Canister filter

Hi all was at my local fish store he had told someone that you could use a canister filter filled only with LR is this doable?

Ps I over heard the conversation lol


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StirCrayzy

Well-Known Member
Doable- yes, advisable -maybe, ideal- no.
There still needs to be some type of mechanical filtration or the pump will be sucking up particles/critters and probably have a much shorter lifespan than normal.
Once you add mechanical filtration via sponge, pad, or anything, you now have to do disassemble the entire filter to keep it clean which is the downfall of canister filtration.
The pump failure that is possible is made worse by the fact that most canister pumps are proprietary and parts are not readily available for most of them. This leaves you with a pile of decaying live rock in your canister that you now have to find a way to keep alive until the repair to be made.
Those are just my thoughts see what others chime in with generally canisters are frowned upon but I've had some success over the years using them so I won't poo poo them completely.
 

Squatch XXL

Well-Known Member
Canister filters work great in planted FW tanks. They work great because they are nitrite factories. Stuff gets stuck in it, and rots. They need cleaned very often to avoid this.

I would imagine that even if it was full of LR, it would still be a trap for decaying matter. You would probably do better WITHOUT a canister filter, and just keep the same live rock in your tank.

I don't know of too many with experience with canisters (myself included), so this post is mostly regurgitated from others.

You may want to find some users of canisters and see their regimen. I am sure there is a way to make it work, but it may require vastly more effort than other methods.
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Hi all was at my local fish store he had told someone that you could use a canister filter filled only with LR is this doable?
.../QUOTE]

LFSs are often "mistaken" when it comes to offering advice. It is possible to use a canister filter, but you need to clean it weekly. You should also restrict the media to mechanical media and to chemical media. Using biological media is usually a mistake. It tends to become a big dirt trap, Also, it's not needed. You have all that live rock in the tank for biological filtration.
 
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