fluval caister or marineland magnum canister

[jesse!]

There is a good deal at my LFS for a 100g Marineland Magnum Canister for $100 and there's a Fluval 404 (100g) canister at the same place for $125.00.
What am I better off with? I only have soft corals.
thanks

 

[windlasher]

Originally Posted by JESSE!
http:///forum/post/3030465
There is a good deal at my LFS for a 100g Marineland Magnum Canister for $100 and there's a Fluval 404 (100g) canister at the same place for $125.00.
What am I better off with? I only have soft corals.
thanks
IMHO, do not use a canister. Use a sump. Canister get dirty quickly and build up nitrates and the like unless they are completely cleaned often. I only use a canister for water polishing if I need to.

 

[pbnj]

Why not use the Fluval.....they make the thing so darn easy to clean these days. The only thing they haven't included is a little troll in box to actually clean it for you.

 

[natclanwy]

I wouldn't use the magnum, they are a pain to get to stop producing air bubbles and being noisy. I think most of the people running them locally have changed their minds about using the magnums due to the issues they were having.

 

[suspectcobra]

i run a fluval 305 so somewhat the same deal, yes cleaning becomes routine but its not all that bad, every couple months take EVERYTHING out and clean it hoses and all, and weekly i clean out the canister and the media in it and replace when needed, yes i would rather have a sump but that will come later down the line when i can accommodate one.

 

[nordy]

I use the Magnum 350 on my 55 gal reef tank and I really like it-the clear plastic lets me keep an eye on the filter condition. yeah, they can be a maintenance issue, but when you are talking saltwater reef tanks you should already be used to that part of the hobby!
I do rely on my sump (and LR) for taking care of my tank but I really like having the canister filter always running to keep the water crystal clear. I tend to feed heavy and after letting my corals have a good meal, or after scraping the glass, I turn on the Magnum and the water is clear and clean in very short order. I just keep about 4-5 filters on hand so I always have a clean one ready to install.