How many filters do you need for a sal****er tank?

I currently have a 46G bowtank running with a Red Sea Skimmer and a Canister
filter. It's running great.
However, I notice the Canister filter doesn't suck/clean as much as I wish.
The power head (with sponge filter) and the skimmer seems to be doing a
better job.

I tried to get into a sump but decided not to at the end, instead I'll wait
upgrade to a tank with built in overflow/plumbing.

People without a sump, how many filters do you use/need?


TIA

Ruben

p.s.: I replace C-filter media every 2-3 of months but start thinking it
might not be necessary.

RubenD wrote:

People without a sump, how many filters do you use/need?

My tank is 125 gallons. Right now, I'm running a protein skimmer and about 130
pounds of live rock with 1600 gph circulation. There are a few feather dusters
in there too. That's it. As of 12/8, nitrites were 0 and pH was 8.0 plus, and
it's been that way for several months before that. As of 12/20, nitrates were 10
and phosphates were .75. Last water change was 25 gallons on 12/19.

George Patterson
Forgive your enemies. But always remember who they are.

you want a filter that will filter your tank 5 or more times a hour, no
matter if its Salt or freshwater. Sump or no sump. Look on the side of the
filter package when buyig a filter it will tell you how many Gallons per
hour (GPH) it does.
"RubenD" wrote in message
et...
I currently have a 46G bowtank running with a Red Sea Skimmer and a
Canister
filter. It's running great.
However, I notice the Canister filter doesn't suck/clean as much as I
wish.
The power head (with sponge filter) and the skimmer seems to be doing a
better job.

I tried to get into a sump but decided not to at the end, instead I'll
wait
upgrade to a tank with built in overflow/plumbing.

People without a sump, how many filters do you use/need?


TIA

Ruben

p.s.: I replace C-filter media every 2-3 of months but start thinking it
might not be necessary.

"Peter Pan" wrote in message ...
you want a filter that will filter your tank 5 or more times a hour, no
matter if its Salt or freshwater. Sump or no sump. Look on the side of the
filter package when buyig a filter it will tell you how many Gallons per
hour (GPH) it does.

Are you guys talking about reef tanks ?
I am confused... This recomendation would be
agains the reef tank idea. Maybe fish only tanks ?

"Pszemol" wrote in message
...
"Peter Pan" wrote in message
...
you want a filter that will filter your tank 5 or more times a hour, no
matter if its Salt or freshwater. Sump or no sump. Look on the side of
the
filter package when buyig a filter it will tell you how many Gallons per
hour (GPH) it does.

Are you guys talking about reef tanks ?
I am confused... This recomendation would be
agains the reef tank idea. Maybe fish only tanks ?

Why would it be against a reef tank, when corals usuually require cleaner
water to survive ?

"Peter Pan" wrote in message . ..
Are you guys talking about reef tanks ?
I am confused... This recomendation would be
agains the reef tank idea. Maybe fish only tanks ?

Why would it be against a reef tank, when corals
usuually require cleaner water to survive ?

Particulate matter suspended in water is part of FOOD for them!

Cleaner water - yes, in terms of dissolved nitrates or
phosphates, but mechanical filters are competing
with filter feeder animals like corals, feather dusters,
sponges, shellfish like clams/oysters/scallops etc...
In a reef tank major chemical filtration is done in
and on the surface of live rock not in canister
filters - they just accumulate debris and convert it into
nitrates/phosphates - not the way it supposed to work in reef.

Peter Pan wrote:



Why would it be against a reef tank, when corals usuually require cleaner
water to survive ?



Do the biological filtration to fast, and the end result is nitrates
that are way to high, esp for most sps stuff.

That is why wet dry filters are not supposed to be used with reef tanks
- they cycle amonia-nitrite-nitrate to quickly. You want it to happen
more slowly, so whatever is pulling the nitarates out (fuge, dsb, etc)
has time to stay "caught up"

Yep :-)

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Pszemol wrote on 12/25/2006 12:28 PM:
"Peter Pan" wrote in message
...
you want a filter that will filter your tank 5 or more times a hour, no
matter if its Salt or freshwater. Sump or no sump. Look on the side of
the
filter package when buyig a filter it will tell you how many Gallons per
hour (GPH) it does.

Are you guys talking about reef tanks ?
I am confused... This recomendation would be
agains the reef tank idea. Maybe fish only tanks ?

Wayne Sallee wrote:
Yep :-)

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Pszemol wrote on 12/25/2006 12:28 PM:

"Peter Pan" wrote in message
...

you want a filter that will filter your tank 5 or more times a hour, no
matter if its Salt or freshwater. Sump or no sump. Look on the side
of the
filter package when buyig a filter it will tell you how many Gallons per
hour (GPH) it does.


Are you guys talking about reef tanks ?
I am confused... This recomendation would be
agains the reef tank idea. Maybe fish only tanks ?

I would say I have to heartily disagree with Wayne and Peter Pan, and
very much agree with Pszemol. Mechanical filtration for a reef tank = bad.

*I agree with Pszemol also. I have no mechanical filtration of any
kind on any of my tanks..My sand bed and live rock do it. I use hob
filters ( Aqua Clear brands) without media for current flow or a place
to put ac etc, not filter media, and the power heads provide nothing
but current flow, and nitrate or other junk has never been a problem
for me. I maintain all reef and reef w/fish tanks. All have surface
skimmers or protein skimmers.

On Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:33:48 -0500, Add Homonym
wrote:

Wayne Sallee wrote:
Yep :-)

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Pszemol wrote on 12/25/2006 12:28 PM:

"Peter Pan" wrote in message
...

you want a filter that will filter your tank 5 or more times a hour, no
matter if its Salt or freshwater. Sump or no sump. Look on the side
of the
filter package when buyig a filter it will tell you how many Gallons per
hour (GPH) it does.


Are you guys talking about reef tanks ?
I am confused... This recomendation would be
agains the reef tank idea. Maybe fish only tanks ?

I would say I have to heartily disagree with Wayne and Peter Pan, and
very much agree with Pszemol. Mechanical filtration for a reef tank = bad.



-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!