Cannister filters - nitrates????
- Thread starter col
- Start date
bbuck_camelback
Member
Well canister filters only take care of part of the cycle, ammonia and nitrite. Canister filters don`t remove the nitrate though, so essentially you are stuck with this part of the cycle. Nitrates get stuck inside the filter thus it becomes a nitrate factory.
jlem
Active Member
How can nitrate possibly get stuck in a filter? Nitrate is not a solid object like debree. The canister does not produce nitrate but it works wonderfully at trapping debree that can be removed when the filter cleaned, and that means even less ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate that needs converted. i don't think that canisters are any better than all of the other filtration methods, but they do not produce nitrates. The breakdown of waste is what produces nitrate and that will happen no matter what your filtration method. I have a canister with lots of live rock and I register zero on the nitrate test kit. Having a canister filter does not mean high nitrates, Lack of live rock, DSB, refuge, or a coil denitrator will mean levels of nitrates.
jtroutine
Member
I see what you are saying. I think that some people dont use canister filters not because they are bad but because they are more of a maintaince issue. If you dont keep them clean regulary the stuff that is trapped and builds up will decompose and produce more waste and we all know what the end product of the cycle is nitrate. Some people including myself think that a good skimmer is all needed. When I set up my tank I used a magnum 350 and found that it was more of a pain then anything. Other then lr and dsb the only other fitration method I use is a rinky dink sea clone skimmer. My nitrates have been stuck at 2.5 low range and I think once dsb is more mature and once purchase a more efficient skimmer my nitrates might be zero. I think the overall opinion that I get from multiple boards is that canisters are yes great ways to incoporate different types of media but overall is more of pain for them then what is worth. I removed mine and havent had a use for it since. Once in a while I will drop a bag of carbon in sump. Main reason for that is to simply just keep the "fishwater smell to a minimum". Last thought is if you want to use one go for it I would recommend that you clean it on a dedicated schedule of at LEAST once a week. Or just dont use one, I dont see any negative factors involved for that side of the coin. Just my .02