Opinions on adding a canister filter

[fishforlife]

I have a 125 G with a 40 gallon sump. I was thinking of adding a small 2 or 3 tray canister filter to place some activated carbon, nitrate remover, or any other "thing" that I might need at the time. Also, I would not mind the extra water flow in the back part of my tank.

Any suggestions, opinions, ect...

[ErikH]

You could get away with it, but the do tend to become detritus traps. Anything will though without proper maintainence. I would remove the padded filters and fill it with rubble. That would be a beneficial "cryptic" fuge.

[allan]

I was thinking about doing the same thing with an old fluval canister, but running it as a phosban reactor.

Not sure what kind of tank you have but for additional flow I've considered dropping a small pump down into the overflows and running the output through those loctite returns back into the main tank. Not much filtration going on but it would increase flow without actually putting another power head in your viewing area.

[los.tejanos83]

I've placed to small filter bags filled with carbon in my sump/refugium. Not sure if having them in there is truly benefiting me. Any thoughts?

[allan]

I think it's passive filtering.

The canister pushes so many gallons through an hour, of that flow 100% is being filtered. Placing the two bags of media in your sump only provides contact time for only the water that is flowing over and through the bags. You may not need much more than that.

[los.tejanos83]

I really didnt have a specific goal in mind. Since i'm a novice at this hobby, i just assumed a filter bag (with some sort of media) would "filter". I just dont know what exactly i am filtering. Do you suggest i continue to leave in?

[RayAllen]

allan a canister filter will really only work as a phosban reactor if the pump running the canister is around 200gph or less so make sure you dont have one thats pumping to quick. Phosban needs the water passing through at a slow pace, which is why its best to buy a actuall reactor with a very small pump. You do not want the water jetting by at a high rate of speed, you want it in contact with the phosban for as long as possible.

[fishforlife]

Way back when...I had a newt terrarium and used a canastar filter. It took a only a little bit of work to clean out the thing once a month. I am just trying a wat to purify the water. My sump works great, but I would like to have something more.

What would you suggest to add in the canister as far as filter media? Also, what canisters would you recomend for the 100 dollar range?

[ErikH]

I would get a filstar x2 or x3 the x determines the amount of media baskets. I have seen a x3 get modified into a HIATT filtration system. You could pack some LR in there and some chemi pure elite. Not sure about the flow rate, but I am pretty sure that would work pretty well for you. As for the phosban, I just filter sock it and put it by my sump intake.

[SmokeEater]

The big thing to remember about using a canister filter is to clean it frequently. I have always used one to run the plenum in a reverse flow less then 150gph for 3 downtubes. Every so often I would add carbon or purigen to it to polish the water for a few days. The bags were always nasty upon removal.

[allan]

allan a canister filter will really only work as a phosban reactor if the pump running the canister is around 200gph or less so make sure you dont have one thats pumping to quick. Phosban needs the water passing through at a slow pace, which is why its best to buy a actuall reactor with a very small pump. You do not want the water jetting by at a high rate of speed, you want it in contact with the phosban for as long as possible.


Thanks Ray, didn't realize that. I'm pretty sure it's rated at over the recommended gph. I may just make one myself rather than buy one...

[Bill S]

Allan, I think I have an extra phosban reactor running around you can have. I'll check in the garage in a bit.

As noted, slow flow is best.

With ANY mechanical filtration system, export of nutrients is accomplished by removing the media and cleaning it or replacing it. Leaving media in for more than a few days does nothing other than remove it from the water column, making your tank cleaner, maybe. It decomposes and adds to your bioload. One of these days someone will invent a filter that automatically backflushes to a drain every few hours.