Interested in canister filters

[isu712]

I'm interested in getting a canister filter for my 20 gal high. Anybody have suggestions? I was checking out this one:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3579+3580+16742&pcatid=16742

Any opinions on this guy or any other ones would be appreciated. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg either.

 

[theotheragentm]

If you're going to hang it on the tank side, there's not really a point to having a cannister other than putting the return under the surface of the water. What's in the tank?

 

[mom2reds]

Seeing that is rated for up to 20 gallons I would not think that it would have enough filtration for you. I also agree with theotheragentm

 

[isu712]

That's a good point. I was just gonna hang it on the back like my power filter right now. I was interested because I could put different media in them, but I suppose I could just do the same with the filter I have now.

It's a planted tank with 2 Dwarf Gouramis, 5 Lemon Tetras, 5 Harlequin Rasboras and 3 Otos.

 

[mattrox]

A lot of discus keepers run an appropriately sized HOB (aquaclear) filters with only sponges in them. Mind you a lot of them do daily pwcs but the filters handle the bioload, no problems.

 

[theotheragentm]

Different kinds of media isn't an argument for a cannister filter really. You can cram anything you want in the back of a hang on back. The cannister gets more useful if you want your intake and return not to be so near each other or use a spray bar return to create a current going one direction in your tank. Also if you want a planted tank, you can put the return under the water's surface so you can not lose CO2 you're injecting into the tank.

 

[isu712]

Thanks for the input and stopping me from spending money for no good reason. I had seen that a lot of people use canister filters here and I wanted to look into it. I'll stick with what I have and play around with the media in it to get the effect I want.

 

[patryuji]

Some good reasons to go with a canister filter (in my mind):

1. Keep the filter out of site in your cabinet.
2. Flexibility in where the inlet and outlet are placed.
3. More easily control the amount of "splashing" for a planted tank versus HOB filter.
4. Much larger filtration area compared to a HOB sized appropriately for the tank (for example a Penguin 170 versus a Eheim Ecco (the smallest one) on a 20gal tank.

Personally for me it provides a nice lazy way for me to do partial water changes as well...I just turn off the filter, unscrew the inlet hose and drain water into a bucket. I never have to disturb my fish and I don't usually "gravel vac" my planted tanks. Much easier to get the water flowing as well (at least the way the Eheim Ecco filters are constructed it is pretty easy to do this).