Turning off my canister filter

[skipb1956]

Hi guys,
I have a 36 gall tank with live rock, sand, a HOB protein skimmer and I've been using a fluval 206 canister filter which I do clean twice a week. I'm always seem to have high nitrate and phosphate issues using API and reefmaster test kits. My LFS always gets lower readings than i do, but they do use better quality test kits. Think I read somewhere that canister filters do take out Nitrate and phosphate but that they also recirculate it back into the tank, so I was wondering if that might be an issue. I do have alot of algae growing. My tank is almost 7 months old, all the fish and corals are fine.
What are the general thought about this?

Thanks,
Skip

 

[AlexStinson]

The canister filter is not going to do anything to ADD to a problem, so long as it is being cleaned. Worst case scenario, it just isn't helping. I ran a canister filter, filled with rock rubble, with great results from probably 5 years. The vast majority of algae problems are from feeding.

 

[bmac16]

Do you have any media in the canister?.....could be the problem in two ways. If using rubble/bio balls/filter pads/etc or not using carbon/gfo to help remove nitrate and phosphate. I run a canister on my 20 and have live rock and carbon in it. Clean it every other week

 

[brandon429]

if I had multiple canisters running redundantly, id still be algae free there is no device that causes it. your algae is caused by something else. that doesn't mean having canister filters is good or bad, just that algae is independent of them.

 

[brandon429]

post a full tank pic, that algae can be fixed independently of anything else.

 

[mcarroll]

a HOB protein skimmer and I've been using a fluval 206 canister filter which I do clean twice a week.

How's the skimmer working?

If you clean the canister that often - and want to keep doing that - I'd think it would be fine to keep.

How does the media look when you take it apart for a weekly cleaning?

If it's nasty at all, I'd remove some media...anything remotely mechanical. That was probably your nutrient problem. In fact, I'd probably run it empty (just for flow) most of the time....running only a little carbon or gfo if/as needed.

If you still have free nitrates and phosphates in the water while you have algae growth, I doube down on this...

The vast majority of algae problems are from feeding.

I'd take a look at what you are feeding and how much and see if you can scale back. It's really easy to overfeed, and especially difficult to feed correct portions with some foods - so it happens a lot!

If overfeeding itself is not the issue, maybe scaling back the amount of livestock is the answer. Less livestock = less feeding = less nitrates.

Maybe none will apply, but worth considering!