There are definitely new things to learn all the time. It can even be overwhelming at times. Most people can't even fathom the library of books and magazines I used to have because if I was going to read something, it was going to be about pets. ( I've had quite a number of them over the years)
Here's something to consider: instead of using a canister filter, one of the best inventions for filtration was the wet dry filter which means using a sump below or alongside the main tank(s) so that everything you needed ( biological/ mechanical filtration) was contained in a more easily accessible location. You can also keep your heater and extras in the sump as well as it also adds more water to the system volume making it take that much longer for things to go bad in the system. They can also be more effective than canisters and you can keep your sponge filter in there as well for those emergencies. In the end, it clears the way for more desirable viewing without having to look at things like heaters and sponge filters. This is a pic of my old 75 gallon saltwater tank.
View attachment 391718 There is a sump under the tank. As you can see, there was no room for a heater or a spare filter IN the tank but they were there in the sump.