Help!! Canister filter taps leaking

[AndrewThomas115]

I've cleaned my canister filter, screwed the pipe back on and the water is gushing out, so I've had to turn the canister filter off.

My tank is approx 2 years old with corals and 6 fish. The tank is an Aqua 66. Not sure of how much live rock, but it fills most of the tank.

I've always had the canister filter, so my question is how long have I got to fix the leaks until my fish/corals start to suffer.

I done a water change on the weekend, I have 4 pumps in the tank pushing water around and an air pump. I've never had a skimmer.

Am i worrying over nothing? Or do I need to fix this problem fast??

thanks for any help

[Mr James]

[welcome]

What brand canister filter?? Also, you will find that most reef keeprs do not use canister filters for anything except maybe running carbon. It is detrimental to the health of corals as the canister filter can become a nitrate sink.

Can you do a sump??

[AndrewThomas115]

It is an aquaone CF1000

No I havent got a sump, or the room to have one :-(

I simply have live rock, air pump, 4 powerheads, air pump and the canister filter. I have had this setup for two years with no problems.

Just want to know if NOT running the canister filter will cause any harm?

[Mr James]

I would say that they would do better with out it. What's inside the canister filter??

Also, are you introducing air bubbles into he tank via an air pump?? If so, it is not necessary. If I remember correctly, by doing that, you are essentially removing the oxygen from the water column. The best way to oxygenate the water is to "ruffle" the surface of the water with a powerhead kind of pointing up to the surface.

[AndrewThomas115]

Thanks for the help

Although i've had the tank for 2 years, i have little experience, as i just took advice from my local shop.

Inside the canister filter I have purigen (the bag) and some phosphate remover...(rowa phose and phosguard)

Apart from that the media that comes with the filter, sponges, platic tubes and black balls..

Yes, I have bubbles coming from the air pump, again as advised by my shop...In my first summer the tank got really hot and some fish died, they said it was becuase i didnt have an air pump. I have run one ever since!!

Again if i could remove this I would, as it is very loud. But what happen in the summer if it gets hot again??

thanks
Andrew

[Mr James]

If the tank starts to get hot, you need to use fans to blow across the surface of the water. It does quite well for cooling the water. The downside is you evaporate a lot more. But that can be eaily rectified. Do you have plans in the near future for a sump?? If so, you could put the fans down there and get them out of the way. Do you have pics of your system??

BTW, where are youy located?? Please fill out your profile a little bit. You never know, we may be neighbors!!

[AndrewThomas115]

Im based in Cornwall in the UK.

Dont have plans for a sump, but always open to advice. But i dont think i have the room. I also dont have a water supply nearby, if the matters?

I'll get pictures of my tank up later this week. Im wrirting on an old laptop, getting a new PC this week :-)

thanks for all your help. What do i need for a sump???

So what you are saying is for me to remove the air pump, and push a powerhead just under the surface of the water?