I have a 46 gallon bowfront aquarium which I started off using a fluval 205 canister filter. My water was very poor quality, turned brown after about three or four days, then I was advised not to use tap water so I purchased a reverse osmosis filter and did a complete water change. Throughout the process, I added live rock as afforded. I was still having a problem with water turning green and then brown so I was advised to purchace a protien skimmer which seemed to reduce the water coloration problem greatly but not completely. At this point I have about 45 lbs of live rock, no corals and a few fish such as tangs, clown, damsels. I wanted a better system for filtration so I purchased a sump filter with built in protien skimmer and bio balls. Water seems to stay clean for months as long as the filter maintained. I still have algae growing on the walls and live rock. I am having an issue with the noise level of the sump filter and was thinking about going back to a canister filter that is a wet dry eheim model and using it exclusivly. I would love any advise I could get. Thanks, Bill.
Filtration confusion
- Thread starter Hkp7
- Start date
BigH55
I'm that guy
Don't go back to the canister filter. If you do you will have nitrates. The sump system is the better way to go and will allow for more versatility down the road. What type of RO unit are you using, what are your water parameters, etc. Please give a little more tech info so we can help a little more. Also, what type of noise are you hearing?
I am using a three stage RO filter. Also I just returned from the store with phosphate remover. I put it in a mesh bag inside the sump. I read my phosphate 4 level at 0.2 and my ph seems high at 8.5. I Replaced my filter floss pad which seemed pretty bad after using it for three weeks now since I moved. One other thing is that I keep the tank at room temp, no heater and no chiller. My lights are at 90 watts which I was told to be insufficiant. I fixed some of the filter noise problem by running a two foot long 1/4 inch plastic tube in the overflow box running down the return pipe. I guess I am spoiled after using the canister filter in the past which had no pump noise or water noise. I will post again when I have the rest of the info for the water condition.
BigH55
I'm that guy
Looks like there is some cycling going on in there. Those ammonia and nitite levels should be at zero. Also, for overflow noise, consider building a durso pipe for the overflow. It really works. You will need to change, or clean any fiilter material once a week. The temp should be okay for now, but you dont want any big swings in temp, or it will stress the animals. Also, get some Chaeto algae in the sump to compete for the nitrates and phosphates that are in your tank. This will help with the HA. I f you dont have any livestock, cut the lights too. How old is the tank?
yote
In Memoriam
+1 BigH
It looks like your tank is cycling from the parameters.
Give us a complete run down of the fish you have and how many of each.
Also what brand test kits are you using? I'm betting the your PH kit is either out of date or just plan reading wrong.Ammonia is acidic and will lower the PH,plus the algae shouldnt be able to survive a PH above 8.4.
It looks like your tank is cycling from the parameters.
Give us a complete run down of the fish you have and how many of each.
Also what brand test kits are you using? I'm betting the your PH kit is either out of date or just plan reading wrong.Ammonia is acidic and will lower the PH,plus the algae shouldnt be able to survive a PH above 8.4.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Your tank is new. 6 months is a very young tank, so you will have algae problems no matter what you do, no matter what type of filtration you use.
That said, a canister filter will definitely not be a good idea to help your tank long term. A sump and protein skimmer with 1 to 2 lbs of live rock per gallon is the best way to go.
And, you say you have "tangs". I'm sure you were aware when you bought them that a 46 gallon tank is not large enough to keep tangs. Even if you bought them small, they will quickly outgrow your tank and need to find a new home. Tangs need at least 75 gallons, and some species need even more, like 200+ gallons. If they are kept in too small of a tank, they stress and get sick very easily and die.
Anyways, keep up with your water changes -- you should be doing 10 to 20% of your tank's volume once every week or every other week. As your tank matures, you will get less algae. But the fact that you are showing ammonia and nitrites means that your tank should not have any animals in it yet, as those two compounds are fatal to fish and inverts. You really need to wait for your tank to complete cycling before you add any more animals, as your tank is not a hospitable environment to keep anything right now.
That said, a canister filter will definitely not be a good idea to help your tank long term. A sump and protein skimmer with 1 to 2 lbs of live rock per gallon is the best way to go.
And, you say you have "tangs". I'm sure you were aware when you bought them that a 46 gallon tank is not large enough to keep tangs. Even if you bought them small, they will quickly outgrow your tank and need to find a new home. Tangs need at least 75 gallons, and some species need even more, like 200+ gallons. If they are kept in too small of a tank, they stress and get sick very easily and die.
Anyways, keep up with your water changes -- you should be doing 10 to 20% of your tank's volume once every week or every other week. As your tank matures, you will get less algae. But the fact that you are showing ammonia and nitrites means that your tank should not have any animals in it yet, as those two compounds are fatal to fish and inverts. You really need to wait for your tank to complete cycling before you add any more animals, as your tank is not a hospitable environment to keep anything right now.
I figure I have way too many fish for the size tank. I have a yellow tang, a powder brown tang, a small yellow tail damsle, a black and white striped damsle, a domino damsel??, a clown fish, a blue/green chromis, a cleaner shrimp, a flame angel, a turbo snail, a small emerald crab a hermit crab, and I recently added a large anenome which I am in fear for now due to my water conditions and low lighting. I only have 90 watts of lighting and payday is so far away. My water test kit is made by red sea and I re-tested the ph and found my kit came with a 6.2-7.4 and a 7.4-8.6 range. I read the 6.2-7.4 and it came out dark blue which shows 7.4 or highest on the scale, and the 7.4-8.6 is dark purple which is showing 8.4-8.6 according to the scale. I re-tested the alkalinity and its still coming up blue which is 2.9-3.6. I wanted to mention that I was adding 22ml a day of alkalinity and calcium as per the guy who sold me the solution and was told by someone else to only add that about once a week. Im not sure if I mentioned this before but I went into this blind and was formerly into keeping freshwater with turtles which means clean tap water and a canister filter.
yote
In Memoriam
A lot of folks jump in blind,especially the folks thats had freshwater for years.
But,yeah,your overstocked.
I'd probably return all the fish and inverts for now.Wait untill the cycles complete then start stocking again,SLOWLY.
Also,trash those red sea kits.Their garbage.I've not seen one yet that gave accurate results.
And stop ALL dosing untill the cycles done.
But,yeah,your overstocked.
I'd probably return all the fish and inverts for now.Wait untill the cycles complete then start stocking again,SLOWLY.
Also,trash those red sea kits.Their garbage.I've not seen one yet that gave accurate results.
And stop ALL dosing untill the cycles done.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
The tangs are not appropriate for your tank -- they need at least 75 gallons, so I'd focus on getting rid of those ASAP. The anemone will also not survive with your lighting. They need more lighting than most corals.
Rcpilot
Reef enthusiast
Honestly, you couldn't be doing it anymore WRONG if you tried.
If your local fish store is the ones that told you to set that tank up as you have........ you need to STOP going to them for help. They are SELLING you CRAP that you not only don't NEED..... you don't WANT some of that stuff.
First thing to do is learn how the nitrogen cycle works. (you obviously don't understand the nitrogen cycle....... if you did you wouldn't have all those fish in a new tank...... you wouldn't be using bioballs..... and you wouldn't be using a canister filter) Do some reading and educate yourself on how the nitrogen cycle works. What makes ammonia? What makes nitrite? What makes nitrate? What makes nitrogen gas?
2nd thing to do is forget about using the canister as a primary filter. It's junk for a primary filter. Doesn't matter what kind of canister it is. Could be a $10,000 dollar canister. It's still junk for use as your primary filter.
A canister is good for 1 thing and one thing ONLY:
Put carbon in the thing and run it for 1 or 2 days ONCE a month. Take it OFF the tank and dump it. Clean it and store it until next month.
3rd thing you need to do is stop dosing all the crap right now.
4th thing you need to do is plenty of water changes. These are your tanks lifeblood. Sit back and change 10g of water every week for the next 2 months. THEN slack off to 5g a week.
I'd get rid of those stupid bioballs too. They make nitrates...... LOTS of nitrates.
Learn the nitrogen cycle. Once you understand that, you will understand why I've given the advice above. You need a deep sand bed in your system. Use at least 4" of sand. 6" is better. 3" is BAD and does NOTHING to remove nitrates. NOTHING.
If your local fish store is the ones that told you to set that tank up as you have........ you need to STOP going to them for help. They are SELLING you CRAP that you not only don't NEED..... you don't WANT some of that stuff.
First thing to do is learn how the nitrogen cycle works. (you obviously don't understand the nitrogen cycle....... if you did you wouldn't have all those fish in a new tank...... you wouldn't be using bioballs..... and you wouldn't be using a canister filter) Do some reading and educate yourself on how the nitrogen cycle works. What makes ammonia? What makes nitrite? What makes nitrate? What makes nitrogen gas?
2nd thing to do is forget about using the canister as a primary filter. It's junk for a primary filter. Doesn't matter what kind of canister it is. Could be a $10,000 dollar canister. It's still junk for use as your primary filter.
A canister is good for 1 thing and one thing ONLY:
Put carbon in the thing and run it for 1 or 2 days ONCE a month. Take it OFF the tank and dump it. Clean it and store it until next month.
3rd thing you need to do is stop dosing all the crap right now.
4th thing you need to do is plenty of water changes. These are your tanks lifeblood. Sit back and change 10g of water every week for the next 2 months. THEN slack off to 5g a week.
I'd get rid of those stupid bioballs too. They make nitrates...... LOTS of nitrates.
Learn the nitrogen cycle. Once you understand that, you will understand why I've given the advice above. You need a deep sand bed in your system. Use at least 4" of sand. 6" is better. 3" is BAD and does NOTHING to remove nitrates. NOTHING.
cthegame
Reef enthusiast
Yote, Biff, RC & bigH have you covered
First, I would like to thank everyone for their helpful info. As mentioned, my anenome is not doing very well. I just added a 200 watt light, another two lbs live rock, Definatly keeping the sump, removed the bio balls and did a ten gallon water change. Cleaned out the skimmer and replaced the filter floss two days in a row. Need to buy sand tomorrow. Wondering about the large sponge that came with my sump, if it should be removed or how often it should be cleaned. Tomorrow I am taking four fish back to the pet store as well as a large turbo snail which has been creating a lot of waste. No2 is 0.2, No3 is 100-20, alk 2.9, ammonia 0.25, phosphate 0.1, salt at 1.024. Thanks everyone.
yote
In Memoriam
What I usually do with the sponge in my sump,is rinse it out good with the water hose whenever I do my water changes,which is once a week.Just be sure to ring it out good before you put it back in.
dcantucson
Reef pro
Although they are right, don't freak out, too much. We have all done some or all of these "couldn't have done anything worse, if you tried" things before. With SW tanks it's one step forward and two steps back. It takes a lot of patience, for sure. It'll come together in time!
