what is a filter used for????

[speedracered]

I know exactly what a filter is used for in FW fish. But what is it used for SW tanks?? I no LR and LS helps filter out the water, also a Skimmer would filter out water, but what does a Canister filter do?

 

[niger12]

THere are many different ways to filter a SW tank. Many you already mention but they basicly all do the same thing. In a canister filter there is normally a tray for biological, chemical and mechanical filtration. Why are you asking?

 

[speedracered]

im just wondering. Because I am about to setup my fish tank, and people told me all I really needed was LR,LS and a protein skimmer. and itll do the work for you.
And my tank is about to be setup,. I want things done right, so in the long run it wont affect my fishes.

 

[niger12]

IMO the best filtration for a SW tank would be 1-2lbs of LR per gallon, sand bed and a sump with skimmer. YOu could also start out with a wetdry. Do a search in the DIY section for sump/refugium. Do you plan to do FOWLR or reef?

 

[moto757]

you also need to have water movement which the filter will do you can't just let it sit there with lr and ls and your protien skimmer would have to be hard core to push all that water butsome people do it with the powerheads help

 

[cathbad]

The canister does exactly the same in saltwater as in fresh; however, some the smaller organisms that it would remove in a saltwater tank are food for filter feeders. There normally are no filter feeders in freshwater tanks so the filter acts in its stead. After all nature abhors a vacuum. You can also setup a freshwater tank without a canister filter, but to make it work the biodiversity must be higher than the typical freshwater tank, more akin to a reef tank. I have two that have no mechanical filtration at all but they are lightly stocked and generally have good water quality.