Should I Get Rid Of...

Nemo I'd say the simplest and easiest way for you to fix this problem with your limited space and all would to be a simple DE-nitrate system either a coil or the old black drip type box that uses a little pump. The coil is 100% effective and cost nothing to us unless you do not run a sump then in that case the Box is also 100% effective but a little pain to feed it every so often but it just takes a few drops of sugar or Vodka to keep running just fine. If you had room for a fudge then you'd have room for a sump and a sump is the foundation I think..

As for Carbon use in the olden days when in F/W we used to rinse and heat up our charcoal and reuse that. But not a good idea with carbon and marine tank. I never had issues with carbon us in any think I have ran in the past few decades I run it 24/7 in every reef I ever had. Only problem it ever caused me was crystal clear water. A must when you run a Refugio to keep the yellowing water look out. And the corals will get better light. Not to mention the toxins that the carbon will reduce from the corals trying to protect their spaces with chemical warfare.
I would never not run Carbon . I see far more benefits from its use then harm and many more old farts like me feel the same.. There is nothing removed by carbon that can't be replenished when needed also OTES Old tank syndrome seems to hit more people that won't run carbon then it does those that do use it. All the unwanted nasties that would other wise be absorbed into the sand and rock is up taken in the carbon and tossed out ! I had this debate with a smart Dr. once who blamed all of his tank crashes on everything but mineral/metal build ups. then it was the rocks then the sand . LIL No give me carbon I'll use it every time.
But to just lay it in a sump in a bag is doing nothing much at all you have to force water through it water like electricity always takes the path of least resistance and in a bag the water just moves around it. as the bag clogs and the very bag creates more resistance then water will deal with.

 

I, too, am at my whits end with my nitrate level. It has never gone below 40 ever since my tank's initial cycle. From all the reading that I've done on 3reef, and particularly Nemo's posts, I think it's time I stop using my canister filter (RENA XP3) in its present configuration. But before I do this I want to check with the more knowledgeable members in here just to make certain I don't do anything I'll be sorry for down the line. This is what I have in the canister (top-to-bottom):

floss
activated carbon
substrate (EHEIM "EHFI SUBSTRAT")
fine sponge
coarse sponge

In the past 9 months I have replaced all the media in the filter except for the substrate (which I rinsed in tank water only). I have never replaced in whole or in part any of the substrate. So it's the same substrate from day 1, only rinsed a couple of times in the past 9 months with tank water. In the 9 months that the canister filter has been running I have changed the sponges 2 or 3 times only. When replacing the filter sponges I throw out half and the other half I rinse out with tank water and put back in the filter.

Given what I have read in these posts the culprit seems to be the canister filter's neglect on my part (guilty as charged), and more specifically the sponge material in it. I would like to throw everything in that canister out but want to keep the carbon only because it makes the water crystal clear.

I feed once a day, and lately I've skipped a day here and there (on purpose).

I have cut down on water changes only because this did nothing in lowering nitrates, so I figured why bother? Ammonia & nitrites are at "0", pH at a constant 7.8 - 8.0. My livestock are all doing great (knock on wood). My skimmer is working 24/7 and I maintain it fairly regularly.

My nitrate reading this past weekend was at 80 !!! ..... this sucks big time.

The only other issue (and I don't know if it's related to high nitrates is a case of cyanobacteria, red slimy carpet). I have "vacuumed" the tank's bottom 3 or 4 times in the past 9 months, and have fanned the LR with a powerhead for the first time 2 weeks ago, just to get all the sh*t off so it can be sucked away and filtered.

Should I get rid of the canister media completely and only keep carbon?

Advice and comments are appreciated.

Thanks all.

 

I would definitely ditch the canister filter, especially if you aren't keeping up on cleaning it. Carbon that is 9 months old is more detrimental than beneficial so I would toss that as well.

Do you happen to have a deep sand bed in that tank?

 

Nemo. You did a good thing by ditching the sponge in your filter. Like mentioned above a media reactor works great, or a coil like tangster said (always wanted to build one but never got around to it). I dont think you are overstocked. Just keep what you are doing and DO NOT OVERFEED!!! Making a fuge out of your filter is a cool idea also. If you need help with that let us know, i have links somewhere on DIY pages for that.

Hey sssnake... ditch the canister filter for sure. If you want to run carbon one of our LFS (Worldfish) sells some home made media reactors that work great for a good price. I bought one around x-mas time and have been running carbon of P04 stuff in there... They work great and are easy to setup if you have a sump... if you dont there is a way to set it up also.... If you want more info let me know.

Marc.

 

Since i removed my sponge and doing water changes my nitrates have gone down to 20. I think within the next few water changes it will be down to next to nothing so I agree, filter media can cause nothing but headaches. I now only use carbon in my filter. My corals are looking great again, my xenia has split and there is a new baby xenia developing. I also had a xenia frag that was doing poorly for weeks and now it's bounced back to normal.

 

Glad to hear it ;D