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Old 12-13-2012, 05:12 PM
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You seem to be a bit confused about types of filtration so here is a rough breakdown of the few that you've listed. Canister filters, protein skimmers, fluidized media reactors, and solid organic carbon dosing are all used for different types of filtration. Canister filters physically trap and hold aquarium waste but do not remove it until you clean them out. The trouble with them is that many people do not clean them out frequently enough allowing the trapped waste to break down into nitrate. Protein skimmers remove waste from the water column before it has a chance to break down into nitrate. Fluidized media reactors are an efficient way to run Carbon, GFO or Pellets. Carbon removes yellowing compounds from the water making your tank look cleaner, allowing light to penetrate better. It also removes chemicals that your coral might release into the water to attack other coral within your system. GFO removes phosphate and silicate. Solid organic carbon dosing (biopellets) must be used in conjunction with a powerful skimmer (relative to your system volume). The pellets are biodegradable plastic that bacteria colonize and break down. The bacteria consumes roughly 4 times more nitrate than phosphate while doing this which is why some people still need to use GFO in addition to them and why they simply don't work for others.
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