Sumpless Fish only Tank?

[Tenelen]

A while back when I was more into freshwater I bought a Fluval FX6 canister filter and its been sitting in the box since then. Last Friday my wife asked me to build out our 120gal that's been idle. So I was thinking about doing a fish only predator tank with 150lbs of live rock that I have and using the FX6 as a mechanical filter removing all the biological filtration options from it. I know canisters get the nickname of nitrate factories but with normal maintenance it could work, right? Opinions?

 

[AdamNC]

You would be fine as long as you clean the filter every few days. Never had one but I know predator tanks can build nutrients pretty fast from their feedings.

 

[tthouston]

A while back when I was more into freshwater I bought a Fluval FX6 canister filter and its been sitting in the box since then. Last Friday my wife asked me to build out our 120gal that's been idle. So I was thinking about doing a fish only predator tank with 150lbs of live rock that I have and using the FX6 as a mechanical filter removing all the biological filtration options from it. I know canisters get the nickname of nitrate factories but with normal maintenance it could work, right? Opinions?

I have been using freshwater filter to saltwater tank and clean the filter "daily" at first 6 months long while switching freshwater to saltwater. In my opinion, it is not worthy, You waste a lot of time to clean up the filter and carry the filter to here and there... etc..
Sell the Fluval filter to other hobbies freshwater tank, then set up the sump.... that is the best option and very cheap. You can ask any Hobbie here for the free old small tank and scratches, you only buy overflow box then good to go.

 

[Tenelen]

I have been using freshwater filter to saltwater tank and clean the filter "daily" at first 6 months long while switching freshwater to saltwater. In my opinion, it is not worthy, You waste a lot of time to clean up the filter and carry the filter to here and there... etc..
Sell the Fluval filter to other hobbies freshwater tank, then set up the sump.... that is the best option and very cheap. You can ask any Hobbie here for the free old small tank and scratches, you only buy overflow box then good to go.

Well I have a sump\skimmer ect. from when this was a reef tank. I was just looking at a different approach to a fish only tank.

 

[Rick Krejci]

Many here, myself included, really have no mechanical filtration at all, going sockless with their sumps. IMO, a canister is just an inconvenient way to do something that isn't strictly necessary to begin with. It does export some nutrients when the media is changed. But if you don't clean it every few days, the detritus has already broken down into nitrates and phosphates, etc and are in your tank water.

Probably don't want nitrates and phosphates to go unchecked, especially with a predator tank where a CUC is more difficult to keep. A skimmer itself will export organics, but won't help with nitrates and phosphates unless carbon dosing is used. A skimmer and algae/chaeto fuge works very well. Could use GFO and a denitrator...many, many possibilities.

Basically, it would be best to have a method of keeping your nutrients in your water stable. A canister filter can help if you are fastidious in cleaning, but changing will get old quickly and, if left uncleaned, it will go biological and be very efficient in converting food to nitrates with no anaerobic areas anywhere to help deal with the nitrates.