Fed up with canister filters

[Mcgolg76]

Had my 75g for about 5 years. My filtration has always been an aquaclear 110 and a canister filter. My first canister was an eheim 2215 and second was a sunsun. I cracked the side of the eheim and now the sunsun won't work. Both I had trouble cleaning without making a mess. The sunsun was nothing but trouble from the beginning. Aquaclear has worked perfectly.
Can I keep my water crystal clear with another aquaclear 110 instead of a canister. Just so sick of the mess they make. Maybe I am just an idiot. Plus I tend to clean out the aquaclear more cause it is so easy to clean. Is there an inexpensive canister anybody recommends that is idiot proof?

 

[dalto]

While I prefer canister filters there is no reason a pair of AC 110s wouldn't be great on a 75g tank. If you prefer them, go for it.

 

[Mcgolg76]

What type of canister do you use?

 

[brendenscott]

I have Fluvals. A Fluval fx4(filtration)and Fluval 306(for co2 and inline heater) for my 60 gallon. I have a Fluval 206 for my 20 gallon shrimp tank. All have worked great for me with no issues. Super easy to clean. And tons of room for media you want.

With that said you can get super clear water with HOB's. just use some Purigen and filter floss(100% polyfil).

 

[dalto]

What type of canister do you use?

I used quite a few of them over the years but I prefer the the Eheim Professional line or the Fluval FX6.

 

[brendenscott]

What I prefer about canister filters over HOB's is the ability to keep equipment out of site and out of tank like inline heaters, co2, UV sterilizer, etc. also with my fx4 it allowed me to hook up a hose which drains and fills for water changes directly through the filter. No need for buckets or anything.

 

[V227]

I run two A.C. 110's on my 120 gal. The tank is overcrowded with cichlids and stays clear. The
Last canister I ran was a Marineland 330. It lasted many years until I gave it away. I don't think that model exists today. It was a good no frills canister. I really like Fluval but Marineland makes good stuff for about half the price. I still run a 19 y.o. Marineland 280 hob filter on my 65 gal. Works good. Before I spend $225 for the Fluval, I would research the $120 Marineland.
I think another $80 A.C. 110 is the best move. Much easier to clean.

 

[TMaier]

I have had the opposite experience. I was fed up with HOB's and love the canisters. My HOB required almost daily attention to insure it was working. Any gunk at all and it would just stop.

While the canister is more work to clean I only have to do it monthly. Not nearly as fussy.

But I had HOB's for years and they always kept the water clear.

 

[mimiheart]

Sponge filters are love. Sponge filters are life. (Though I wouldn't rely solely on one for a 75g.)

 

[Reygan2]

I'm thinking the same thing about canisters. I have two Eheim 2217s on my 75g plus an AC 110. I'm considering replacing the Eheims with another AC 110 because I hate dragging those canister filters out and cleaning them. I hate to admit it but they only get cleaned maybe every 6 months because it's such a pain. The AC is so easy to get to, but it isn't as quiet and my tank is in my bedroom. I can't decide what to do.

 

[dalto]

What this thread hopefully demonstrates is that filters are much a matter of personal preference.

HOB filters are just as valid a form of filtration as any other. On a tank this size, a pair of large HOBs should work fine by themselves. Even in much larger tanks, you can use HOBs if you combine them with a powerhead/pump to circulate the water and drive floating matter up to them.

The disadvantages of HOB filters are:

• They stick out the back of your tank often making it further off the wall
• They get in the way of certain canopies
• They can be noisy
• They may not restart after a power outage

If you don't care about things, which are mostly aesthetic, a quality HOB is a great option.

 

[brendenscott]

Like I mentioned another plus for canisters is the ability to keep other equipment including the filter out of the display tank. You can run inline heaters, co2 equipment, and all kinds of stuff out of site which makes for a cleaner display tank. Also if you get a good one it makes a water change super easy. My fx4 allowed me to drain and fill the tank from the canister itself with a connection to a hose and fills and drains directly from the water source. Although don't get me wrong HOB's works also just in a lower tech kind of setup.

 

[V227]

Dalto, well put, 100% agreement. Regarding the A.C. 110's. My favorite all time filter. I don't understand why Fluval doesn't refine the 110 as to avoid the little quarks that make the first months of operation somewhat noisy. Mayby using a higher quality plastic, better designed lid, better intake
tube seating design and not to mention fixing the occasional defective impeller shaft. After those obstacles are conquered the 110 is quiet and very effective filtration.
Regarding canisters, I absolutely did not like the cleaning, and the constant worry of an undiscovered leak. It seems that the majority of New tank stands are made with particle board, or a combination of PB and wood. A hidden under tank canister with a slow leak could cause decomposition or even collapse of a PB stand. I have little knowledge of the new canister filters but I assume their designs allow for simpler cleaning and lessened the chances of leaks.

 

[Reygan2]

Dalto, well put, 100% agreement. Regarding the A.C. 110's. My favorite all time filter. I don't understand why Fluval doesn't refine the 110 as to avoid the little quarks that make the first months of operation somewhat noisy. Mayby using a higher quality plastic, better designed lid, better intake
tube seating design and not to mention fixing the occasional defective impeller shaft. After those obstacles are conquered the 110 is quiet and very effective filtration.
Regarding canisters, I absolutely did not like the cleaning, and the constant worry of an undiscovered leak. It seems that the majority of New tank stands are made with particle board, or a combination of PB and wood. A hidden under tank canister with a slow leak could cause decomposition or even collapse of a PB stand. I have little knowledge of the new canister filters but I assume their designs allow for simpler cleaning and lessened the chances of leaks.

Yeah, it took mine about a month to finally quieten down. I never had noise issues with any of my AC 70's, just the 110. I actually returned the first one I bought because of the noise. I'm very happy with mine now that it's settled in. As mentioned though, I did have to place my tank further out from the wall than I wanted to.
As far as aesthetics, I spray painted the intake tube black to match my background and it blends in quite well.

 

[dalto]

The two primary causes of canister leaks are inferior plastics used in some low-end canisters that will crack too easily and, much more commonly, insufficient or improper maintenance of the seals. The seals inside a canister need to be either lubricated or replaced on a regular basis. If you ignore them, your canister will develop leaks over time.

Having used so many different filtration methodologies over the years, I am no longer that passionate about there being a "best" one. HOB, canister, sponge, sump, etc they all work and all have their place.

For my own use, in display tanks I like canister filters

• They are quiet
• They minimize evaporation
• They have large amounts of media capicity
• You can large amounts of flow without the use of powerheads/pumps
• Most importantly, as @brendenscott points out, they let you get mess out of the tank and allow the use of in-line heaters

My personal preference as it relates to canisters is the Eheim Professional line or the Fluval FX line.

In QT tanks, I like HOB filters

• They are easy to clean
• They are inexpensive
• They are also easy/inexpensive to sterilize if you get something nasty in QT
• They provide good flow in a small tank and all the ones I use have some type of variable flow control

There are only three HOB filters I like right now. The Aquaclear, Fluval C and Seachem/Sicce Tidal line of filters. All three have media flexibility, flow control and they work. Right now I have switched out 100% to the Seachem Tidals because they self-prime. We have a lot of short power outages where I am and I have fried countless HOBs from them failing to restart after a 5 minute outage. That being said, they are a very new filter so reliability is highly unproven.

In fry tanks or back when I had rack setups I use/used sponge filters

• They are the cheapest option by far
• They pretty much never fail(the air pumps can fail, but not the filter itself)
• You can run a huge number of tanks off a single pump
• They have no moving parts

I prefer the sponge filters that stick on the back of the tank but have no particular brand loyalty as they are a pretty basic item.

 

[2Djinn]

I have had great luck with Penn Plax canisters. They are inexpensive (check chewy.com) and work really well. I use the Penn Plax Cascade 1000 for 100 gallon tanks on both a 60 gallon and 55 gallon freshwater tank.

 

[V227]

An inline heater for my display tank might be the right answer. My ancient metal bodied visa therm went out recently and I replaced it with a durable glass Eheim product. My cichlids are getting large and the likelihood of a broken heater is plausible. Which canister, Fluval or Eheim
Offer the best compatability with an inline heater and less likelihood of a leak. A smaller model of either brand would suffice.

 

[dalto]

Which canister, Fluval or Eheim
Offer the best compatability with an inline heater and less likelihood of a leak. A smaller model of either brand would suffice.

The Fluval fx series of filters use large tubing and have very high flow rates which is not ideal for a heater. Almost anything else will work. I have been using the Hydor Eth in-line heaters for years. They are really the only heater I have had consistently work.

On my 200 I have a pair of FX6s and I use an Eheim Pro 4+ 350 solely in order to run the heater and for easy access to chemical filtration. They are often on-sale for reasonable prices.

 

[Mcgolg76]

So I think I am gonna go hob filter. Either an aquaclear 110 or a fluval c4. Has anybody here used a fluval c4?

 

[dalto]

Has anybody here used a fluval c4?

Fluval C series filters are great. They are/were an evolution of the Aquaclear. I like the extra structure they provide.

My only concern is they seem to be disappearing off the shelves. Does anyone know what is going on with those? Are they being discontinued or are they just being marketed differently?