Quote:
Originally Posted by
Avfish http:///t/395214/canister-filter#post_3518209
Hi all new to the game was just wondering what's the best way of going to clean up green hair algae tried algaefix but doesn't seem to work my tank has been up and running for 4 months have 20kg live rock in 410 litre tank
Hi, welcome to the site! Both of you!
Avfish: What are your test results? Hair algae needs phosphates and nitrates to survive. Bad lighting is also a concern. If you do a phosphate test you will get a false negative on the test because the hair algae is feeding on it. The cure is regular large water changes and be careful to not overfeed.
Cak119: I used a canister on my 90g reef tank for over 7 years with not a problem. Just make sure you do the once a month media swap. I also used 2 canisters so I could clean one and leave the other to do the next time. It seemed that each time I cleaned up my filter, the tank suffered a tiny ammonia spike .25...it was because cleaning the canister destroyed all the good bacteria out of it all at once. I couldn't stand the thought of only half cleaning the canister, if I was going to clean it...by golly it was getting cleaned right. So I opted for using two. I had a little tag I laminated (like what you would put on a door at a hotel) I would put the tag on the next filter to be serviced so I didn't forget which I had done last.
The sump system is the best IF you have a predrilled tank, the U-tube overflow boxes have problems of trapped air so it loses it's siphon (results in a flood), and in my case using a CPR overflow needs a lifter pump that kept clogging (results in a flood). I highly recommend the prefilter that can be purchased separately...it still clogs up, but not as often. Still, a sump system is the easiest and best method...but not a necessity.
The biggest problem with using a canister was the need for a HOB skimmer...in sump skimmers are hands down the best, I never found a HOB skimmer I liked. Also the ability to have a refugium as one section in the sump is awesome.
Now for lighting...soft corals need super good lighting as well. There are non-photosynthetic corals (no lighting needed) but they require lots of maintenance, they need high water flow and lots of food to survive, which leads to lots of water changes. The only type of corals you can have with regular fish lights or small T5s are mushroom corals.
