Canister Filter on Reef Tank

[ZoaLuke]

Hey, my brother and I recently set up a 100 gallon reef tank and have decided to go with a canister filter to save room as it is in a smaller and many people have said that it worked well for them. We've bought an eheim 2217 for the tank and I was just wondering if any of you guys have any tips or words of advice for us about your experiences. Also, my brother knows about 10x what i do in regards to saltwater tanks so if i sound like i dont have the knowledge to run a 100 gallon saltwater tank that'd be why.

Thanks,
Luke

 

[joseserrano]

It’s going to be tougher to maintain and cleaning that thing is a pain. You’ll also end up with a. Bunch of stuff hanging off the sides of the tank. Skimmer, reactors, uv,....

 

[Arabyps]

My canister filter (use in my fresh water tank) turned into a nitrate factory so I got rid of it. If you use it as a reactor, that is fine. As a filter it traps all kinds of stuff which needs to be cleaned frequently or it will really cause problems with your parameters. As a filter, NO. As a reactor, YES.

 

[K7BMG]

IMO
The canister filters work great.
Its the human being behind the canister filter that's the problem.
This is why they now have a negative attitude and are now frowned upon.

There is absolutely no difference between the canister filter of yesterday and the filter sock of today. Bar two things. TIME and EFFORT.
It takes time to turn of the canister, pull it out of the system properly clean it and reinstall.

Filter socks take seconds to change so are actually not as NEGLECTED.
The rule on filter socks on average to change them every three days.
This will never happen with a canister.

 

[ReefRy]

Ive been running an lps/ softie tank for about a year using a hydor canister filter. Theyre not as bad as some make them out to be, but I cant say I enjoy changing it every two weeks, either.

Be careful not to overstock and don't overfeed. You will fight nitrates and phosphates. Do your water changes regularly. I have a 75g and do 15g changes every two weeks, no exceptions. Change out your canister at the same time and break it all the way down. Be prepared to run chemical (charcoal and gfo), mechanical (filter flossx2), and biological if you so choose. Do all this regularly and you'll be fine.

 

[Jet915]

Canister filters can make a big mess if they leak....

 

[jrill]

Canister filters can make a big mess if they leak....

Which they almost never do.

 

[Arabyps]

Which they almost never do.

If you maintain them like #K78MG explains and required if you intend for them to be effective in saltwater (taking them apart every week to clean and reassemble) over time the risk they will leak is high. In a freshwater system, maintenance is much less frequent.

 

[highest_tides]

I have my first tank (running 7 months now) on a canister. It's a 50 gallon. I've found if I'm very consistent on my weekly routine it works very well. I stay stocked up on carbon and floss. I change the floss every 7 days and carbon every 14 with a full cleaning on the whole canister every 14 days.

 

[DaddyFish]

I run dual canister filters on all my saltwater DTs. I run them in series as matched pairs, or in series with one that has adjustable pump speed if they are not matched. Capacity is the key. Target filtration that's rated for at least 4x your tank size, using a large single or multiple canister filters. Lots of biomedia and include carbon.
It's all about routine maintenance once the system gets a few months under its belt.

 

[DaddyFish]

I just looked over the specs for the Eheim 2217 and IMHO you have about half the filter you need. Just not enough available volume to support a well-stocked 100-gal tank.

I would definitely recommend stepping up to the 1500XL if you want to stay in the Eheim Classic line.

 

[K7BMG]

I agree that canister filters do leak.
I agree that choosing to use one on a saltwater tanks requires more frequent maintenance.

But proper maintenance is total maintenance not just cleaning it.
So, you should have several spare seals or gaskets, they each should be removed cleaned, inspected, and replaced if needed.
The channels and or flat surfaces they seal on need to be clean as well with Q-tips or whatever.

Extra filter media such as sponges and whatever the filter uses should be on hand as well.
This way there is always a clean set to be exchanged.

All this is what should be done to the filter every week at the minimum.

Alas we humans will never have the time for proper canister filter maintenance alas the problems will be plentiful. But this is not the canister filters fault its a human one.

So we now have filter socks and roller mats. If its easy we do it if its not well..........

 

[DaddyFish]

Not trying to sway you or break the piggy bank, but if you want to consider another canister filter...
The removable Prefilter section of the Oase Biomaster makes it MUCH easier to clean every week.
I have six of them.

 

[DaddyFish]

@OP

Here's what I mean by doubling-up or running two in series. I primarily do it for the space reasons you mentioned.

 

[ZoaLuke]

I just looked over the specs for the Eheim 2217 and IMHO you have about half the filter you need. Just not enough available volume to support a well-stocked 100-gal tank.

I would definitely recommend stepping up to the 1500XL if you want to stay in the Eheim Classic line.

I actually currently have 2 eheim 2217 filters and i was planning to sell one. Would it be a better idea to keep both and use both of them or to upgrade to a larger one?
Thanks heaps

 

[ZoaLuke]

Not trying to sway you or break the piggy bank, but if you want to consider another canister filter...
The removable Prefilter section of the Oase Biomaster makes it MUCH easier to clean every week.
I have six of them.

Would you recomend doing this over running two eheim 2217 canister filters as this is another option as I have a spare one which i was planning on selling.
Thanks

 

[ZoaLuke]

I just looked over the specs for the Eheim 2217 and IMHO you have about half the filter you need. Just not enough available volume to support a well-stocked 100-gal tank.

I would definitely recommend stepping up to the 1500XL if you want to stay in the Eheim Classic line.

Also im currently using one eheim 2217 eheim filter on a 320 litre freshwater tank, however the only livestock is shrimp so im assuming this is enough for the tank right? Its been running for almost 2 months and everything is working well, thanks.

 

[DaddyFish]

Would you recomend doing this over running two eheim 2217 canister filters as this is another option as I have a spare one which i was planning on selling.
Thanks

I personally have no problem running two filters. You can do so in parallel, using two sets of plumbing. Or set them up in series as I typically do.
I find it most useful to set up one as the mechanical filtration, and use the second one for biological media and carbon.

 

[bob salzlein]

Ive been running an lps/ softie tank for about a year using a hydor canister filter. Theyre not as bad as some make them out to be, but I cant say I enjoy changing it every two weeks, either.

Be careful not to overstock and don't overfeed. You will fight nitrates and phosphates. Do your water changes regularly. I have a 75g and do 15g changes every two weeks, no exceptions. Change out your canister at the same time and break it all the way down. Be prepared to run chemical (charcoal and gfo), mechanical (filter flossx2), and biological if you so choose. Do all this regularly and you'll be fine.

Your probably cleaning it so often, because it might be overpacked with media. On cleaning the canister you want to be careful not to over clean and destroy the bacteria growing, this is a big reason why your levels go crazy. The Hydor Pro canisters are one of the best on the market and should not leak unless damaged, put together wrong or seals are dirty.

 

[CoastalTownLayabout]

Have a look at Tunze’s Comline range of filters and skimmers. Better compromise IMO, easier to maintain, advantage of surface skimming, relatively discreet against a black background.