Filtration question

[Fishdummy]

Hi, just a quick filtration question. I am looking for advice on my 38 gallon that I have 4 elec yellow labs in. I have a Penguin Bio wheel 170 filtering it now, and was wondering if I'd be better off adding another penguin 170, getting a penguin 330 to replace it, or go with a canister filter? Would the canister be overkill? I mean, would it be THAT much better than a 330, or two penguin 170's on such a small tank?

I appreciate all the advice you knowledgeable folks offer, so thank you in advance for all your help.

[Rocketman]

Canisters are awesome. My 60G with Eheim 2026 (up to 92G tank recomended) is about as clean as my 45G with Emperor 260 (gph, or gallons per hour is the 260) and a whisper 40, (about the same i think.) I am also running a Magnum 250 on Water Polisher mode. So, the canister is better than all these, since I don't even need to do water changes on it as often, and I only need to change the filter every 2 months, and I don't even replace the media, except every 9 months or so. They're much expensive for sure, but they're much better as well.

[125gJoe]

I prefer the cansiters -- Rena Filstars are a favorite of mine....

[J&JsTA]

For me the cannister was easier with better filtration and less maintenance and yes a bit more expensive .. I have a Rena Filstar Xp2 on a 65g :bowing:

[JSchmidt]

The advantages of a canister are that they generally are quieter, they give you more options re: the type of media used within, they give you more flexibility re: the placement of inputs and outlets, and in some cases, they are better made (and thus longer lived) than HOB filters.

They will not change the interval between water changes. Water change frequency is a function of the bioload, the amount of food put in the tank, and the amount of waste exported from the tank before it breaks down (by cleaning mechanical media or by vacuuming gravel).

Canisters can be a bit more work to clean; they have to be unhooked, taken apart and the media rinsed or changed. If you aren't good about cleaning a canister, it can become a reservoir for decaying poop, uneaten food, etc. This is true of HOBs, too, but the 'out of sight, out of mind' tendency may make this a bigger problem with a canister. Many of us use canisters as bio-only filters (with just a bit of mechanical filtration offered by a sponge prefilter on the canisters). In this configuration, the canister is packed only with biomedia (e.g., ceramic noodles, plastic bioballs), allowing any particulates and biofilms shed from the filter media to be expelled from the canister. Mechanical filtration duties are then carried out by a filter tasked expressly to mech filtration. RobertTR originated this technique and has written a great online article detailing it much more authoritatively than my brief sketch. Check it out at: http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cannister.html .

Re: your question about multiple filters, I think redundancy in filtration is always a good idea. It provides a margin of safety in case a filter konks out, and if you're diligent about cleaning mechanical media, it can greatly help keep the water clean. Also, if you isolated biological and mechanical filtration, you can clean mechanical media without fear of wiping out your beneficial bacteria.

Sorry for the dissertation length response...

HTH,

Jim

[aquariumfishguy]

Canisters are nice, and held to a high respect in some aspects, but IMO not nessessarly needed on a 38 gallon. I would think a penguin 330 would be just fine for that aquarium. Any number of HOB filters would work. An aquaclear 300 would also work wonders on that tank, as would some of the Whispers out there.

It's really up to you, and your wallet. Many people, however fond of canisters they are, are not willing to spend all the money for one, unless we are talking about a much larger tank.

Good luck!

[anonapersona]

The big difference between HOB and canister is volume (as in the liters of sponges or other media) and loudness (as it how quiet it is)

Because of the massive difference in media volume -- compare the size of the foam cover on the cartridge of a 330 to the perhaps 2 liters of media and pads of a canister, there is indeed a difference in the maintenance cycle.

[daveedka]

All of these responses are excellent, here is my thought on the issue. If you are already running a 170, get a second 170, redundancy is always good for reasons mentioned in the other replies, the big thing is the money you already spent on your first filter. Although I realize a 170 isn't that expensive, I am a tightwadd and hate to see the money wasted. With two identicle filters, even if one dies, you have it for spare parts for the other.
I have used emporer 400's and 280's religiously, not because I believe they are superior to other filters, but because they are all the same and use the same cartriges. They are what I started with and I hate to deviate because if I get one oddball It makes my life more complicated.

[apeezie]

Well, I took the plunge and got an Eheim 2213. I was looking around everywhere for a good price and actually got one for 74 dollars shipped. SO I am pretty happy about that.

Hope i notice the BIG difference