Remove Canisters?

[Hermit Up North]

I am in the process of gradually adding LR to my very mature FO 125 gal tank. 15-20 lbs a month, to insure health of my inhabitants. My question is this: Can I remove the existing canisters I now have for filtration? If so, when? One at a time? My grand plan is to eventually have all biological filtration occurring in the tank, and perhaps use the canisters for once a month carbon. Is this a good plan? Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated!

[Rick O]

I removed mine after I added LR. You could gradually remove the bio media as you are adding LR and test for ammonia and nitrites as you go.

HTH, Rick

How many canisters are you running on that 125? Assuming you go with at least one pound per gallon of capacity I would suggest weaning the tank of the canisters at the half way mark. This depends on the length of time its going to take to rock the tank and the current bioload you have now. A little more info will make it easier to suggest a course of action

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I thought I was me, but we were wrong
email: geeflipr@internetcds.com

[Hermit Up North]

I guess a bit more information is in order!

Tank is five years old. 125 gal.

Fish:
1 Flame Angel
1 Coral Beauty
1 Half Black Angel
3 Clowns
1 Yellow backed Damsel
1 Powder Brown Tang
1 Sailfin Tang
1 Cleaner Wrasse
Cleaner Crew:
20 red hermits,, 20 blue hermits, 20 turbos, 2 emerald crabs, 1 sally lightfoot, 2 scarlet cleaner shrimp.

I added 24 lbs of live sand this week. I not added any more rock. All parameters are presently excellent. Lighting is 3 55watt 50/50 power compacts, 3 65 watt day/03 combo power compacts, 3 15 watt 03's. Two Fluval 403's, which I have recently removed all the bioballs. But they still have alot of media, such as ceramic rings and foam blocks.

When should I add more rock? How much? Should I begin to remove more media from the canisters or replace it with something else?

Sorry for the long post but I really need some advice. I have been quite successful with my tank, but I love the new directions the hobby is taking. I am a research fanatic, but not too much out there giving advice on an already established tank.

THANKS!!!!

Cheapest way to do this is buy live rock by the box(about 44 lbs) get uncured and do it yourself. Get a decent skimmer, one that will be adequate for the 125 and set up a tub or something you can cure the rock in. Even buying precured by the box is cheaper than paying LFS prices.

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I thought I was me, but we were wrong
email: geeflipr@internetcds.com

[Alice]

Doug hit the nail on the head with his comment; if you cure the rock yourself you can add more rock at once without fear of a spike in your tank parameter's. Theoretically, you could add the whole tub of home cured rock to the tank at once, but better to err on the side of caution and add half, take readings for a few days, then add the other half. You'll get better biodiversity with uncured rock although it might smell a little during the curing process

How much rock and how deep is the sandbed in your tank right now? That will help determine if you can pull one of the cannisters yet.

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Reefkeeping is my life; I can't afford a hobby too!

[Hermit Up North]

I have a paulty 23 lbs of live rock. I have been cautious to the extreme! My sand bed is now 2" of crushed coral with 2" of live sand on top. (Except in places where my loveable clowns move it to suit them.)

If I cured the rock myself, what do you cure it in? Does it need light? Heat? Aeration? And finally, for how long?

Thanks everyone for being so helpful!