Canister Filter

the_bandit

the_bandit

Member
Ive decided I want to get a canister filter for my 55g. All my fresh and saltwater career, I have had HOB Filters. I am mainly getting this to maybe help with my current cyano outbreak and to hopefully get a spray bar for surface aggitation. I have never had a canister but would love to try one.
What is a good one anyone has had hands on experience with?
Can I change the filtration out every two weeks or do I have to do it every week?
What are the pros and cons of a canister filter?
Any and all advice is welcome
 
aquaguy24

aquaguy24

Active Member
i don;t know to much about canister filters but y not try a HOB protein skimmer...aquaC remora is a perfect fit for a 55g...$180...anywho...how much are u feeding...that could be ur problem to cyano..or over dosing of some kind of supplement..
 
the_bandit

the_bandit

Member
I already have the Remora Skimmer

I dont feed that much maybe 2-3 times a week. Only enough till they dont eat anymore. Ive been very precise about feeding lately.
Im also cutting back on my lighting as much as possible.
I havent dosed the tank with anything besides AlgaeFix.
Is a HOB filter and Canister filter overkill?
Still need info on Canister filters.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by The_Bandit
http:///forum/post/3111867
Ive decided I want to get a canister filter for my 55g. All my fresh and saltwater career, I have had HOB Filters. I am mainly getting this to maybe help with my current cyano outbreak and to hopefully get a spray bar for surface aggitation. I have never had a canister but would love to try one.
What is a good one anyone has had hands on experience with?
Can I change the filtration out every two weeks or do I have to do it every week?
What are the pros and cons of a canister filter?
Any and all advice is welcome

I have 2 Cascade canisters on my 90g…I have always used a canister filter. The HOB splash, and make too much salt creep. I am not going to drill on my tank, no way. I always get glass tanks.
These filters are great and very easy to maintain. You don’t have to remove the hoses and flow bar to clean it, just follow the sequence of shutting the valves and detaching the hoses. They don’t vapor lock and open up real easy and I never had one leak.
I rinse the pads and media in saltwater and clean the filter only once every 3 weeks. I used 1 one of these filters on my 55g and went to 2 after the 75g. I always buy a bigger filter than I need. So purchase a canister made for a 75g to run a 55g saltwater tank. They always give the max a filter can handle…so I buy bigger. JMO
Never had problems with nitrates as some have insisted happens with canisters. LOL…I should be a sales person.
 
the_bandit

the_bandit

Member
And the brand you recommend is Cascade?
Have you used any other brands?
How do you change the filter media each time?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by The_Bandit
http:///forum/post/3112255
And the brand you recommend is Cascade?
Have you used any other brands?
How do you change the filter media each time?

I had a fluval, it wasn’t bad. The cascade is very close to that, my fluval didn’t have a flow bar. That was years ago with my freshwater tank. I had some round canister once that would vapor lock(name???) …it was a fight to get the top off…I was ready to take a hammer to it.
I never buy a cylinder canister after that. The fluval and casecade are square with flaps that lock down and release. The round one had a handle you had to pry up.
Over all the canisters I have had over the years, I like the cascade best. I understand now you can just buy a flow bar…Back in the day, you couldn’t do that.
Also the cascade has little cut off switches on each hose and by following a sequence you can leave everything attached and just service the canister. On the fluval I think I had to remove everything..it has been some years ago and the new ones may be different.
Filter media…I just rinse it in saltwater, I like to keep my good bacteria. There was a time that when I cleaned my canister, I would get a small ammonia spike (.25) because I had messed up the cycle. After that, I started just rinsing my reusable pads in the saltwater , and washing out the canister under the tap water and no more spikes. I use different stuff for media…besides the black square pads…purigen has its own pouch, and I use those little mesh bags for my carbon.
 
the_bandit

the_bandit

Member
Awesome. I appreciate your help tramensouly. I will look into getting a Cascade 1000 or 1500 for my 55g Reef tank. Any advice or things I need to look out for?
 
bender77

bender77

Member
I may not have the best experience, but I bought a Marineland C-360 for my seahorse tank. I've used marineland products before and have been impressed. So for I like the filter, but the tank has only been up for about a month and no horses yet, but when I added the sand, it cleared the tank quickly and seems to be keeping it in check. I did recently buy a Ehiem flow bar for it and it is working well, I just had to trade the plastic hose clamp for a stainless one.
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
I have a rena on my horse tank. I like it, its easy to clean and has several media baskets.
T
 
the_bandit

the_bandit

Member
Im just looking for something that has a couple nice filter stages that are easy to clean and replace. So far, I like the Cascada the most.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by The_Bandit
http:///forum/post/3112479
Im just looking for something that has a couple nice filter stages that are easy to clean and replace. So far, I like the Cascada the most.

I have never used the Marineland or Rena ones…I think the Marine one is a cylinder. Any problems with vapor lock? How do you remove the lid, does it have a release or use the handle pushed in the opposite direction to break the seal?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by bender77
http:///forum/post/3112589
My Marineland canister has a switch that you flip up and it cuts off the water flow to the tubes and then you turn it and the tubes detach, then you carry the entire canister to the sink to clean. It's squareish. I think this link is safe since it's from Marineland and they don't sell anything on their website. http://www.marineland.com/sites/Mari...=1998&mid=3226
And here is a flash video about it
http://www.marinelandc-series.com/

That looks pretty nice…do a comparison price. If this one is cheaper than the cascade, which I doubt, I think this filter will work just as good. If I were in the market for a new canister, I would by it if it was cheaper.
 
W

westwind77

Member
Originally Posted by The_Bandit
http:///forum/post/3111867
Ive decided I want to get a canister filter for my 55g. All my fresh and saltwater career, I have had HOB Filters. I am mainly getting this to maybe help with my current cyano outbreak and to hopefully get a spray bar for surface aggitation. I have never had a canister but would love to try one.
What is a good one anyone has had hands on experience with?
Can I change the filtration out every two weeks or do I have to do it every week?
What are the pros and cons of a canister filter?
Any and all advice is welcome
Eheim 2229 Canister Wet/Dry Filter. 3 large media baskets to fill with whatever you want. Not cheap though $300 - $400 depends where you shop.
 
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