Canister filters for Dummies ?
- Thread starter vanillarum
- Start date
Exactly what is misleading about saying I clean my two canisters twice a year and that I do pre-filter them and clean the prefilters weekly? Both statements are true. Neither tank is a death trap, some of the fish in them I have had for about 10 years. And both canisters use 2 layers of fine filter floss. One is the thick pad made by Eheim and the other I cut myself and it is thinner. But the filters have flow indicators on them and my flow does not diminish much over 6 months. The floss is nasty when I change it out.
Those unfamiliar with the the Stealth heater debacle should note that the Stealth brand no longer exists but the crappy Maxi-Jet powerheads were indeed redesigned under the same name. Perhaps this information regarding the Stealth recall from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission entitled "Aquarium Heaters Recalled by United Pet Group Due to Fire and Laceration Hazards" will show how dangerous these units potentially were http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11202.html They don't even mention the loads of fish soup or frozen fish the failures also created.
Those unfamiliar with the the Stealth heater debacle should note that the Stealth brand no longer exists but the crappy Maxi-Jet powerheads were indeed redesigned under the same name. Perhaps this information regarding the Stealth recall from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission entitled "Aquarium Heaters Recalled by United Pet Group Due to Fire and Laceration Hazards" will show how dangerous these units potentially were http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11202.html They don't even mention the loads of fish soup or frozen fish the failures also created.
I have two eheim 2213 filters, soon to be 4 when I set up my new tank. They do a great job and with such a low power consumption to boot. Should last me years!!!!
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Never read any of the comments b4 this, too many pages...I can tell u that if u don't perform regular maintenance on your canisters, they become nitrate factories! Maybe that's why I still run a Wet/dry along side my canister. You guys always hyping up the FX5, so i ask why?
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One of the two canisters I stated I clean only twice a year was on a heavily planted tank (I just broke it down last weekend after 10+ years). I pushed pressurized co2 through that filter from day one. I have also been dosing nitrate into that tank for almost the entire time. I would have loved for the filter to have been a nitrate factory, the plants love the stuff. But my nitrates always read 0 and that was simply insufficient for the plant load.
Personally, I'm a huge fan of Eheim classics and Aqua Clear HOBs. That said, ask yourself if you *need* a canister. Again, personally, I think canisters are appropriate for planted tanks w/ CO2 injection and Marine tanks - for the exact reason that they are not a good choice for any other tank - they tend to go anoxic and they can be setup to minimize surface gas exchange.
If you are running FO FW, I'd go with a good HOB, minimal stuff in the tank, little or no coarse gravel and extension tubes. Power heads for larger tanks are good too (especially w/ coarse sponges on the inlets). Once you have circulation right, cleaning the crud out is a snap!
Canisters are (relatively) expensive and a PITA to clean out. The do offer flexability, so you can dissolve CO2, get rid of nitrates etc. which are good for planted & marine folk.
If you are running FO FW, I'd go with a good HOB, minimal stuff in the tank, little or no coarse gravel and extension tubes. Power heads for larger tanks are good too (especially w/ coarse sponges on the inlets). Once you have circulation right, cleaning the crud out is a snap!
Canisters are (relatively) expensive and a PITA to clean out. The do offer flexability, so you can dissolve CO2, get rid of nitrates etc. which are good for planted & marine folk.
Best thing about canisters is they move lots of water, hold tons of media, and don't need to be cleaned all that often. As far as them being a "nitrate factory" that is just not true. I'd like to know who coined that phrase, or why it caught on. Get a descent canister, like a Eheim Classic, it will have quick disconnect hoses, and they are a breeze to clean. Just like with any tank and filter, don't over stock, don't overfeed, clean them 3 or 4 times a year, and you should have no water quality issues.
I suppose all they do is create nitrates, if the nitrogen cycle is working correctly etc. I know that I clean my filters once every two months but if I added a pre filter to them I think it would be done every half a year or so. I honestly don't get internal of HOB filters anymore, they take up valuable space within the tank and they look unsightly. Mind you saying that, eheim do a good job making tanks look back with their tubing with EHEIM EHEIM EHEIM all over them lol
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