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Originally Posted by whatcaneyedo
Many people dont use canister filters on saltwater tanks because they have this effect. Mechanical filteration traps waste and allows it to break down within the system creating ammonia > nitrite > nitrate. Where as protien skimming removes the waste before it breaks down. If you want to keep your nitrite and nitrate down you will need to clean out the canister frequently or remove the media from it that is trapping and holding waste. Or discard the canister completely and just get a new or larger protien skimmer.
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Agreed.
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Originally Posted by DragonBallZ
If I clean my filter out while my nitrate is up like this will it shock my tan and kill my fish? I know to clean the media in tank water, not tap water. But it still makes me nervous
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What media are you using? If you're using any floss/padding/sponge type material it needs to be tossed out in its entirety at least once a week, but twice a week or daily is even better. If you using any of the bio-media type stuff like ceramic rings, balls, etc those shouldn't be used at all in a saltwater tank, except for a few limited uses. None of the media should be rinsed and put back in the filter. That's a freshwater habit, and doesn't work well for saltwater. You can use the canister to run carbon or phosphate medias though there are cheaper and easier ways to do this (like PhosBan reactors).
Unfortunately, you spent money on an item that isn't particularly useful on a saltwater aquarium. If an LFS employee suggested you buy this for your saltwater tank I would suggest you take it back and ask for a refund since the item isn't suitable, and the employee should have known better.