Canister Filters?

[Kasey Grohowski]

Just wondering if anyone still runs a canister filter for added filtration, or if they are obsolete.

 

[sfin52]

Just wondering if anyone still runs a canister filter for added filtration, or if they are obsolete.

I use the fluval fx4

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

I use the fluval fx4

As your main filtration?

 

[sfin52]

As your main filtration?

Yes

 

[ReefRy]

Hydor 650 here, and yes, as main filtration. Supplemental CPR Aquafuge 2 on the back of the tank to help with nitrates and phosphates. Reefing on a budget, lol.

 

[sfin52]

I also run a hob skimmer.

 

[Tiger Brown]

Yes, I run a Fluval as my main filtration on a 55 gallon tank. Many of us do, many will tell you they are nitrate factories to be avoided, that is hogwash. As long as you are diligent about cleaning/changing media they will serve you well.

 

[NorCal Reefer]

Same here. I run a fluval fx4 and a HOB skimmer on my 75 gal sps dominated tank. Don’t skip maintenance and you will be fine.

 

[Crossfire]

I use one as well- eheim pro 4+. It works great for mechanical filtration. It's also a great place to throw in some carbon or other media. The key is maintenance like the last post said. Keep it clean.

I use a protein skimmer as well.

 

[Peace River]

I will add to the “don’t skip the maintenance” theme.

 

[brandon429]

The issue is this: they're aerobic. Sole function is ammonia filtration, these filters add oxygen competing bac to a system that runs fine without them. Your ammonia is zero with or without them

Why use them in reefing, then? Sole target of all high surface area aerobic filters is ammonia, solely. Your tank handles all ammonia the same, without them, and in a power outage these become a concentrated liability.

Oxygenation=same as above, not running low on o2, and you're adding oxygen competing bac that take it from your system.

The only time these filters are used accurately is in the presence of such bioload that free ammonia results without them

Additionally, using them as GFO or biopellet reactors or carbon filtration is legit, since the target isn't ammonia which was fine when cycling completed with or without extra surface area added after. Carbon filtration for water clarity/legit use. Must keep clean of detritus to retain benefits.

They’re totally unharmful to use. Any tank here can connect three extra canister filters and it will not harm anything at all. Measurable params remain same with zero or with three running

*the fact you can instantly remove an aerobic filter (or sandbed ) immediately in a reef tank and nothing is lacking regarding filtration surface area is a neat way to measure their redundancy.