Filter
- Thread starter saltlife
- Start date
lion_crazz
Active Member
Meh, nothing to get excited about. They work, but they are expensive for what they are.
Consider this: A Cascade 1000 sells for $90 new. The filter does 265 gallons per hour. A good hang-on the back, such as an Emperor 400, goes for $50 new and will give you 400 gallons per hour.
I don't get the appeal of the cannister filter. They are messier, and do not offer even close to the amount of room as a sump or wet/dry. If you wanted to avoid having a filter hang on the back of your tank, I would not spend the money on a cannister. I would put my money into building a small sump. Though it may cost a tad more, you will get so much more production and satisfaction out of it.
Consider this: A Cascade 1000 sells for $90 new. The filter does 265 gallons per hour. A good hang-on the back, such as an Emperor 400, goes for $50 new and will give you 400 gallons per hour.
I don't get the appeal of the cannister filter. They are messier, and do not offer even close to the amount of room as a sump or wet/dry. If you wanted to avoid having a filter hang on the back of your tank, I would not spend the money on a cannister. I would put my money into building a small sump. Though it may cost a tad more, you will get so much more production and satisfaction out of it.
F
flukes
Guest
I have the Cascade 1000 canister filter, I like it and have no complaints but this is the only canister filter that I have ever owned so I don’t have anything to compare it to. It is quiet and keeps the water clean.
saltlife
Member
I know eventually im going to get a sump but im still a noob to salt. The only guy I know with saltwater has a 550 and a 750 so his set up looks like too much work for me. I moved, got a bigger tank, and transporting everything a little at the time. I guess i just need something temp. for now and do some research on a sump. The lfs says it would be around 300 other people say you can build one. Everyone says a sump is so much better but whats the big diff. besides things hanging from the back of your tank?
sh00tist
Member
A sump gives you the option of adding liverock(wich will filter far more than any cannister)along with a spot to run carbon,put your heater,dose chemicals,do water changes,place a skimmer,setup a refugium...should I go on?..acclimate new arrivals,place unwanted critters until you can get them to the lFS,use a fan instead of a chiller,install a phosban reactor,place your thermometer,run filter floss...Im sure there are more. Ideally with saltwater we want to provide as much biological filtration as possible and remove ourselves and our animals from the money,time and risks that are all prevalent when we rely on mechanical filtration. In short nature provides the very best possible filtration for our tanks with very little cost incurred after setup. Get a sump with a chamber full of rock and a good skimmer and you are in business. Troll the buy/sell board here and other places and you will find a good sump cheap or you can make one yourself with a small tank or rubbermaid container,$300 is madness for a sump.