Can someone explain to me why canister filter works wonders for freshwater but not so much for saltwater?

[Aiptaisia anemone]

I think theyre just not popular cuz of salt creep and cleaning them is kinda hard

 

[Cichlid Dad]

For me it's not necessary in a reef tank. Your rock is the biological filtration. I don't run socks so no mechanical filtration except for a protein skimmer. My sump is a 40 breeder with just a return chamber. The rest is a refugium and the skimmer on a stand. I have clear water and everything is low tech easy maintenance. If I were to run with out a sump, I would only run a hob skimmer and refugium nothing else

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Take away a canister or hob from a FW tank and how do you filter the water? Its the only way

On a SW tank, you can add or not add it, there are so many options. Once you list the options and go through the pro's and con's of each, the canister will be low on the list. Its still viable, but there are other 'better' options.

 

[Doctorgori]

West of the Bering Sea they are called reindeer, east: Caribou. … Janitors make more $ than custodians and if canister filters are called “reactors” you can now both charge more and use for saltwater…

 

[GARRIGA]

Not all reef the same therefore some points worth noting.

Dry rock lacks the porosity of old school live rock therefore square inch for square inch the biological filtration capacity may differ and adding a canister full of pumice for example might help. Noticed I didn't mention pounds because dry rock more dense per cubic foot therefore adding more weight doesn't equate to more biological surface area.

All filters can have pre-filters added requiring less maintenance. Think of a sock for you tub.

O Rings easy enough to lube and cheap enough change as needed. Not likely going to leak more than any other equipment needing service such as that so called reef only expensive acrylic reactor.

Not all run skimmers which means added biological helps.

Nothing more efficient at capturing detritus and processing chemical waste as a well designed canister because of little to no bypass. That bag of GAC in the sump corner not likely doing much.

Although corals will filter the water, not all start with a mature tank full of waste removing inverts. Added biological helps.

Outflow can be utilized to increase flow at the surface to breakup proteins and help with gas exchange and avoid eddies that trap accumulated waste.

Next chapter... Undergravel filters

 

[everpresentnoob]

Next chapter... Undergravel filters

Wait... we can use Undergravel filters??? lol

 

[Freenow54]

I run a fluval on my 40 also a hang off the back skimmer. I cannot remember everything I put in the canister charcoal, ammonia remover,phosphate remover, obviously media. Since I cleaned and reloaded,and changed to one different thing which is what I can't remember. I have not had to clean algae off the glass in 3 months. Coralie algae is growing for the first time in about30 years

 

[McPuff]

Having done some large fish displays that were 4ft front to back a NuClear canister with the 25 micron filter and a lot of carbon really polished the water well and made the fish look like they were floating.

They ARE floating! I had to.