150g FO using cannister filters?

[Edward Smith]

Everything I've read for a FO suggests: Skimmer, DSB, liverock
Like a traditional reef.

But I see the professional maintence companies use these:
http://www.eheim.com/en_GB/products/technology/external-filters/professionel3e-700

Do these work?
If a tank is heavily stocked, couldn't I just use a couple of these?

Thanks

[j tavares]

Most people will say you needa sump and skimmer but I have run Fowlr and eheim canisters 2217 for yrs , 20 now and I never had any iisues, Eheims are reliable and w water exchanges I never had a nitrate problem, this will OPEN a can of worms but Eheims work well and Do what works for you, even if others say it cannot work, theres a longtime aquarist using reverse flow Ug filters, ITs Knowledge not what you necceasy use, GOOD LUCK

[sledge760]

Yes canisters work. I run an Fluval FX5 on my 155 fowlr for years. No problems at all.

[Edward Smith]

Thanks, I noticed you both mentioned "FOWLR." Do you think the live rock is necessary? I know it's lame, but I was going to go with artificial decorations.

[Cliff519]

I like having live rock in my fish only set up. I like it as it gives the tank a more natural look and I prefer live rock over a canister filter for my biological filtration.

[hossa81]

I like having live rock in my fish only set up. I like it as it gives the tank a more natural look and I prefer live rock over a canister filter for my biological filtration.

Same here, and with all tye different things you can do with live rock. The list goes on and on.

[humaguy]

sure, they work...

[anbosu]

Canister filters just require more maintenance than other types of filtration, in my experience. They are a good source of mechanical filtration, but I never run them longer than a day or two to help clear up a specific issue.

[desjardinii]

Most people will say you needa sump and skimmer but I have run Fowlr and eheim canisters 2217 for yrs , 20 now and I never had any iisues, Eheims are reliable and w water exchanges I never had a nitrate problem, this will OPEN a can of worms but Eheims work well and Do what works for you, even if others say it cannot work, theres a longtime aquarist using reverse flow Ug filters, ITs Knowledge not what you necceasy use, GOOD LUCK

Reverse flow ug's would be my choice, cheap to set up, help keep the sand cleaner and easy to maintain.

[humaguy]

a large canister, and I love Eheim, works well...just remember to maintain it properly...

[j tavares]

Eheim is the only canister I trust 20 plus years w/o one problem , what other aquarium filter has that trac record??

[humaguy]

Eheim is the only canister I trust 20 plus years w/o one problem , what other aquarium filter has that trac record??

yeah, they make great equipment!

[jjk_reef00]

I use to have that exact unit on an old fresh water tank, and it is a nice unit. I would only consider a canister if I didn't have a drilled tank. If you have an overflow and sump you will be much better of creating high flow and using live rock as the bio-filter. I've read several times that artificial decorations get dirty fast and need to be cleaned often. You can try carbon dosing to help keep them clean but if you are going to dose carbon I recommend a good skimmer.

[MLZ]

I'd highly suggest LR in your setup; first of all helps seed your tank much faster, getting all the beneficial bacteria in your tank and on your sand etc. The canister also works well, just be careful/be aware that it needs regular maintenance a lot more than you'd think. Personally, I'd highly recommend a skimmer on the 150, considering the tank size, and under the assumption that you're going to have a fair amount of fish in there.

[mattsilvester]

The advantage lost by not having an LR based system can be mitigated by diligent and increased maintenance. I'd strongly suggest two of the biggest canisters you can find and clean they on a biweekly basis, on alternating weeks with a decent weekly water change (at least 20%).

One aspect however, of not having a skimmer, is oxygenation. Skimmers really do "inject" oxygen into the water, which has big benefits for tangs and angels - less so for tough guys like lions and groupers. Maintaining good oxygenation also goes a long way to stabilizing pH. Finally, in the past I had found that not running a skimmer / overflow weir, an oil slick tends to develop on the surface of the water which further reduces oxygen exchange. Air stones ad good circulation helps. But I would advocate a HOB type skimmer if for no other reason than oxygen and getting the heaviest gunk out of your system.

FWIW - if I were looking to not skim a tank, I would be far more inclined to have a large sump with macro algae on 24 lighting, and a DSB. Cheap sand, cheap glass tank, you could even use a syphon box if you don't want to drill the DT. This will give much better results at a low set up cost, and very easy for maintenance.

[browning_boy20]

I don't see why it wouldn't work!!!! I have a 125 with nothing more than a hob skimmer and power heads with sand and 100lbs of live rock. I have never had any issues with just using the rock and sand as my main source for bacteria and my fish are healthy and the water is clear. I would ditch the canister and get a hob skimmer and a couple power heads and call it a day.

[mattsilvester]

Ed - I should have added. Why do you want to go the canister route? You don't want a skimmer? Don't want a sump? For budget reasons? etc. - then people can offer a more focused opinion, rather than a random one like I have above.

[Dr Colliebreath]

Yes, you can run a fo tank this way. The canister filter just needs to provide bio filtration if you don't have live rock and you need to do more water changes to remove organics that otherwise would have been removed by the skimmer. I imagine the tank would look pretty bare without live rock.

One qualm I have about this approach is if your power goes off for an extended period, you need to have a backup to keep the canister running because the water in the canister will become poisonous if left without flow, potentially killing fish when the power comes back on, plus you won't have any biofiltration if water isn't flowing through the canister.

Perhaps use some live rock and the canister filter.

[mattsilvester]

Yes, you can run a fo tank this way. The canister filter just needs to provide bio filtration if you don't have live rock and you need to do more water changes to remove organics that otherwise would have been removed by the skimmer. I imagine the tank would look pretty bare without live rock.

Perhaps use some live rock and the canister filter.

Dry base rock is about as cheap as anything else you'll decorate the tank with. Couple of lbs of nice fresh LT at start up will serve to both loch start the nitrogen cycle and seed the Base the rock.

If you set it up like this then I honestly don't see the benefit if a canister filter which would both cost more and be less effective. But perhaps there is a reason that I am not aware of

[hkarmy25]

Why not have the canister and a small sump? You can find used ones for pretty cheap on CL or local reef club's websites. Skimmer's not necessary, but again why not? You can find used ones cheap.

I have ran a small skimmer and two canisters on a 125 tall before, but I was keeping lionfish and doing weekly 25% water changes. So it's do-able, but getting the used sump and skimmer would be cheaper than buying another Eheim, and more beneficial...