Do I still need my Canister Filter?

On my 55 with plenty of live rock, if I'm running a skimmer and have a 12g full fuge w/ chaeto, gracilaria and mangroves. Do I still need to be running my canister filter?

 

If you want to use it to run just pads or carbon I would keep ir running. At a minimum I would keep it in the house.

 

I wouldn't. You may look into a DIY calcium reactor made out of it theres a how to somewhere on here Im sure I saw it

 

I don't see any reason why you would need it unless you wanted to run carbon through it. If you do lose all the mechanical filtration from the canister.

 

I have mine running parallel to my sump/wet/dry. I run carbon through it, also added a ton of filter floss for better mechanical filtration. It works well. In my eyes, not only does it not hurt, it helps. Is it necessary? Probably not.

 

As long as they are maintained properly I see no harm the problem arises when they are left to become "nitrate factories"

 

The only reason I see to run it is to run carbon. I also have a phosphate reactor in which I can run carbon and phosban etc and hide that easily in my fuge. The calcium reactor idea seem awesome. I'm gonna look for that but it seems like it would be difficult. Keeping it otherwise is just another thing to do maintenance on.

 

I swear by chemipure so I keep mine running w/ chemipure in it.

I may flip over to a 4 stage fluval that I have collecting dust that I'll put chemipure in along with some phosphate reducing media.

It's just a handy little component to have hooked up to address issues as they arise or supplement your LR and sump.