Fluval fx6 mix reef? Anyone?

nanomania · Jun 2, 2016

Anyone running a mixed reef using fx6 only? I know the no3 etc... stuff.. so dont wana know about it.. jus want a review of some1 how is currently using fx6 for a mixed reef.. Though im plannin on jus softies and lps.

CodyRVA · Jun 2, 2016

The canister haters are coming...

nanomania · Jun 3, 2016

CodyRVA said:
The canister haters are coming...

Lol...[emoji12] but iv seen many beautiful canister tanks... also it helps keeping everything in one and saves space... here we go for 20 different things and 100z of wires hanging etc.. i guess monthly cleaning, kalk in ato and dosing mag manually weekly should be enough.. many like me have no extra space, id rather use some extra space for a qt. Looking for advice from people who do it successfully and maybe i can get some good ideas..

CodyRVA · Jun 3, 2016

I ran a 46G bow front with a Hydor canister with great results; softies, LPS, SPS, etc. I only cleaned the thing twice a month. I ended up transitioning to a larger reef ready system with a sump and the whole 9 yards and I absolutely spend more time changing and cleaning filter socks than I ever spent cleaning my canister.

nanomania · Jun 3, 2016

CodyRVA said:
I ran a 46G bow front with a Hydor canister with great results; softies, LPS, SPS, etc. I only cleaned the thing twice a month. I ended up transitioning to a larger reef ready system with a sump and the whole 9 yards and I absolutely spend more time changing and cleaning filter socks than I ever spent cleaning my canister.

True, my plan is to go for fx6 or eheim 1500xl, but eheim comes without media baskets nor media... so planned on fx6.. my plan is to make overflow on on corner of the tank and attach the intake there and outlet on opposite.. all i wana know is how the fx6 functions as looking at many videos, it has 2 pipes inside the canister, so i didnt understand how the water passes through the media and songes...

CodyRVA · Jun 3, 2016

I hear ya. Honestly, most of the media that comes with the canisters are kinda junk so idk if I would take that into consideration. One of the main reasons I had success with my Hydor was bc i used all sintered glass media with felt pads and nothing more. You could setup the fx6 in the same manner; can't speak on how the internals work on those. Check these links out...

Fluval fx6
Sintered Glass Media
Canister Setup Guide

nanomania · Jun 3, 2016

CodyRVA said:
I hear ya. Honestly, most of the media that comes with the canisters are kinda junk so idk if I would take that into consideration. One of the main reasons I had success with my Hydor was bc i used all sintered glass media with felt pads and nothing more. You could setup the fx6 in the same manner; can't speak on how the internals work on those. Check these links out...

Fluval fx6
Sintered Glass Media
Canister Setup Guide

Well for bacteria i feel best place is sand bed and liverocks.. i wana keep some of those media jus for a temperary qt setup or if i make a new setup. Though i doubt we get those glass media here in india.. i want to use the baskets for filter medias and sponges... i guess if we clean them monthly and replace the filter media, then i guess it should be enough. Also i have never understood the concept of a protein skimmer. I guess polishing pads would remove the same brown stuff that gets collected in the skimmer.. infact i doubt if pad would remove trace. I maybe wrong though..

CodyRVA · Jun 3, 2016

Live rock and sand will definitely hold much of your bacteria, but incorporating the additional filter media in your canister is a great place to populate massive amounts of beneficial bacteria. You should shop around and see if you can get some type of sintered glass over seas, the company i mention does usually deliver by mail so it might be possible? If you watch that canister filter setup guide video, he explains how you want to trap the detritus and waste in the bottom of the filter so it doesn't clog up your filter media in the upper trays. Polishing pads are going to remove very very fine particles, but a skimmer is a step above IMO. You don't have to have a skimmer, but i highly recommend it.

nanomania · Jun 4, 2016

CodyRVA said:
Live rock and sand will definitely hold much of your bacteria, but incorporating the additional filter media in your canister is a great place to populate massive amounts of beneficial bacteria. You should shop around and see if you can get some type of sintered glass over seas, the company i mention does usually deliver by mail so it might be possible? If you watch that canister filter setup guide video, he explains how you want to trap the detritus and waste in the bottom of the filter so it doesn't clog up your filter media in the upper trays. Polishing pads are going to remove very very fine particles, but a skimmer is a step above IMO. You don't have to have a skimmer, but i highly recommend it.

I think skimmer doesnt let the water pass thru the gunk, as it collects in the cup... canister keeps trapping.. maybe thats the best part about skimmer, another thing is skimmers are best if running biopellets.. my plan is to just keep softies, nems and lps.. currently im running a skimless tank and my nem is doing fantastis, so are my gorgonions.. also iv never had crazy a pod population when i use to run skimmer... i guess i can setup a nice biocube like boyu 550tl jus for sps with skimmer and all the hightech stuff.. where as this will be my canister only setup.. all that if space permits..[emoji4]

CodyRVA · Jun 4, 2016

Skimmers just collect finer waste products via the bubbles. You don't need to run pellets with your skimmer, you just need a skimmer if you're going to run pellets to remove the waste product. There are other benefits of running a skimmer like oxygenation which can relate to PH.

nanomania · Jun 4, 2016

CodyRVA said:
Skimmers just collect finer waste products via the bubbles. You don't need to run pellets with your skimmer, you just need a skimmer if you're going to run pellets to remove the waste product. There are other benefits of running a skimmer like oxygenation which can relate to PH.

What if i use kalk in ato? That wud take care of the ph issues..

CodyRVA · Jun 5, 2016

Yep it would, assuming you even had PH issues. If you do ever decide to run a refugium, even a HOB version, this can also combat PH swings without having to mess with KALK.

nanomania · Jun 6, 2016

CodyRVA said:
Yep it would, assuming you even had PH issues. If you do ever decide to run a refugium, even a HOB version, this can also combat PH swings without having to mess with KALK.

Yup thinking about an aquaclear 110 as a fuge, jus to grow cheato, mainly for pods.. Not sure though... but i guess kalk shud take care of the ph swings..

CodyRVA · Jun 6, 2016

Check out the CPR HOB refugiums. Yea kalk would work, if you can get some macro to handle the PH, you wouldn't have to worry about mixing kalk though, which is the direction I went... one less thing to worry about. Although every system is different, depends on the size of the fuge, your systems demands, etc.

nanomania · Jun 6, 2016

CodyRVA said:
Check out the CPR HOB refugiums. Yea kalk would work, if you can get some macro to handle the PH, you wouldn't have to worry about mixing kalk though, which is the direction I went... one less thing to worry about. Although every system is different, depends on the size of the fuge, your systems demands, etc.

Im from india, we have hagen dealer here, so going for aquaclear..