Questions regarding canister media

N

nahrie

AC Members
Feb 16, 2009
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Canby, OR
Real Name
Julie
I've been a HOB power filter girl all my life; it's what my mother introduced me with. I thought about going to canister a while back, but instructions talked about replacing media every 4 weeks, and the cost of that and bla bla bla, basically scared me away from it. Now that I have a clearer idea of how I don't always need carbon (thanks guys!), I'm wondering about which media would be best to customize these bad boys with? It's a tank with goldfish mostly, so I need some efficient stuff here! I love my messy girls. :) And how often do people recommend changes? Do I need to swap stuff every month like I do with my HOB, or are there options that could last longer? I've heard contradicting info in this regard, but it's all from the stupid manufacturers, and I'd rather ask people who actually have used these! I clean out my current filter on a monthly basis (scrubbing intake tubes and all that junk) and am wondering if a similar upkeep is needed, less often, more often, what? Any tips? Brands to stay away from? Thanks everybody!
 
canisters are basically the same concept as HOBs.. just a bit more flow

you can use sponge filters, bio-balls, ceramic rings etc etc REALLY anything you can use in a HOB you can use in a canister.

and I dont recommend replacing a filter hardly ever.. for both a HOB and a Canister-- I simply take mine out and rinse it in tank water... keeps it clean-- and doesnt kill my bacteria or send me into a mini-cycle
 
I have three canisters and clean one a month so each canister gets cleaned every three months. I use sponges, ceramic rings (bio balls are a bit to big for canisters) and filter floss, the only media i ever replace is the filter floss but most of the time i just rinse that out in tank water.
 
i use the 'nano' size of bio balls and work great in a canister.
 
In the goldie tank with canister, the sponge pads or layer of floss may take more regular cleanings or replacement. Depending on your stocking and feeding I would probably do it every 4-6 weeks.
 
This all depends on your bio load tank size , Any other filters ? What kind of canister are we talking about here ? Can I reccomend a eheim classic series they rock for the money and come packed with substrate pro a media made in heaven!
 
As a side issue, is there any real risk of leakage/siphoning and draining your tank onto the floor with a canister compared to a HOB. I'm sure this falls under the category of "not likely".....but
Andy
 
andyjh said:
As a side issue, is there any real risk of leakage/siphoning and draining your tank onto the floor with a canister compared to a HOB. I'm sure this falls under the category of "not likely".....but
Andy
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When set up properly it is rather unlikely. It has happened though but depending on the canister there are ways to make it almost impossible but it involves some simple home depot shopping.
 
tcarswell said:
This all depends on your bio load tank size , Any other filters ? What kind of canister are we talking about here ? Can I reccomend a eheim classic series they rock for the money and come packed with substrate pro a media made in heaven!
Click to expand...

I plan on replacing my filter altogether, so this would be just a canister filter once I get it. I'll be filtering for 3 comets and an oranda. 2 of the comets came to me at a rather stunted 3 inches (poor babies, it's been 2 years, they never did grow), the other has capped out at 7 inches, and the oranda is about 5. I often wonder at why I let myself be talked into petsmart goldfish, they seem not to live up to the max size potential I've had in the past. Oh right, it's because they were given to my son as a Christmas present LOL! Currently I have a filter rated for up to 80 gallons and it keeps everything quite clean and nice, but I'm just sick of the cartridge replacements, big ugly black thing on my tank, noise, etc. And yes, you most certainly can recommend an eheim classic series, I like ideas. I've been debating on the Filstar xp2, but like some input from other people who know more about canisters than I do. I've got a while to think about this, as I won't be replacing it until I run out of cartridges (just bought a bunch with the tax return LOL), so anything people want to tell me is awesome.
 
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