Canister Filter Advice

[pbkuhn123]

I am getting ready to set up my first larger tank of 120 gallons. This will also be my first try on a canister filter as well. My local LFS suggested the Aquetop CF500 UV, which I bought from them.

It says its rated for tanks up to 175 gallons and has a flow rate of 525gph. My question is whether or not this is enough filtration for my size tank? I read a few reviews online that this filter didn't come with media (carbon, bio-balls, rings etc), however mine has all this media enclosed. Some also said, that the gph is less with the media added.

I just want to make sure I am running enough filtration and would also welcome any feedback on this filter if anyone has any.

 

[CoronaBlue]

What are you planning on putting in tank? If you run a ciclid overstocked tank you might want to get a second filter. Maybe a hob one. If you are going with a planted tank then I think you should be fine.

 

[pbkuhn123]

I am not entirely sure, but definitely planning a small school of silver dollars (maybe 6 or 8 - two of which are temporarily in my 36). I also have a couple angel veil rams that seem to get along with the silvers fine so maybe I could move them in there. I would like to add some angel fish down the road and a pleco perhaps.

Since I am using silver dollars, most of the plants will be plastic I am thinking, but I may add a few that silvers won't eat. Thoughts?

 

[1998golfer]

I'd get two of those canister filters for that large of a tank. The canister you are referring to is the same as the sunsun 304B, they just rebranded them for aquatop. Depending on how much you paid, you might want to order the second one from ebay.. They are under $85. 200 Gallon Aquarium Canister Filter UV 9W UV Sterilizer Fish Tank Sunsun HW 304B | eBay
I wouldn't use the UV, either. the plastic is not UV resistant and will break the plastic down over time. Nor does such a small UV bulb help much with so much flowrate.
(That's why I bought the 304-A for my fish tank. It's only a 27g cube but I love the crystal clear water)

 

[PB_Smith]

get your money back and spend it on a straight up canister filter, not a gimmicky one.
The UV sterilizer will do you ABSOLUTELY no good and may even inhibit your tank from cycling by killing the bacteria you want to flourish.

UV sterilizers are more or less useless for freshwater. They do not prevent/cure parasite infestations, they can only sterilize a very small fraction of the water and the size of the UV bulb coupled with the flow rate of the filter all = a worthless gimmick added to the filter to get more $$$$ out of your wallet.
The only application they work well at is in killing algae or bacteria blooms while they are free floating, other than that they make a pretty blue glow.

seriously, get your money back.

 

[1998golfer]

get your money back and spend it on a straight up canister filter, not a gimmicky one.
The UV sterilizer will do you ABSOLUTELY no good and may even inhibit your tank from cycling by killing the bacteria you want to flourish.

UV sterilizers are more or less useless for freshwater. They do not prevent/cure parasite infestations, they can only sterilize a very small fraction of the water and the size of the UV bulb coupled with the flow rate of the filter all = a worthless gimmick added to the filter to get more $$$$ out of your wallet.
The only application they work well at is in killing algae or bacteria blooms while they are free floating, other than that they make a pretty blue glow.

seriously, get your money back.

That is a very good canister filter for the money, as long as his lfs didn't overcharge him for it.. A UV sterilizer does not have any effect on cycling, plus he can simply turn it off at any time. Not a useless gimmick, per se, but more or less an ineffective feature. The cost is really only a few dollars difference between the UV and non-UV model, but honestly it doesn't matter since you can turn off the UV.
I've used the aforementioned filter for 10 months now, and it's brilliant.

 

[dalto]

I would recommend a minimum of 2 of those filters if you want matching filters. Honestly, it depends what your stocking level is.

Keep in mind that the gph rating is for the pump only in an optimum situation which probably doesn't involve lifting the water or passing through media. I suspect your actual real world flow will be ~50% of what the pump is rated for.

The typical guidance is to have 5-10x your water volume in filter flow depending on how much you want to overstock. By that math 2 of those filters would be around the minimum.

Now I will be honest with you and tell you I have no idea where the 5-10x recommendation comes from or if it has basis in fact. I just don't have any advice more scientific than that to give.

You also want to make sure you are putting decent quality bio-media on your canister. I have no idea what that canister comes with but make sure the bio-media has sufficient surface area for the task. In a closed system like a canister you want lots of surface area for your bacteria. What that really means is that you want something porous. Things like bio-balls are not ideal in a canister because they offer very little actual surface area.

 

[1998golfer]

With how much room there is in here, I'd order a 4 liter bucket of Seachem Matrix.

 

[PB_Smith]

That is a very good canister filter for the money, as long as his lfs didn't overcharge him for it.. A UV sterilizer does not have any effect on cycling, plus he can simply turn it off at any time. Not a useless gimmick, per se, but more or less an ineffective feature. The cost is really only a few dollars difference between the UV and non-UV model, but honestly it doesn't matter since you can turn off the UV.
I've used the aforementioned filter for 10 months now, and it's brilliant.

The filter may work splendidly, but the manufacturer is still preying on the ignorance/lack of knowledge of the average consumer by offering gimmicks that are useless.
Why would you want a filter with stuff that is useless and really only presents another possible failure point in the filter??

In the early stages of cycling the UV will kill off some of the free floating bacteria, you know the cloudy bloom that happens about 10 days after a tank is set-up prior to the bacteria adhering to surfaces, that would be greatly impacted by UV sterilization.

IMO opinion there are similar/better offerings available without useless junk tacked on for extra $$$.

 

[PB_Smith]

With how much room there is in here, I'd order a 4 liter bucket of Seachem Matrix.

that is what I was going to suggest as well

 

[pbkuhn123]

Ok, wow with all these suggestions, does anyone have a better filter recommendation? And, yes I would like to ultimately add a second matching filter so one is always running if the other was to fail or needs maintenance. Plus I just like having the extra filtration. I use two hang on filters in my 36 and it works seamlessly. I can change filter pad in one when needed and the other stays in tact, protecting bacteria. Also, yes, the UV light in this canister can be turned off and I guess if it can control algae, what's the harm in having that availability? However, if anyone doesn't think this is a good/sufficient filter, then what are your suggestions? My biggest concern when posting this thread was many of the reviews had people using this filter for systems under 100 gallons. Thoughts? Suggested filters?

 

[dalto]

On a 125 I would recommend a large filter and a smaller one if you were planning to overstock.

Something like an FX6 or an Eheim 2080 paired with a regular sized filter.

Pretty much all canister filters suck these days so I don't have a great recommendation for you. I would advise you to pay attention to the included accessories and media as they can greatly effect the total cost. I usually a spraybar on at least one of the filters on my tank so I typically look for filters that include those.

 

[pbkuhn123]

That is a very good canister filter for the money, as long as his lfs didn't overcharge him for it.. A UV sterilizer does not have any effect on cycling, plus he can simply turn it off at any time. Not a useless gimmick, per se, but more or less an ineffective feature. The cost is really only a few dollars difference between the UV and non-UV model, but honestly it doesn't matter since you can turn off the UV.
I've used the aforementioned filter for 10 months now, and it's brilliant.

I am kinda of new to canister filters, so I don't want to display all my ignorance here, but can you explain the benefits of a spray bar?

 

[dalto]

A spray bar is just a hollow bar with a bunch of little holes in it.

Now, for some useful information. Typically tubing is connected to the canister outlet which allows the water to flow out of the canister and back into your tank. There are two common for this to be setup. The first way is for it to flow directly out a small nozzle as a stream of water. The second way is that the spray bar is connected. In this case the water is diffused and comes out of the bar at a bunch of small holes along the length of the bar. It does two things for you. It diffuses the flow a bit but more importantly it can really help with surface agitation/aeration if positioned at the top of your tank.

 

[pbkuhn123]

Ok, that is super helpful. Having the extra surface agitation is useful for sure especially if you are elevating temps to treat for ICH or something. Just trying to decide on best filter, if I should keep the one I have or go with something else that can utilize a spray bar. Part of me thinks to keep the one I have, I just don't want to be sorry later! LOL! I definitely want to run two filters though and it just seems all around easier if they match.

If you have any other thoughts, let me know and thanks for the advice!