Canister Filter Nitrate Factory

Ive been battling with nitrates for a while now and I was told that my canister filter could be the cause. I have an aquatop ef200 canister filter. I belive the flow goes from the bottom to the top. I have a larger blue filter pad on the bottom. Then in the middle I have bioballs. Then on the top I have a carbon bag and on top of the carbon bag is another filter pad that is white. My tank is a 20 gallon long. For flow I have a koralia nano powerhead 425 and the flow bar from the filter. I've been troubled with nitrates for a while and I am nervous that after doing my water changes trying to get my nitrates to 0, if I dont have everything right, they will shoot right back up. I really don't like how I constantly have to pick up poop from my cherub angelfish. Can I please have your opinions on the setup and what I should do. I really dont have the money to get anything else so I am stuck with what I got. A friend of mine is keeping a happy reef tank with 0 nitrates with a canister filter so I figured I could do it to if I have the right setup. Sorry if I am such a bother, I like to know everything I can do!

 

Almost anything can become a nitrate factory if not used properly. Whether it be a canister filter, a sump full of bio balls, a HOB filter with foam pads, a DSB made of crushed coral, etc etc you get the idea.

To really help you we need some mroe information. You said the tank is a 20long and you have a canister filter.
Do you have any liverock and how much?
What kind of substrate and how much?
What else are you using any kind of skimmer, fuge, or sump?
How long has your tank been set up?
What is your livestock list?
How often and what do you feed?
What exactly are your nitrates at? What test kit are you using?
Any ammonia or nitrite? Also when testing nitrates have you noticed them staying the same or steadily going up over months?

If you can answer those questions we can help ID the cause of the issue more easily to help you. Without those answers though I will say your canister is probably your main issue. They are known to be nitrate factories if you dont do constant maintenance on them making them a real PITA hence why most reefers do not use one. They become denitris traps which them breakdown to nitrates and usign sponges or bioballs are known to cause issues if not cleaned on a constant basis, usually at least weekly.

 

the cannister filter in itself is not the reason for nitrates
a cannister filter allowed to accumulate to much waste between cleanings, is the reason for nitrate build up

are you doing routine water changes? if so when you do them, you need to be taking off the cannister, cleaning all the media using the old saltwater and then rinsing the inside of the cannister and the trays etc
the foam pads also need rinsing in the old water, try to get them back as close as possible to original color
the bacteria that have colonised the pads will not be harmed as long as you use the tank water and not tap or RODI water to clean them.

in order to work out a proper corrective method for your set up, more information would be helpful and an image even more so

my opinion is that some of the media you have in there is probably not ideal
and much of it could be removed, slowly, depending on your biological capacity within the main tank

Steve

 

I have about 20 lbs of reef saver dry rock
20 lbs of live sand
Not using sump, fuge, or skimmer
Tank has been set up for almost 2 months
I have 3 snails, 3 hermits, 1 clownfish, 1 cherub angelfish, 1 small colony of zoas
Once a day I feed a little bit of either brine or mysis shrimp.
Nitrates are at 40. Using API saltwater liquid master test kit
Nitrates were at 20, but since the mega pooping fish and canister filter the went up.
No ammonia or Nitrite
Hope this helps

 

How often do you clean your canister filter, how do you clean it when you do and how often do you do water changes.

 

Well originally I do 10% water change weekly and would clean the canister filter little less than once a month. That is what my friend is having sucess with. I clean it by taking it all apart. rinsing the filter pads and refilling it with new water.

 

Thanks for the additional info. 20 lbs of rock and 20 lbs of sand are aboutright for a 20gal even without a sump, fuge, or skimmer. Stocking sounds ok, a little early and the tank is a little small to had the pygmy angel but not all that bad. API testkits are good for cycling but time to upgrade to something a little mroe accurate such as a redsea pro or salifert.

Its good there is no ammonia or nitrite, nitrates are a little high but nothing crazy your corals are known to like their water a little dirty anyhow. Remember your tank is only 2 MONTHS OLD!!! Your liverock and sandbed are not mature yet, the ammonia and nitrite is only the first and fastest part of the cycle. Nitrate reduction takes the longest to mature and will happen as the rock matures more and you get different algae growths. If everything appears healthy and is not stressed do not stress out to much.

With that said I would suggest some changes though. First off I would clean the filter and get rid of the bioballs. You also do not need a ton of sponges, I used a lot when first set up to help remove small sand particles but know only use a thin piece of filter pad and clean it weekly. Also get a better kit and hold off on adding any mroe livestock until your tank matures a bit more.

By the way are you using RODI or tap water? How big are your little fishies? Big different between a small Occie and a large maroon clown

 

There is your problem, 10% weekly is good but that canister needs cleaned every week as well. As Steve said rinse everything with old tank water otherwise you will kill the bacteria and that woudl cause nitrates as well.

 

Both fish are about an inch. but i cant get over how much my angel is pooping its about 50 times more than the clown. doesnt seem right but he never stops picking at the rocks and glass. I was thinking about getting 1 nassarius snail to help with the leftover waste. How does that sound? As for the current nitrates. I do realize it takes time, however what should I do as of right now?

 

Angels and Tangs poop often because they eat all day. A clown is mroe of a carnivore that feeds when you feed it but never really eats anything else, your angel will eat all the algae and other stuff growing on the rocks and sandbed.
If you ate salad ALL DAY LONG!!! How much would you poop compared to a guy who eats MCdonalds twice a day with very limtied veggies??