New filtration

[ChiSox Rabbitfish]

Hey everybody I will be installing a new canister filter today and removing the HOB filter. My question is do I remove the old filter right away or run both for awhile ?

#reefsquad

 

[jsker]

I would suggest to keep both running for a week or two till the canter filter in broken in then shut the HOB down.

 

[ChiSox Rabbitfish]

I would suggest to keep both running for a week or two till the canter filter in broken in then shut the HOB down.

That’s what I was thinking thanks

 

[jsker]

That’s what I was thinking thanks

Your welcome

 

[Peace River]

I would suggest to keep both running for a week or two till the canter filter in broken in then shut the HOB down.

Not that @jsker needs my validation , but I agree that running both for a couple of weeks would be a good option.

There are several other factors to consider if you wanted to do it faster such as what is the size of your tank, do you have corals or is it a FOWLR setup, how much live rock/live sand do you have, what canister filter are you adding, what type of media do you have in the canister filter, what type of media do you have in the HOB, and do you use the HOB for biological and mechanical filtration?

Using a canister filter is a valid option for a saltwater tank, but does come with some opportunities. If you stay consistent with frequent water changes, clean your filter regularly, and keep up with your water testing you should be able to address most of those opportunities. Good luck with the transition!

 

[GoatmealJones]

Might as well run both, cant hurt to do so

 

[ChiSox Rabbitfish]

Not that @jsker needs my validation , but I agree that running both for a couple of weeks would be a good option.

There are several other factors to consider if you wanted to do it faster such as what is the size of your tank, do you have corals or is it a FOWLR setup, how much live rock/live sand do you have, what canister filter are you adding, what type of media do you have in the canister filter, what type of media do you have in the HOB, and do you use the HOB for biological and mechanical filtration?

Using a canister filter is a valid option for a saltwater tank, but does come with some opportunities. If you stay consistent with frequent water changes, clean your filter regularly, and keep up with your water testing you should be able to address most of those opportunities. Good luck with the transition!

Thanks I did take all that into consideration I do run a hang on the back skimmer also that’s been a blessing for me keeping and growing corals

 

[Peace River]

Thanks I did take all that into consideration I do run a hang on the back skimmer also that’s been a blessing for me keeping and growing corals

Awesome! It is sometimes hard to know where people are coming from and whether they know the difference between biological, mechanical, and chemical filtration. Canister filters are valid options but it is important to know how to use them in order to avoid issues (it sounds like you have this covered!).

One other issue to think about with your new canister filter that wasn't as significant with the HOB because the water in the canister is not exposed to air - if you lose power for a few hours or more and you haven't cleaned your filter in a while then the canister can pump potentially harmful chemicals back into your tank when the power is restored. If you are available when you lose power then you can either clean the canister before the power restarts or you can open the canister and drop in an air stone when you lose power (and then reassemble and restart it when power is restored). However, if you are not available then you need to decide is it better to (1) take your chance with the potentially anoxic water going back into your tank or (2) get a switch to keep the canister from restarting when the power comes back on. The problem with #2 is then there is no filtration on the tank until someone is able to clean and restart the filter. My solution to this is to use the canister for primarily mechanical and chemical filtration and clean it frequently. I use the live rock/sand for biological filtration. I have one tank that does have a canister filter and does not have live rock or sand so I added a GFCI adapter with a manual reset.

 

[ChiSox Rabbitfish]

Awesome! It is sometimes hard to know where people are coming from and whether they know the difference between biological, mechanical, and chemical filtration. Canister filters are valid options but it is important to know how to use them in order to avoid issues (it sounds like you have this covered!).

One other issue to think about with your new canister filter that wasn't as significant with the HOB because the water in the canister is not exposed to air - if you lose power for a few hours or more and you haven't cleaned your filter in a while then the canister can pump potentially harmful chemicals back into your tank when the power is restored. If you are available when you lose power then you can either clean the canister before the power restarts or you can open the canister and drop in an air stone when you lose power (and then reassemble and restart it when power is restored). However, if you are not available then you need to decide is it better to (1) take your chance with the potentially anoxic water going back into your tank or (2) get a switch to keep the canister from restarting when the power comes back on. The problem with #2 is then there is no filtration on the tank until someone is able to clean and restart the filter. My solution to this is to use the canister for primarily mechanical and chemical filtration and clean it frequently. I use the live rock/sand for biological filtration. I have one tank that does have a canister filter and does not have live rock or sand so I added a GFCI adapter with a manual reset.

I appreciate your input believe me always good to keep learning