Canister filter question

[Greef_in_the_Reef]

I recently picked up two tanks, a 55 gallon and a 40 gallon as a sump. They guy I bought it off gave me a canister filter with the soon to be sump. My question is instead of just tossing it out, would it be a viable alternative to a reactor? I figure I can put carbon,GFO, and some bio balls. What’s your thoughts?

 

[mjlash22]

Typically with canister filter usage, people don't have a sump. Is your plan to just place the unit into the sump and use that as your return into the main display? I don't really see a problem with it if it ends up doing what you want it to.

 

[SDReefer]

Canister filters are notorious for being detritus traps. Though technically possible, the 40 gallon sump should do everything you need it to do. You would have to clean the canister filter out 1-2 times a week if you decide to go with it.

 

[Greef_in_the_Reef]

I would like to use it in conjunction with the sump, setup to the sump. Mainly I’d like to use it as a GFO and Carbon reactor.

 

[Mandelstam]

I'm somewhat confused. I hear people say how canister filters are not the same as reactors and they are just detritus traps and should never be used in reefing.

But how are they really any different from reactors? Except of course the fact that reactors don't come with a built in feed pump.

What's the big difference I'm not seeing?

Just did a quick google image search for comparison:

Reactor:

Canister filter (never mind the filter material):

 

[SDReefer]

The main difference between them would be that the canister filter contains dense media, and would trap detritus if hooked up directly to the display tank. However, if you are using filter socks, the canister filter should not trap that much detritus. I guess that it is possible if you use a filter sock upstream of the intake and clean it often.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm somewhat confused. I hear people say how canister filters are not the same as reactors and they are just detritus traps and should never be used in reefing.

But how are they really any different from reactors? Except of course the fact that reactors don't come with a built in feed pump.

What's the big difference I'm not seeing?

Just did a quick google image search for comparison:

Reactor:

Canister filter (never mind the filter material):

You sir, are correct.

But they do need to be cleaned. IMO , the mistake most make with a can is treating it like a FW can.

For the op, yea it’s fine , but not a need. A bag of carbon near or on the return pump is often fine. IMO if it adds clutter to the set up I’d avoid it. But keepnthe thing in the garage like I do. It great for emergencies and for tank cleaning and re aqua scaping. Etc.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The main difference between them would be that the canister filter contains dense media, and would trap detritus if hooked up directly to the display tank. However, if you are using filter socks, the canister filter should not trap that much detritus. I guess that it is possible if you use a filter sock upstream of the intake and clean it often.

One can change the media. The ceramics balls etc are for fresh water IMO , as we don’t need them typically as we use Rock to house the bacteria.

 

[jd371]

For the op, yea it’s fine , but not a need. A bag of carbon near or on the return pump is often fine. IMO if it adds clutter to the set up I’d avoid it. But keepnthe thing in the garage like I do. It great for emergencies and for tank cleaning and re aqua scaping. Etc.

I bought a canister filter when I first started 2.5 years ago with the intent of using it on my 75g. But, after some research I opted to go with a sump instead. I never sold the canister filter because I figured that I would use it somehow down the road. Last spring I had a Dino outbreak so I broke out the canister filter and the UV that was in storage ( removed from set up because of space issues) and hooked them up temporarily. I didn't put any media in the canister filter it was just used to pump water through the UV. Within a few weeks the Dino was gone and I broke down the Canister/UV set up and put it away. I can have this quickly set up in minutes when needed.

 

[EmdeReef]

Back in the days, I used to have a canister filter on a 29g saltwater in my college dorm...for whatever reason we weren't allowed a sump...go figure someone thought to regulate reef tanks It worked fine but I had to clean the pre-filter at least weekly or it would clog, I also kept at least one compartment empty to give it more flow, I don't think it was a detritus trap.

I'd agree with @Mandelstam there's no difference if used as a Carbon/gfo reactor - except that you may waste some extra to fill a canister where a smaller reactor would suffice. I have to clean my BRS carbon reactor pretty much every 10 days.

 

[Greef_in_the_Reef]

I'm somewhat confused. I hear people say how canister filters are not the same as reactors and they are just detritus traps and should never be used in reefing.

But how are they really any different from reactors? Except of course the fact that reactors don't come with a built in feed pump.

What's the big difference I'm not seeing?

Just did a quick google image search for comparison:

Reactor:

Canister filter (never mind the filter material):

Thank you for the post. This is what I was getting at with my poorly worded question. I didn’t really see a difference between the two, besides cost and marketing.

Thanks guys for the info. I’m going to be setting up my tank in a month or so, and wanted to see if it’s worth keeping.

 

[Reef-junky]

I'm somewhat confused. I hear people say how canister filters are not the same as reactors and they are just detritus traps and should never be used in reefing.

But how are they really any different from reactors? Except of course the fact that reactors don't come with a built in feed pump.

What's the big difference I'm not seeing?

Just did a quick google image search for comparison:

Reactor:

Canister filter (never mind the filter material):

Can you tumble media in a canister?

 

[Greef_in_the_Reef]

Can you tumble media in a canister?

I don’t see why not it’s about space and flow to tumble . But I’d love to hear what others have to say.

 

[Reef-junky]

The amount of space a canister takes up vs a reactor. There's also the fact that you can't see in the canister vs a clear reactor. That would help with making sure things stay clean. Those would be the two main down falls to me.

 

[Reef-junky]

I don’t see why not it’s about space and flow to tumble . But I’d love to hear what others have to say.

Aren't canisters set up to hang media bags? Another concern I would have would be the amount of flow inside a canister. Is it enough to keep things from settling inside?

 

[Greef_in_the_Reef]

The amount of space a canister takes up vs a reactor. There's also the fact that you can't see in the canister vs a clear reactor. That would help with making sure things stay clean. Those would be the two main down falls to me.

I agree, something else I didn’t take into consideration.

 

[Mandelstam]

The amount of space a canister takes up vs a reactor. There's also the fact that you can't see in the canister vs a clear reactor. That would help with making sure things stay clean. Those would be the two main down falls to me.

Yea, for our application a normal reactor is a better choice in most cases. But I'm a firm believer in "use what you've got". And if I needed to run some carbon for instance I would probably rather use an old canister I had received as a bonus in a used tank buy than go out and buy a new reactor. I mean, a canister is basically a reactor with a built in pump. Not the first hand choice for reef keeping but it shouldn't be completely discarded either.

If I wanted to run a more permanent long term reactor I would probably try to switch over to a "normal" reactor though.

 

[Reef-junky]

I agree if I had space and a canister laying around I would probably use it. I would be worried about things settling inside the canister though. Not sure how much turbulence is inside one. If things settle inside the canister then that means you have to stay on top of cleaning it which to me would be more hassle then what it's worth. I suppose this could be over come with filter socks then again some people don't like those.

 

[Greef_in_the_Reef]

All, thanks for all the awesome feedback! I’m going to keep it and use it for my QT tank. I think it would serve best in that role.