And do water changes with..so yes it can be done!

 

[Idech]

I had an FX4 on my freshwater 75 gallons and it was a pain to do maintenance on. I kept it just in case but I really hate it.

For my 75 gallons saltwater tank, I bought a Tunze 3168 multifilter. It’s really as silent as can be and it looks great in the tank.

 

[McPuff]

The FX filters are definitely the way to go for canisters. You can turn off flow so it keeps siphon but also doesn't leak.

The biggest issue with canisters is the relative lack of ease to clean them. It's way more work than the AC filters. I'd say you should just continue to use those. I had a couple on a 150 years ago and they worked really well. But I did have a sump too...

 

[afrokobe]

Make sure you get a cannister filter with quick disconnects or add some yourself. Makes cleaning the cannister 100x easier.

 

[ariellemermaid]

The FX filters are definitely the way to go for canisters. You can turn off flow so it keeps siphon but also doesn't leak.

The fluval non-fx have this as well, at least some of the lines.

You know, all of this has me thinking about why my canister is so difficult to clean. The real reason is that my 7 series is in a different compartment from my electrical. So yeah the quick disconnect is great and would only drip a little initially. That’s not so bad. But because I can’t unplug it without re-routing the cord behind the tank I also have to remove the motor head in the compartment, and that’s what leaks the most. Plus the seal is tight and so removing it in the compartment and putting it back on also splashes water. Plus walking it to the sink without spilling becomes a challenge.

So the breakthrough this thread just gave me is an extension cord! That way I could just use the quick disconnect and take the whole sealed unit to a sink or bathtub for maintenance. That would be so much better. Now don’t get me wrong, there still are so many individual sponges and media trays to rinse, but doing that one thing will make my life a lot easier!

 

[Boomski]

The Oase Thermo canister filters have a built in heater and are wonderfully easy to maintain and keep clean. I'd also recommend a microalgae reactor like the Tunez which you can use the return line from the canister to run right to the reactor then to the tank.



A surface skimmer is a must but with clear acrylic and clear tubing you'll hardly see it.

 

[Chrisv.]

I've never really understood the anti canister filter line. When I started reefing, I was a teenager and I did what I read in Marine Fish Monthly magazine, which was hard line no canisters (many of them wanted wet dry! Ha!) But then came "carbon reactors" and "gfo reactors"... Canisters with only one chemical filtration media per chamber ... And we're using marine pure balls in high flow areas of the sump. Sounds like a PITA ad hoc reconstitution of canister filters to me. Not sure I get the difference. Couldn't one just run a canister with no foam/floss?

 

[CanuckReefer]

Hey guys so I have a 75 gallon reef tank I’m currently thinking of doing changes like hanging my viparspectra lights so it looks more clean, my tank consists of mainly soft corals and LPS, I am currently running 2 hang in the back filters 110 aqua clear and 70 aquaclear which looks so bulky ,i am not running anything else no skimmers no sump, unfortunately my tank stand doesn’t have enough space for a sump as there is a brace in the middle, if not I would definitely do a sump ,so I’m thinking of switching the hang on the back filters to a canister, Fluval fx6 reason is because I’m tired of how the hang on the back filters look but what do you guys think ???

You run a similar system to mine. No skimmer or sump on a 90. Used to run a cannister, years back and dumped it because I was to be frank too lazy to maintain it. Your ( and my ) rock does the heavy lifting. I also run an aquaclear hob but just one with some floss in it.
Tank looks brilliant, don't mess with it.... thats my take lol.

 

[adittam]

There was a question of the day thread about this not too long ago. I’m a huge proponent of canister filters, the key is cleaning them on a schedule. That is a lot more likely to happen if you find one that’s easy to clean. I love my Fluval 407 with a spray bar…complete tear down, clean, and back up and running in under 25 minutes.