Canister filters anyone using them?

[nitro]

Hello,
I have heard a lot of bad stuff about the use of canister filters, about being nitrate factory's and stuff. Anyone out there using them getting good results if so what types and what media are you using? How often do you clean them?
Nitro

 

[twilliard]

They are not bad just high maintenance
I ran one for years just keep it clean and pads cleaned or replaced.
I cleaned mine once a week

 

[reeferKen]

nano-reef June 2015 featured tank WawaWang, using a canister filter just fine for 3 years with a basic maintenance schedule, which he lists. Youtube "rottertube" also uses one.

 

[nitro]

Hello,
Do you guys prefer a certain brand or size?
Nitro

 

[twilliard]

I ran the Rena xp3 for many years

 

[diablomaster9045]

I have one on my fresh water planted tank.

 

[nitro]

What about the types of media you used?
Thanks, Nitro

 

[twilliard]

Just carbon is what i used

 

[robert]

Mechanical filtration is the best. Its more work - and harder to get right - but your choices and options to address tank issues are many.
A properly sized and equiped mechanical filter can greatly reduce or completely eliminate many diseases such as ich or velvet as well as other parasites which have a free swimming stage. They are no more a nitrate factory than any other system. but they have to be installed such a way thay they can be easily maintained and have to have sufficient flow through to accomplish their purpose.

I use mechanical filtration. I also have a skimmer. The mechanical takes out so much that the skimmer produces absolutely nothing - nada. I keep a high load of fish corals and nems...after nine months the tank is almost as clean as the day I set it up and my water quality is better than anything a skimmer alone can produce.

 

[diablomaster9045]

I use bioballs. I prefer ceramic rings but I can't use them, because I am running co2 on my planted tank.

 

[nitro]

Robert, what filter are you using and what media do you use?
ThanksNitro

 

[Abdiel]

I also have been wanting to use a canister filter and use it solely as a mechanical filter and parter it up with a seperate wet dry filter for biological, and thoughts?

 

[ChrisAndJulie2012]

I'll chime in with my experience with canister filters and have just posted about my issue not too long ago.

Now mind you I work on the Mississippi river and its not your typical 9-5 m/f kinda job and we have 5 month old preemie twin boys. So water changes and filter maintenance don't get completed as much as I or one would like due to my work/life schedule. I have been fighting with tank nitrates since the tank was born it's about six to seven months old now. I couldn't figure out why, well till I found this forum. See, I run two Fluval 404's on a 125 gallon prior freshwater. *we got the complete setup for FREE*. I was running all sorts of product in the various media compartments. The nitrates would drop for 7-8 days then spike to off the chart, API test kit.

So here is what I did, I got rid of the Fluval filter pads that were in the canister and now just run carbon and a seachem bag/pouch. Guess what? My nitrates are down to 0.0 and have been since I have been home this past week and half.

I agree that if you can do your maintenance and stay on top of it, you won't have a nitrate farm like I did. The filter pads work great, and would always be filthy with, well you know. Since I have removed the pads, my Reef Octopus protein skimmer has doubled its production.

I hope my lil experience helps you in your decision, I am still a novice in this hobby and enjoy it 100%.

 

[Abdiel]

My fish tank has been running for about 2 months only on hang on filters ( 2 of them) and one diy water pump filter, recently tested to water yesterday and so far all good, live stock is 3 blue green chronic with 1 shrimp 5 crabs 4 snails

 

[Pfisherman]

My first tank was all diy, love it! @Abdiel

I think that the canister filters are more common in FO or FOWLR tanks where nitrates are less crucial. I have also heard of folks using them for GFO or carbon.

Also I would like to have a canister filter to use for vacuuming my sump, I always thought that was a good idea.

 

[nitro]

Thanks guys, great info

 

[Newb73]

Some people who do not like media reactors use canisters instead.

A few points. I change my filter socks every 3 days and there is no way I would want to service a cannister filter every 3 days to attend to mechanical filtration. If you get the right media reactors, then reactors are still easier to service than canisters. Don't believe that mechanical filtration prevents disease. if the disease is larger than the 200 or 100 microns then it may reduce the number of free swimming larve, have never really looked into the sizes of various fish dz.

Bottom line, I have two fluvals sitting in storage, long since replaced by my 3 media reactors.

I did find the fluvak was OK for my fowlr tank but required servicing every 2 weeks and takes about 3 times as long as swapping the media out of a reactor and 10 times longer than replacing filter socks.

 

[robert]

Sorry for the belated reply -

I run diatomaceous earth and powdered GAC as my filter media over a fixed poly filter grid - yes 24x7x365. I like it because I can change it by opening a valve and reversing flow directly into my discard bucket - it takes 2-3 5 gallon flushes to clean my filters once every 1-2 weeks - 10 minutes total. No cleaning pads or sponges.

Effective to below 1 micron, this strips my water of virtually all pathogens which have a free swimming stage as well as many forms of bacteria. Yes this is small enough to eliminate all ich, velvet and other parasitic algaes.

I've also used 5, 10 and 25 micron pleated filter cannisters. These are nice and easy if you keep a spare filter cleaning while one is running.
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewi...282p9GgOU9bzyV-I4dO2HBTHXPLD6j55YVxoCgPPw_wcB

Looks pretty good although I haven't used it. (made my own - same design). The trick with all cannister filters is the pump - it should be able to deliver at least 4x the tank volume in GPH at a reasonable head height -

 

[carlosR]

I'm going back to some kind of canister filter or reactor on my 75 gallon fish and softies tank. I'm getting too much cyanobacteria growth. I am currently scrubbing rocks and changing water 2x weekly. the tank originally was setup with a fluval canister and maintenance was minimal.
I removed the filter because it developed a leak and I thought I was improving things by removing the filter. I know filters can be problematic but they do have their place, just depends on the time and place.

 

[markak]

I use my Fluval 405 for phosphate removal. I tied using a 3 chamber BRS Media reactor for phosphate removal. I have better phosphates removal, and keeps them down with the Fluval.