Canister filters seem to make a great cryptic refugium
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I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I've found cleaning my large canister filter every 3 weeks takes approximately 10 min, maybe less. Good luck cleaning a big sump in 10 min or less..."Pulls a lot of suspended waste"....yes
"Easier to clean".....no........I ran a FX6 for 17 years. To pull out the canister from under the stand, drain and then open it up to clean the contents was a lot of work BUT it is doable. With a sump, it's open...the only thing that gets cleaned is the filter socks and that just requires me to pickup and replace sock.
Why would it be trouble on a FOWLR?I have experience with 4 different types of canister filters, FX filters from Fluval, the Eheim, Sun Sun, and some XP star filter. The common theme is that they have no flow indicator, no way of you telling if its clogged or not. So you must do it on schedules.
Just like filter socks, they don't remove anything from the aquarium until the filter itself is cleaned. At least with filter socks, I can load up on 20 of them and change them out daily. Cleaning a canister filter daily is not possible.
Running a cannister filter on a fish heavy tank means a lot of poop. That means more filter cleanings, more salt mix, more time, more advil and heat packs for the sore back.
Canister filter has its uses. If I ran an established reef or planted tank with very minimal fish, I think its doable. If it was a FOWLR, you are asking for trouble. On the FX6, don't believe it when it says good enough for 400g.
takes me less than 5 min now with a sumpI guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I've found cleaning my large canister filter every 3 weeks takes approximately 10 min, maybe less. Good luck cleaning a big sump in 10 min or less...
To siphon the detritus out of the bottom of an entire sump? And remove accumulated salt creep, etc? In less than 5 min? That's inhumanely quick.takes me less than 5 min now with a sump
Looks like a printer lolapparently even Fluval thinks the FX 6 is old tech now.
They have an advanced new model which has the removable and independently cleanable prefilter like Oase does.
that said, if an FX6 works for you, of course one should keep that......
If it were a filtered saltwater printer it'd be a no-questioned-asked BUY BUY BUY.Looks like a printer lol
Forgot to mention… and possibly a bit controversial don’t change or clean them too often! Do of course clean and change but don’t go mad… if the tank is happy then leave it be. The water changes take care of most thingsDefo agree but with a caveat, I’m running 3 nano tanks all at different ages now and at different sizes and all on canisters. I find they do the job ace but you do need to go heavy on the rock and keep on top of water changes!
I would go with a canister. I use a fluval fx4 love it. Yes its maintenance but it filters more water and is more efficient than a hob. Just my opinionI was going to add a canister filter to clear out my tank of equipment but my LFS guy convinced me out of it by telling me he had already tried something similar and that the Canister would need regular maintenance which would add to the overall work you do on the tank. He advised against it and instead suggested the AquaClear 110 anywhere online. It can be used as a hang on Sump, a refugium to sustain a population of copepods, you're adding water volume just like a canister which increases overall aquarium water chemistry parameter stability.
If I was going to go the canister route, I would probably choose an Oase canister because they're a little more modular but other than that I quite like HOB filters because I can fill them with stuff like chaeto or repurpose them for a nano tank and sit a small skimmer inside to act as a kind of hang on sump.I would go with a canister. I use a fluval fx4 love it. Yes its maintenance but it filters more water and is more efficient than a hob. Just my opinion
A canister isn’t the only solution. Mine is actually easier to clean than a sump, has chambers for granular filtration and allows my tank to sit closer to the wall with a slim HOB refugium and skimmer. In addition, my canister can be exposed without worrying about pets or children getting into it, but there are pros and cons to both. A comparable sump probably can hold an extra 2 gallons, or so. And, with the right cabinet (which I don’t have), it’s all contained and a cleaner display.I was going to add a canister filter to clear out my tank of equipment but my LFS guy convinced me out of it by telling me he had already tried something similar and that the Canister would need regular maintenance which would add to the overall work you do on the tank. He advised against it and instead suggested the AquaClear 110 anywhere online. It can be used as a hang on Sump, a refugium to sustain a population of copepods, you're adding water volume just like a canister which increases overall aquarium water chemistry parameter stability.
My fluval operates in a siphon manner. No chance of backflow. However it may end up cavitating, and quit pumping I do not knowOther... Yes, a suitably sized cannister can handle a reef tank. But No, if you lose power for any length of time, you could wind up dumping a nasty collection of sulfides, anaerobic bacteria, etc. into your system. And, the outage could also result in the elimination of the aerobic bacteria in the cannister that you need to keep your system going...