I am also keeping a 2 ft tank. Used to be using a cannister but the nitrate kept on shooting very high. Finally I remove the canister and using a sump now. I had also remove all the coral chips and rings in the sump step by step. IMO, sump makes water change very easy and with higher water volume, more fish can be kept. If u tink a sump is ex, DIY one, will change u less than $50 if u got a tank already for the sump.