First canister filter! Wow!

[exodus]

Well, the other night when we were closing (I work at my LFS) I finally gave in and grabbed a canister filter. Best one they had in stock was the Cascade 1000, got it for $65. Came home and set it all up within 20 mins alongside my old Aqua-Tech 30-60 pos walmart filter.

Everything installed with a breeze, turned it on and positioned the spraybar. Went to bed that night, and when I came home from work the next day, voila! No more green glass!! Crystal clear water, its like a whole new tank!

I always thought canisters were excessive, but now I'm a believer

Tonight I got rid of the old walmart filter, and my tank looks so much less cluttered. The canister really helps with asthetics too.

 

[Zagz]

It's amazing what a cannister filter can do for the water isn't it? Congrats on the new filter and the clearer water.

 

[GlitcH]

Yep they are great. I got my first one years ago and have never even thought of going back.

 

[plecoperson]

I really need to get one of them thangs. Pl*co is a remorseless eating and pooping machine and water is never quite entirely clear. Very motivating post-how cool for you to wake up to all that sparkle!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Congrats on the canister! The Cascade line is very simple to setup, easy to maintain, and works great, you chose an excelllent filter.

 

[exodus]

I really need to get one of them thangs. Pl*co is a remorseless eating and pooping machine and water is never quite entirely clear. Very motivating post-how cool for you to wake up to all that sparkle!

I just got rid of my pleco for that exact reason. My new cories are a lot more insteresting to watch too

Now that I've seen what a canister can do, I highly suggest them over HOB's. Now whenever I have to clean the media, I dont have to worry about getting a chair to stand over the back of the tank to reach the HOB either!

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Cool, good job.......

 

[plecoperson]

I just got rid of my pleco for that exact reason. My new cories are a lot more insteresting to watch too

Aw, we love "Fred" and he will only move to a new home if somebody w/a huge tank and a passion for giant commons comes along! Otherwise he's here to stay, we just have to get a nice canister filter for the 55 and save those pennies for the 180-gallon!

 

[tropicfishman]

actually keep your aquatech running with the canister filter for a week or two to let it get established first

 

[exodus]

actually keep your aquatech running with the canister filter for a week or two to let it get established first

I left it running for 3 days, the filters were so plugged up that it wasnt doing crap though, so I just took it out.

 

[Thebluyak]

once you go Can, youll never go HOB again lol sorry..

Yeah I love my xp3 can filter

 

[trotty]

3 cheers for canisters ! hip hip hooray! hip hip hooray! hip hip hooray!

i had 9 at one stage. i'm down to 5.... i went bigger and got an FX5!

 

[Rondory]

I had fish tanks a very long time ago and had those dreaded HOB filters. It was the canister filter that got me back into the hobby!!!

 

[kaz]

what made you go with the spray and not the jet?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

The spraybar spreads the current out over a wider area so the fish aren't thrown around as much. Gives it a nice even flow. With the jet, all the flow comes from a small opening.

 

[exodus]

The spraybar spreads the current out over a wider area so the fish aren't thrown around as much. Gives it a nice even flow. With the jet, all the flow comes from a small opening.

Exactly. If i used the jet, Not only would the fish be unhappy but the plants in one section of the tank would bve swaying in the current and others untouched. Odd effect if you ask me.

 

[kaz]

I'm asking because I see the majority here uses spray bar but in the compition aquascaping with fish they all use moslty jet any reason other than that?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I use the jets because I don't like the look of the spray bars. Too noticeable IMO.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

It's all in what the person likes. IMO, if you aare wanting to load a tank down, and need the extra filtration, then the spraybar on a larger filter is the way to go. Or use 2 smaller rated cannisters, with lower flow rates. In some planted tanks, I think a large cannisters power jet will be overly strong, causing too much swaying in the plants, which I don't like myself. A couple of outputs rated at a lower rate would help in this. But then you are looking at more tubes going in the tank.

Now I have seen other tanks where they places the spraybar down low in the tank, either behind larger plants or rocks, and had it pointed up and a little towards the glass. Made the spraybar invisible, and just 1 output tube going down the corner of the tank. Just another idea. But overall, I'll take a spraybar over a powerjet any day.