Canister filter yay or nay..?

[Anihiel1]

Been thinking of purchasing a budget friendly canister filter, would like some input. Currently running hob 2 biowheels and a protein skimmer on a 55 g but REALLY not impressed with the biowheels. They just randomly stop spinning for days and seem to be more of a harbor for sludge, cyano and dinos than any beneficial bacteria. Looking at maybe a cascade 1200...? Thoughts? Recommendations?

 

[Quietman]

Canisters can work well...but as I'm sure you know you have to faithfully clean it before the biologics break down. That's usually weekly. I'd buy on ease of cleaning design as the main criteria. Fw can skip weeks and months so ease of cleaning less important for them. You'll want to be able to break it down, clean it, install and prime and run in as little time as possible.

Also make sure quality is high enough for repeated connections.

I think the Cascade will work, not sure on longevity though.

 

[Hermie]

how about a "hay" ?

 

[Anihiel1]

Any recommendation? Last one I had was a diatom canister years ago when I was breeding fancy guppies.

 

[Anihiel1]

how about a "hay" ?

A hay?
Ok. Heeeeeeey

 

[Anihiel1]

Sidenote, this tank is actually one of the same tanks I had back then. Last thing my dad gave me before he died. He enjoyed fishing and boatbuilding before he became ill with ALS. For the 20th anniversary of his death last year, I decided I was doing a saltwater tank in his memory.

 

[Quietman]

Budget wise...think you're ok. That or Marine land.

Next level up...I like the smaller fluvals (all those screws on the bigger ones don't look fun every week). Eheims are good too...but still like the old school round ones best

 

[CoralReefer1019]

Been thinking of purchasing a budget friendly canister filter, would like some input. Currently running hob 2 biowheels and a protein skimmer on a 55 g but REALLY not impressed with the biowheels. They just randomly stop spinning for days and seem to be more of a harbor for sludge, cyano and dinos than any beneficial bacteria. Looking at maybe a cascade 1200...? Thoughts? Recommendations?

What do you run inside your HOB filter?

 

[Anihiel1]

What do you run inside your HOB filter?

There are four compartments, with two slots each, and you can purchase media holders that fit the compartments. So in addition to the 4 bio wheels I can run 4 filter floss, 2 carbon, & 2 phosguard. Seemed like a great concept but in actual use there is too much area for bypass flow and the bio wheels get gunked. Also that might sound like a lot but the actual area of filter media is less than in a canister.

 

[Katrina71]

@sfin52 you may have input here.

 

[Anihiel1]

Another problem with the design is that the bio wheels do not have enough flow to turn consistently and will often stop completely. This results in the top half drying out. I believe this causes a die-off and is resulting in the cyano/dinos is I am currently battling. They seem to be vastly concentrated on the outflows of the filters. Not bad at this point, but I've already had to ditch the previous fine-sand bed in favor of black live sand (wonderful coarse fluffy soft sand) and h202'd all my rocks. Seemed to cure it but it's creeping back.

 

[lilgrounchuck]

Have looked at the Seachem Tidals? I’ve got a bio wheel 350 on my fresh tank and don’t care for it, but it came with the tank. I bought a tidal 110 for my 50 gal reef tank and love it. The compartment is huge, pump is submerged so no worries about restarting after cutting power, and it’s got a surface skimming grate.

 

[Anihiel1]

I have not, I will definitely check that out!

 

[sfin52]

What do you run inside your HOB filter?

Carbon& sponge another I tired into a refugium.

 

[sfin52]

Been thinking of purchasing a budget friendly canister filter, would like some input. Currently running hob 2 biowheels and a protein skimmer on a 55 g but REALLY not impressed with the biowheels. They just randomly stop spinning for days and seem to be more of a harbor for sludge, cyano and dinos than any beneficial bacteria. Looking at maybe a cascade 1200...? Thoughts? Recommendations?

How big is the tank? I would look into the aquaclear or a canister. They will both get the job done

 

[Anihiel1]

55 gallon

 

[brandon429]

Interesting side note:

if no canister filter at all was ran here, and the current bio wheel removed instantly, and the sandbed instantly removed, and all forms of surface area (places for beneficial bac) were removed except for live rock, your testers would never show any change even if you added an extra fish at the same time



if you re-measured the system in 24 mos, still no change to the all inclusive surface area measurement of the current tank.

lemme know how that concept affects decisions to run canister filters, they have no effect on ammonia as it’s fully controlled by rock alone.

all the extra surface area reefers add is simply not required. Removing unneeded surface area from a reef doesn’t de stabilize, it’s how we discerned it was unneeded in the sand rinse thread 30 pages of instant removals stated above

We cannot fathom how powerful live rock is so we stack orders of redundancy around it, driving up nitrates because eventually they stop cleaning them in sw tanks and run them clogged, like freshwater.

running an empty canister filter for circulation is more fitting.


reefers waste thousands of dollars using freshwater gear on saltwater tanks, and since they don’t kill the tank, this expenditure continues.

unhooking one from the tank, and all tank details still working fine, is how we know they’re a massive waste of money in reefing

using one dedicated for po4 or nitrate removal is different, it’s the extra surface area goal that wastes time and money. Reefs do not need extra surface area anymore than a car needs more wheels for efficient highway travel.

 

[RedRaiderReefer]

Any recommendation? Last one I had was a diatom canister years ago when I was breeding fancy guppies.

We use a Fluval FX4 on a 55 gallon reef tank. The location of the tank made it impossible to use a sump but the tank is healthy and happy. The FX4 is the easiest we found to clean and it doesn't make a huge mess when you take it apart. It also has a valve on the bottom for water changes that makes it super easy.

 

[sfin52]

We use a Fluval FX4 on a 55 gallon reef tank. The location of the tank made it impossible to use a sump but the tank is healthy and happy. The FX4 is the easiest we found to clean and it doesn't make a huge mess when you take it apart. It also has a valve on the bottom for water changes that makes it super easy.

Agreei have an fx4 on 90 works great

 

[Cell]

Just pull the bio wheels off. Assuming you have live rock, the bio wheels arent necessary. Aquaclear hob's dont have them at all.