Cannister Filer

[joscadi]

My friend gave me a cannister filter that looks like the Fluval 404. The problem is that it is made in china and there were no instructions in it. I believe that the manufacturer is Jebo or Jebao. I could easily put it together and kind of see how it works, but the question I have is what goes inside. The cannister has four compartments one on top of the other. Starting from the bottom layer, what sort of media do I use?

[OrionGirl]

What size tank, and what fish? The media you use will be dictated by the bio-load of the fish. With canisters, it's easy to mix the media to get the maximum benefit. Ceramic noodles and bio-balls are used for biological filtration, while sponges and poly filters are used for mechanical filtration. There is also a variety of chemical filtration options, like carbon, but these are often not needed. Mechanical should come first, so the biological media does not become clogged with lots of solid wastes, and should also be cleaned most frequently.

[Richer]

The basic concept of most canister filters are simliar. Fill the canister trays with biomedia (anything from lego pieces, to the top of the line ceramic media). Cover the intake of your filter with a prefilter. This can be using something as simple as an Aquaclear sponge with a hole cut in it, to something expensive like an Eheim prefilter sponge. The prefilter will prevent gunk from quickly building up within the filter. This will reduce maintanence on the canister signifcantly. Just remember to clean out the prefilter at least once a week. I just blast mine with a garden hose... or rinse it really good in my sink. Killing off bacteria is of no concern... that prefilter is there for mechanical filtration, not bio filtration.

HTH
-Richer

[joscadi]

I am still cycling my tank which is a 60 gal. tank. To start the cycle process, I have 4 black tetras, about 3 inch each, and 3 swordtails, also about 3 inch each. Eventually, when it is all cycled, I would like to add small clown loaches, about 3 as well. When they get bigger, then probably transfer them to a bigger tank. So this will be the bio load in the tank. I would probably add maybe a couple of tiger barbs later too.

So back to my question, this is what I understand from the replies. Starting from the bottom, I will have sponge, and fiber occupying the bottom two compartments, followed by ceramic noddles/rings, and the top compartment will have charcoal? is this correct.

[andytwite]

You want the Bio media in the top compartment / basket so it receives the purest water. If you have four compartments the you're spoilt for choice. I'd go with a medium pore mechanical filter in the bottom tray (as with the Fluval 404 your water should be going down the cannister through the sponges at the side first anyhow), fine pore in the next one up (such as floss fibre), carbon (or whatever other chemical variant you wish) in the one above that and then the Bio media. It just depends on your personal needs. Aren't all the baskets divided in half as well, so you've got STACKS of space to put things.

Just a note on carbon....it needs replacing every 4 weeks or so. If you leave it longer than that it becomes a great surface for all your bacteria but doesn't take any more out of the water. There is some specualtion that it actually eventually starts to release all the cr*p back into the water that it originally took out. Lots of people don't use it unless they need to remove meds from the water. You could always have two trays of Bio-media. :p

Also, when you clean out your cannister filter (every 4-6 weeks or so), you want to rinse the large pore filter / sponges (until you REALLY have to replace them because they are so gross!), ditch the floss and replace it, replace the carbon if necessary, and rinse the bio-media if showing any signs of clogging. ALL RINSING TO BE DONE IN TANK WATER>>>NOT>>>>TAP WATER!!! This is because all the surfaces will start to eventually be colonised by those useful bacteria. Always handy to be doing a water change at the same time to provide plenty of rinsing water in a bucket.

I personally have a Fluval 304, and I love it! :D

[TonyN]

I've noticed that a few people have said that the biomedia should go on top, after the fine pad or floss.
Yet Eheim says to put the floss on top of the bio. Any comments on this? Does it make any difference?
I'm not trying to be a wise***. I really want to know,

Thanks

[LongTime]

Fluval used to advise putting the bio stuff in the bottom layer just like ehiem. I have the "old" style round fluval instead on the newer ones, so they may have changed their instructions.

[andytwite]

This came up in a similar thread at MFT and the conclusion was the same. The newer generation of Fluval 04 series (square design) say to put the media in the following order:

1. Sponge screen - not a media basket per say, but this is the coarse mechanical filter that the water flows past first trapping the largest debris.

2. Lowest basket - recommends another form of mech filter here. I personally use filter floss as this is finer and catches the smaller particles. The idea of putting the mech filters at the beginning is to remove particulate matter that could potentially block the pores of bio-media.

3. Middle basket - chemical filtration. This is where you would put carbon or anything to alter the chemical makeup of the water, i.e.Peat moss, Nitr-Zorb, crushed coral etc. If you don't use any chemical media, then you can use this basket for Bio-media...that's what I do.

4. Top basket - Bio-media. This basket should be receiving the cleanest water free from any debris and carrying oxygen. It is therefore the ideal place to culture the nitrifying bacteria hence should contain the bio-media. I think Fluval advise against putting floss here on the very top in case it somehow pulls through the top basket cover and fouls the impeller.

It makes perfect sense to me from a Biochemical point of view and has worked a treat to date. I also find that cleaning my filter is made easy, especially as I use a pre-filter on the intake tube. There really isn't that much to clean out apart from the sponge screen and I toss & replace the bottom baskets floss. My bio-media almost never need rinsing as they remain unclogged and loaded with bacteria.

All in all, it boils down to the manufacturer. I would say in general terms you should follow the manufacturers instructions, after all they have tested their equipment and in theory should know what works best.

[jacblades]

(anything from lego pieces, to the top of the line ceramic media)

:p hehe legos