Enough filtration for 220g?

First Question: Why would you want 3 canister filters?
Second Question: Why wouldnt you just go with a bigger sump and return pump?

Personally 3 canister filters is dumb. A bigger sump with no filter would be better. As for a skimmer, its not needed but they are a good option. Reef Octopus makes good skimmers for bigger tanks but they are fairly expensive.

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You ask if you have enough filtration but fail to state what you will be keeping in the tank.

I have a 220 FOWLR. Up and running 7 years. 65 gallon sump and 220lbs of live rock. Protien skimmer and micro algea. Deep live sand bed. 16 inch puffer. 15 inch lionfish, 12 inch queen angel and 12 inch emperor angel. 9 inch clown trigger, 8 inch powder blue tang. 6 inch yellow tang, 6 inch purple tang. 5 inch betta gamma. All fish have been in the tank since thumb size except the Queen Angel which was 9 inches when introduced. In my opinion if you use the canaster filters or any filter for that matter you will not be able to rid the tank of nitrates. This seems to be a rule of thumb. I have neglected the tank at times going six to eight months without water changes.

These pictures were taken 01-30-2010 I had the puffer in another tank at the time as he would not let the Lionfish eat.

Thanks for your opinion on my tank. It needs more attention then I can give at the moment. As far as the nitrates, I was taught they can be removed by the deep sand bed's living organisms, canister filters cannot remove nitrates I am told, therefore you have nitrates being introduced at all times in to the tank. You should have no problem with only live rock, deep sand bed and macro algae with plenty of water circulation. I prefer to use a protein skimmer. I started off with a hang on the back and now use a older octopus which does well. I only have a shop light hanging above this.

I am by far no expert on this I just know my setup works. I am sure someone hear will explain this better or have better opinions.

Thanks,
Kraig

Canister filters cannot get rid of nitrates because they have nowhere to put them to get rid of them. All they can do with nitrates is soak them up and disperse them again. Water changes are the only way to get rid of them

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Canisters do not remove much if any Nitrate. Denitrifying Bacteria lives in oxygen deficiant areas within the tank like deep in rockwork or in deep sand beds where theres very little water movement. Nitrates are controled with canister filtration via added media like chem-pure or purigien, or by large volume w/c's in freshwater tanks. Large volume W/C's are a no-no with salt, too things need to stay stable in salty's.

Canisters and HOB's aren't really designed to handle the flow of water loaded with abrhasive minreals like sodium, magneseium, and calcium to name a few. More than likely your canisters won't survive a year of saltwater before the seals and magnets are destoyed. Ideally your circulation in salty's should come from a pump with the impeller vertical in design like pondmaster mag drives not horizontal like HOBs and canisters.

Protien skimmers remove dissolved solids before they become a cycling task - very helpful with small volime w/c's. BUT - your main nitrogen cycling source in Saltwater is your rockwork. Pretty much realize your gonna need 200lbs or more of calcifide rock and a many many months of said rock cycling for maturity of the biological colonies. I have approx. 230 lbs of LR in both my sump and display tank.