which canister is better the filstar or the marineland one? i am now only looking online but i plan on making a 55g SW tank i plan on buying a canister and thats is.....but do i HAVE TO HAVE a protein skimmer? a sump? cause if i do thats a lot.
canister help
- Thread starter shadow1345
- Start date
You do not "have to have" them but your system will run better and cleaner with a PS and a sump.IMO canister filters are best used with carbon and phosphate remover and only when needed.As far as for biological filtration a few pounds of live rock will blow any canister away.Both of the canister filters you mentioned are good ones if you can find a good deal on one.Check their media capacity and water flow,pick the biggest one.I would buy a 29g($50)and DIY a sump,Have your 55g drilled($20) for overflows and get a good skimmer(about $100 for one that will handle your tank) and about a 500gph return pump($50)After you buy hoses and fittings,and plexiglass for baffles in sump you might have $250 in the setup but it will greatly increase water quality and decrease water changes which will save you money in the long run.
I have the Marineland220 (an early purchase). As Ric mentioned I took the media out of it and replaced it with carbon. It is uber quiet, that part I like.
If you have not bought one however I'd instead get a sump and skimmer. In fact....I have those and the filter.
If you have not bought one however I'd instead get a sump and skimmer. In fact....I have those and the filter.
Are you planning a FO, FOWLR, or reef?
Having a sump is not necessary. There are tanks all over that are run without a sump. A sump increases total water volume, providing greater stability. It's also a great place to hide some equipment -- heaters, protein skimmer, etc.
While a sump increases total water volume, I would not say it greatly increases water quality or decreases the need for water changes. If a tank has water quality problems related to overfeeding, for example, adding a sump would only temporarily make a difference. Within a week or two (depending on the size of the sump added), overfeeding will counteract any effects of simply having more water in the system. Having good water quality has more to do with overall maintenance than it does simply increasing water volume.
The need for a skimmer is heavily debated. I've seen successful reef tanks with and without a skimmer. To an extent, it depends on how heavily you want to stock the tank. A heavily stocked tank will be more difficult to maintain without a skimmer than a lightly stocked tank. Many smaller tanks are run without a skimmer, however, there tends to be more frequent water changes needed to keep high water quality.
Ultimately, I'd forego buying a canister filter, but that's just me. There are better options for biological and mechanical filtration (1 - 1.5 lbs / gallon of LR and a skimmer, for example).
Having a sump is not necessary. There are tanks all over that are run without a sump. A sump increases total water volume, providing greater stability. It's also a great place to hide some equipment -- heaters, protein skimmer, etc.
While a sump increases total water volume, I would not say it greatly increases water quality or decreases the need for water changes. If a tank has water quality problems related to overfeeding, for example, adding a sump would only temporarily make a difference. Within a week or two (depending on the size of the sump added), overfeeding will counteract any effects of simply having more water in the system. Having good water quality has more to do with overall maintenance than it does simply increasing water volume.
The need for a skimmer is heavily debated. I've seen successful reef tanks with and without a skimmer. To an extent, it depends on how heavily you want to stock the tank. A heavily stocked tank will be more difficult to maintain without a skimmer than a lightly stocked tank. Many smaller tanks are run without a skimmer, however, there tends to be more frequent water changes needed to keep high water quality.
Ultimately, I'd forego buying a canister filter, but that's just me. There are better options for biological and mechanical filtration (1 - 1.5 lbs / gallon of LR and a skimmer, for example).
many sump and protein skimmer that i have seen cost over $200. yet im not really going to over stock the tank probably about 30-45 pounds of rock and small fish. so is a skimmer really needed? a sump costs a lot as well. as you were saying i should replace the filter media and use carbon instead?
Personally, I don't see the point in spending all that money on a canister filter just to remove the media and only run carbon in it...
$85 for the Filstar XP2
$80 for a Marineland Magnum 350
(before shipping).
If the point is simply to create more flow and run some carbon once in awhile as needed, any HOB filter will do just that for 1/2 the cost without requiring the pump to be turned off to change out the carbon.
$85 for the Filstar XP2
$80 for a Marineland Magnum 350
(before shipping).
If the point is simply to create more flow and run some carbon once in awhile as needed, any HOB filter will do just that for 1/2 the cost without requiring the pump to be turned off to change out the carbon.
Agreed....mine was an early purchase (before I knew better) but since I have it I use it to run carbon.
Don't worry Grins... I have a couple canister filters sitting around that I thought I'd use on our reef tank. When we bought our set-up used, the guy ran two Eheim 2215 canisters on it. I was so excited -- always wanted a canister filter, but never spent the money to buy one. And here, I was getting two! My excitement quickly subsided once I did some reading and realized they were essentially a waste of energy to run 24/7, so I DIY-ed a sump and went from there. The only time I ever used one of them was when we first set up the tank, to clear the extra fine sediment "sand storm" from our sand addition. Since then, they've both sat dry, stored inside one of our tank stands, awaiting their next assignment (maybe on our planted tank, 18 months later and I still can't decide!). 
