My first set up was a 42gl tank with "fake" decor, a cheap light, and a canister filter.
The beneficial bacteria began to colonize in my media used in my canister and substrate. When I did water changes I would save the SW and use that rinse the media in my canister filter so I wouldnt kill off any bacteria that had grown in there. If you use FW your basically setting yourself up for a new bacteria bloom and/or mini cycle each time you do maintenance. But a canister filter is completely doable on a SW tank with or without corals
At one point I removed all the decor and replaced it with LR I had been cycling for abt a month and was eventually able to add lps, softies, shrooms, and zoas and they all thrived with a canister filter.
Once my confidence and understanding grew, I added a HOB fuge with a skimmer and eventually upgraded my light before upsizing the tank all together.
Guess what Im trying to say is anything is possible so long as your willing to put in the extra time and effort needed for the type of system and set up you choose to run. I know people who grow amazing corals with simple HOB FW filters hanging off the backs of their tanks, but they are also very diligent in their routine.
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The beneficial bacteria began to colonize in my media used in my canister and substrate. When I did water changes I would save the SW and use that rinse the media in my canister filter so I wouldnt kill off any bacteria that had grown in there. If you use FW your basically setting yourself up for a new bacteria bloom and/or mini cycle each time you do maintenance. But a canister filter is completely doable on a SW tank with or without corals
At one point I removed all the decor and replaced it with LR I had been cycling for abt a month and was eventually able to add lps, softies, shrooms, and zoas and they all thrived with a canister filter.
Once my confidence and understanding grew, I added a HOB fuge with a skimmer and eventually upgraded my light before upsizing the tank all together.
Guess what Im trying to say is anything is possible so long as your willing to put in the extra time and effort needed for the type of system and set up you choose to run. I know people who grow amazing corals with simple HOB FW filters hanging off the backs of their tanks, but they are also very diligent in their routine.
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