Reefbusters: Share your favorite reefing myths!

[Reefer Matt]

I’d like to see and learn about a mature sps only reef tank that doesn’t require daily dosing of alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I’d like to see and learn about a mature sps only reef tank that doesn’t require daily dosing of alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium.

 

[jft]

Have you ever unplugged it from the system to see if there is a difference? If so, what was the difference?

I have always used them and clean them every two to three months without a problem for 30 years. If it ain t broke no sense trying to fix something that works great and I only use 2217 Eheim canisters super quiet and EXTREMELY reliable!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have always used them and clean them every two to three months without a problem for 30 years. If it ain t broke no sense trying to fix something that works great and I only use 2217 Eheim canisters super quiet and EXTREMELY reliable!

Sure, I’m not trying to get you to change. But maybe it is not doing anything useful, and maybe it is even detrimental. No way to know for sure without trying.

Many people have nice tanks despite at least one less than optimal aspect to their husbandry. I’d include myself in that.

 

[jft]

Sure, I’m not trying to get you to change. But maybe it is not doing anything useful, and maybe it is even detrimental. No way to know for sure without trying.

Many people have nice tanks despite at least one less than optimal aspect to their husbandry. I’d include myself in that.

NOT DOING anything Detrimental. They are used with GREAT EFFECT and reef pioneer Peter Wilkens used them also SO as I was inspired by him, So be it . To Each his own. They do the same thing as Media reactors Tons of space for media. I have NEVER had a problem with NITRATES or PHOSPHATES, Knowledge an Husbandry being the Key. It Works! LOL!!!

 

[OrionN]

@jft
All I can tell is you have a great tank. What you and us don’t know is if the canister contribute at all to that (for despite the canister filter). Only way to know is see if there is any different t by not using it. All I know for sure is the canister filter is a mechanical filter so clear the water. This is unlikely to be of benifit to the animals. It likely put out some nutrients and remove food from the fish and corals (by remove food when you feed the tank, and removing particles and bacterial that can be food for filter feeders)
There are a million ways to keep a reef tank. Without knowing anything else, I tend to do a mental note the you are successful despite the canister filter rather than because of it.
But hey, it is your tank, your house and your fish. Just point out that you are most likely misguided when you are saying that it is of great benefit to your tank.
I am sorry but throwing names isn’t add anything to the logic to your argument. What we know now and the equipments we have now are leaps and bounds over what “what his name” had 60 years ago.

I do wish that we have negative emojis to express negative opinions regarding a post rather than just only positive emojis.

 

[jft]

@jft
All I can tell is you have a great tank. What you and us don’t know is if the canister contribute at all to that (for despite the canister filter). Only way to know is see if there is any different t by not using it. All I know for sure is the canister filter is a mechanical filter so clear the water. This is unlikely to be of benifit to the animals. It likely put out some nutrients and remove food from the fish and corals (by remove food when you feed the tank, and removing particles and bacterial that can be food for filter feeders)
There are a million ways to keep a reef tank. Without knowing anything else, I tend to do a mental note the you are successful despite the canister filter rather than because of it.
But hey, it is your tank, your house and your fish. Just point out that you are most likely misguided when you are saying that it is of great benefit to your tank.
I am sorry but throwing names isn’t add anything to the logic to your argument. What we know now and the equipments we have now are leaps and bounds over what “what his name” had 60 years ago.

I do wish that we have negative emojis to express negative opinions regarding a post rather than just only positive emojis.

 

[stewy14]

just heard this @Gumbies R Us
clowns are the betta of the sw hobby

 

[stewy14]

temp swings are devastating...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

NOT DOING anything Detrimental. They are used with GREAT EFFECT and reef pioneer Peter Wilkens used them also SO as I was inspired by him, So be it . To Each his own. They do the same thing as Media reactors Tons of space for media. I have NEVER had a problem with NITRATES or PHOSPHATES, Knowledge an Husbandry being the Key. It Works! LOL!!!

Works to do what? Great effect to accomplish what? A great tank is never evidence that a particular husbandry aspect is useful.

Media reactors that promote nitrification may well be detrimental. Driving ammonia as low as possible is likely undesirable, IMO.

 

[jft]

Thats YOUR OPINION, Thats ALL. I have KEPT REEFS since the 1980 s and I have tried Multiple methods . Trickle, Berlin, Jaubert, live rock only , sponge filters , undergravel etc etc. For me the use of simple sumps and skimmers combined with Eheim Canisters have at least for me work the best. I was NOT THROWING out Names just read that Wilkens when alive used them. I will continue to use WHAT has successfully worked for me. The Corals and the fish have multiple nutrients to grow and Thrive. The Aquarium industry always comes up with new and Greater inventions to MAKE MONEY while often leading Newbies down roads they might NOT need to go. I wish everyone LUCK in what works for them.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thats YOUR OPINION, Thats ALL. I have KEPT REEFS since the 1980 s and I have tried Multiple methods . Trickle, Berlin, Jaubert, live rock only , sponge filters , undergravel etc etc. For me the use of simple sumps and skimmers combined with Eheim Canisters have at least for me work the best. I was NOT THROWING out Names just read that Wilkens when alive used them. I will continue to use WHAT has successfully worked for me. The Corals and the fish have multiple nutrients to grow and Thrive. The Aquarium industry always comes up with new and Greater inventions to MAKE MONEY while often leading Newbies down roads they might NOT need to go. I wish everyone LUCK in what works for them.

Yes, it is obviously my opinion that nitrifying media may be undesirable, and I stated such.

You claimed it was useful. I’m just asking what you think it does that is useful.

If you cannot even tell us what you think it does that is useful, it’s pretty hard for us to have confidence that it is useful.

 

[OrionN]

No need to yell. Just to let you know, I keep aquarium just as long as you have and so is Randy.
Back to the question at hand:
Defend your words: What does the canister filter do that is of “great benefit” to your tank?
It filter out particles include fish food and let it decay on the media. It remove particulate maters, it provide surface area for bacterial, and it add to circulation of the tank. None of these are of any “great benefit” to a modern reef tank. One can really argue that most of these are to the detrimental of a reef tank.

 

[jft]

I was NOT interested in getting into a long discussion about Nitrification cycles ETC, The thread asked about MYTH busters so I merely responded that FOR YEARS AD NAUSEUM I have read others espouse HOW bad Canister filters were for REEF tanks as they increased Nitrates ETC, That has NOT been my experience. Nitrates can be useful in certain instances. Most Tanks I have seen fail is because of Lack of Knowledge or MORE than NOT Poor Husbandry. Many Roads can be SUCCESSFUL. As I know you to be a Man of Science as I am I was merely responding as a Hobbyist NOT as the resident GURU . Again what ever works is GREAT!!!

 

[Doctorgori]

you can run a tank on a Supreme Superking, a under gravel filter, heck even a “Bubble Up” corner filter….

…and if anyone has been in the hobby as long as I have you might recognize those brands

?…RHF his brain is bigger than mine, I tend to mess with him, not argue

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I was NOT interested in getting into a long discussion about Nitrification cycles ETC, The thread asked about MYTH busters so I merely responded that FOR YEARS AD NAUSEUM I have read others espouse HOW bad Canister filters were for REEF tanks as they increased Nitrates ETC, That has NOT been my experience. Nitrates can be useful in certain instances. Most Tanks I have seen fail is because of Lack of Knowledge or MORE than NOT Poor Husbandry. Many Roads can be SUCCESSFUL. As I know you to be a Man of Science as I am I was merely responding as a Hobbyist NOT as the resident GURU . Again what ever works is GREAT!!!

If the myth is that one cannot have a great tank with a canister on it, I certainly agree.

Your stated myth is the at they are bad for reef tanks, which cannot be proven true or false by any number of examples of good or bad tanks using them, but only by testing the idea in some way, such as by adding or removing one on an existing tank and looking for effects.

 

[jft]

you can run a tank on a Supreme Superking, a under gravel filter, heck even a “Bubble Up” corner filter….

…and if anyone has been in the hobby as long as I have you might recognize those brands

?…RHF his brain is bigger than mine, I tend to mess with him, not argue

I Too recognize them all and Not here to argue, just learn and enjoy hearing what others do that s all!

 

[stewy14]

I was NOT interested in getting into a long discussion about Nitrification cycles ETC, The thread asked about MYTH busters so I merely responded that FOR YEARS AD NAUSEUM I have read others espouse HOW bad Canister filters were for REEF tanks as they increased Nitrates ETC, That has NOT been my experience. Nitrates can be useful in certain instances. Most Tanks I have seen fail is because of Lack of Knowledge or MORE than NOT Poor Husbandry. Many Roads can be SUCCESSFUL. As I know you to be a Man of Science as I am I was merely responding as a Hobbyist NOT as the resident GURU . Again what ever works is GREAT!!!

its not the canister filter that causes high nitrates(as u are arguing against) its what people put in the canister filter, floss, blah blah, because a canister filter will trap the detritus from the water and depending what filter media you are using, it will trap it and break it down, a haven for the bacteria, making more nitrates, but, if you are feeding well, and are using appropriate filter media, it will be fine, I am not seeing anywhere that canister filters directly cause high nitrates, I am seeing what filter media you use in the filter media, and how much you feed, and the amount of coral you have, which eat nitrates too.

 

[Doctorgori]

while we are at it, one “myth” that’s sorta/kinda true is the ole “nitrate factory” diatribe….
I dunno but for whatever reason those ole skool plastic bio balls on a trickle filter did seem to elevate nitrate…

Again take your single grain of salt pill as this is something I’ve noticed but never formally studied or documented …

 

[jft]

If the myth is that one cannot have a great tank with a canister on it, I certainly agree.

Your stated myth is the at they are bad for reef tanks, which cannot be proven true or false by any number of examples of good or bad tanks using them, but only by testing the idea in some way, such as by adding or removing one on an existing tank and looking for effects.

Yes I agree But LIKE I stated I was merely responding to the Myth busters thread, that is all. Not wanting to get into scientific arguments, I do that enough on a Professional basis, Just wanted to to bust the myth that canisters Cannot work, EVERYTHING can work if you KNOW how to Utilize it. Knowledge is key. Too Much War of Religions etc what works best in this Hobby Has been for decades.