Is a proper canister filter really more work?

[GARRIGA]

Ran an Eheim in the 90s. Cleaned it once every six months or opened to replace carbon once water got yellow or flow reduced because sponges clogged. If different size media are used from coarse to fine (that will stay in the filter) then detritus will decompose and when opened all that will be found is brown muck which represents the final stage of decomposition and takes much longer to fully decompose which is the mineralization phase where nutrients such as calcium and magnesium are released into the water. Sometimes leaving it alone best approach assuming nitrates and phosphates are managed.

Upcoming build will run with a pair of FX6 (current plan) as prefilters to breakdown detritus before flowing through pleated sediment filters to remove that which passed and polish the water. Won't be placing anything in the FX6 that will clog. Carbon will be final journey before reentry to display.

 

[Tamberav]

By the way it is worth noting that there are many YouTube or Instagram tanks that are just for show... sorta. Not all but plenty. What I mean is the tanks are up for a few short years then changed to something else or a sponsor gives them a product that they use for a few months or a year.

This isn't all that helpful in the longevity of the actual product and if it is worth having.

Cannister filters can be used but generally not worth it since better options exist. That is all there kinda is to it.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Yes, for a typical canister filter I would not want to clean the whole thing out every weekend... but I'm talking about a Biomaster 850. Watch the video I posted, the guy has an incredible reef tank and he's running only a Biomaster 600 with an inline algae reactor. The ease of removing the pre filter is what makes this unit different than other canisters.

I'm not sure if I'll be dosing much , I don't want my tank full of corals, I like fish more. So I probably won't need a sump for that. I can always run the little clear acrylic lines up into the tank, if I need to dose.

Anyways, the reason I'm pushing the canister idea is because this will be my first saltwater tank. I just got my Waterbox 4820 clear, which is the freshwater version. It has clear silicone, so I want to keep that clear look (no background). And since there is no plumbing, it cannot be drilled, and I don't want ugly stuff hanging off of it. I am going to use glass lily pipes so you will barely notice the tubes/pipes.

From what I understand, Canister filters are very quiet and if you clean them regularly (again biomaster is easy to clean the prefilter, which is what gets the dirtiest), then they shouldn't be a problem. Again, if I'm not as diligent as I should be, the algae reactor I'm installing should be able to handle some of those nitrates, I would think. And adding carbon/GFO will clean out the water. The UV sterilizer will kill single cell organisms/algae on a per needed basis.

The thing is that if I hypothetically get a sump, I will either need to return my aquarium and get a different one with predrilled holes, install an HOB overflow (which I don't want to do, since this is a clear tank with no background, I don't want to paint it, and HOBs have a bad reputation... well ehm), buy a skimmer, buy a return pump, get all the plumbing. Then I have a big mess, when I could have had everything nice and neat with 3 simple devices: canister filter (w/ easy clean pre filter), chaeto reactor, and UV sterilizer.

I'll be installing a sliding drawer inside the aquarium cabinet that the canister will sit on so that I can easily slide it in and out. Like I said, the pre filter cleaning looks super easy. It took the guy I was watching less than a minute to accomplish. I could do that at least once a week. From the guys I've been watching, they say the main filter doesn't need to be opened except every month and a half to three months. Some have gone longer than 6 months without touching the canister and have a successful reef (this one was a comment so I couldn't verify what his tank looked like).

I am setting up my new tank this weekend and I'm going to be using a Biomaster 350. For basically all of the same reasons you describe. I did tons of research on filtration because my stand doesn't allow for a sump, I'm not about to attempt drilling my tank anyway, and I dislike HOB filters... and I discovered the Oase canisters (the ease of the prefilter cleaning and the ability to add the heater to it sold it for me). I have not been happy with my current AIO so this has to be an improvement. I'll be transferring all of my MarinePure biomedia from my existing tank to the canister. I think I'll be stealing your idea of installing a sliding drawer for pulling the canister out for maintenance.

Like you, I am trying to keep as much equipment out of the tank as possible and keep the clean look. Would you mind sharing what glass lily pipes you got and where? Also, I'm having a hard time deciding if I need to purchase any of the different prefilter sponges...

I am putting the heater in the canister, so the only thing that will be seen in the tank will be my skimmer and wavemakers. I bought the Current USA Serene background light system that's meant for freshwater tanks... going to play around with it and see if I can make it look cool on a reef tank, lol. Up against our light gray walls, I envision it sort of looking like a peninsula tank. We'll see! Might end up being a huge fail.

 

[Tamberav]

I would also like to make note that a skimmer provides aeration and gas exchange Some people run it primarily for this reason.

The one great thing about sumps is you can change or add equiptment as you need it.

Just example: CO2 is too high in the house and you want a tighter control on pH, you went with a canister so now you lose the option of running a skimmer line out the window or attaching a CO2 scrubber to it or you don't have anywhere to put a reverse fuge, etc etc.

You find that your nitrates are good but PO4 just won't control itself. You are now stuck putting less efficient media in a canister and having to open it to change vs just hooking up a reactor and dialing it in.

Ah crap I want to dose 2 part but now I have to run lines up over the lip and directly into the display or I want an auto top off plus I have that two week vacation coming up but snails can cause mess with floats and probes and they are unsightly...

Ah crap.. I want to invest in some probes to make sure my heater doesn't malfunction or I really like the new hydros/apex and I want more control and saftey when away from home.... probes in display? eh.

A sump is an area you can shove anything you feel your tank might benefit from as it matures and changes without uglying up your display.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Your Route: UV + Pump (400) + Reactor plus pump (300) + Canister (400) = 1100
Suggested Route: Skimmer (300) + Sump and HOB Overflow and Plumbing (300) + Return Pump ($200) = 800

Check out this article before you buy anything else.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

I ran 3 fx6 in a 300g freshwater tank. Every month I broke down one of the filters to clean it. It was nasty. It takes an hr to clean. Yes, I saw that you can swap out a prefilter in 5 seconds. But you still have to replace or clean the pre filter.

Unless you are diligent and clean the canister filter everyday, some of the organics that are trapped will be broken down into nutrients.

You can easily buy a used sump, return pump and a skimmer for $300 on craigslist, FB marketplace.

Skimmer depending on the type of skim, you can clean it once a week or once a month. Cleaning it is rather easy IMO.
Skimmers can also take out stuff mechanical filtration can't take out.

You can buy a brand new Bubble Magus roller mat for less than $100. That is 5x better than any canister filter.

So basically for $400, you can get a sump, return pump, skimmer and a new roller mat. With this setup, I can't imagine something better when it comes to nutrient export.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Spend smart the first time or end up spending twice later

I can't emphasize this more. Reefing isn't a hobby where you can cut corners. You will only end up with headaches and spend 2x to 3x the money.

 

[EugeneVan]

They are recirculating garbage cans. Unlike filter pads you can quickly remove and rinse in a HOB, or swap a sock, you have to shut the canister down, remove the layers, rinse the biofoam and what not that becomes a detritus trap, and then place it all back, and reconnect the canister. They actively dis-incentivize you to frequently clean the mechanical filter. Frequent mechanical filter cleaning is one of the easiest ways to avoid unnecessary build ups of nitrate and phosphate. Canisters are often not very good at aerating the water, and combine this with all of the decaying matter inside that may not be cleaned often, is not great for oxygen in the tank.

Also some brands of canister filters are difficult to prime too. Changing the filter socks only take a min.

 

[simplicity]

You guys are starting to sway me, dangit. Eugene - the Biomaster is super easy to prime. The same knob that serves as the knob to remove the pre filter is the knob you press down to prime.

I can't get a hold of waterbox over the phone (tried for the past 2 days) so I emailed them to see what options I have. Depending on what my options are, I'll have to make a decision soon.

The HOB seems ok if I'm home to check on things, but what if I'm away? I heard this glass can't be drilled so fitting an internal overflow is probably not an option - will confirm with waterbox.

I have family over in Europe that I visit from time to time and when I go there I'm gone for 2-3 weeks at least. Is this possible with a sump/skimmer/socks?

 

[Spare time]

You guys are starting to sway me, dangit. Eugene - the Biomaster is super easy to prime. The same knob that serves as the knob to remove the pre filter is the knob you press down to prime.

I can't get a hold of waterbox over the phone (tried for the past 2 days) so I emailed them to see what options I have. Depending on what my options are, I'll have to make a decision soon.

The HOB seems ok if I'm home to check on things, but what if I'm away? I heard this glass can't be drilled so fitting an internal overflow is probably not an option - will confirm with waterbox.

I have family over in Europe that I visit from time to time and when I go there I'm gone for 2-3 weeks at least. Is this possible with a sump/skimmer/socks?

What is wrong with a hob? There are self priming ones

 

[simplicity]

What is wrong with a hob? There are self priming ones

I heard that the tube that goes over the edge can accumulate air that can cause the siphon to stop, flooding the tank and floors. Some people say that air builds up causing gurgling noises. I also don't like having something hanging on a clean rimless display. (yes, the other route has glass lily pipes hanging which look good when clean).

 

[ReefGeezer]

I think you will find that the waterbox can be drilled. It would probably void warranties though. Overflow partitions, center or corner can be ordered. If you want it really clean, check out making a ghost overflow.

 

[wwarby]

I run my 64g tank on an eheim professionel 4 canister. When I bought it, I didn’t even fully understand what a sump was - I was advised to steer clear of them because they were complicated. I clean my canister filter once a week and it’s not bothering me too much, but I’m yet to open it without spilling salt water on the floor and depending on how much water I’ve lost during cleaning it can be quite a challenge to get the air out of the system (and when you do it floods the tank with air bubbles which isn’t ideal.

I’m in the U.K. where canister filters are more common, but in my short time in the hobby I’ve come to believe they’re a poor choice compared to a sump - you have far fewer options for how your filter your water with a canister.

 

[Tamberav]

You guys are starting to sway me, dangit. Eugene - the Biomaster is super easy to prime. The same knob that serves as the knob to remove the pre filter is the knob you press down to prime.

I can't get a hold of waterbox over the phone (tried for the past 2 days) so I emailed them to see what options I have. Depending on what my options are, I'll have to make a decision soon.

The HOB seems ok if I'm home to check on things, but what if I'm away? I heard this glass can't be drilled so fitting an internal overflow is probably not an option - will confirm with waterbox.

I have family over in Europe that I visit from time to time and when I go there I'm gone for 2-3 weeks at least. Is this possible with a sump/skimmer/socks?

If you are away for 2-3 weeks then a sump makes more sense as it would be easy to automate most things or even buy a tank monitor you can look at from your phone. I would just remove the sock when you leave if you don't have a filter roller.

Life Reef claims no failure in 30 years as far as HOB's go.

Basically when on vacation... most reefs need an auto top off and automatic dosing and should have some way to monitor the temp from your phone (wifi inkbird can do this) at min imo. None of which will look good in a display. I would also get a wifi cam to aim at the tank.

 

[Tamberav]

It’s different because it has a pre filter with 6 sponges on a skewer that you can remove by just twisting a cap and pulling the skewer out. Check out a cleaning video of it, it’s very easy. Did your canister filters have a decent pre filter?

Just wondering but do you know where this tank is now?

I see videos from 1 year ago and 11 months ago and nothing since.

I found his thread on nano-reef but it went silent.

He had a very nice scape but wondering where the tank is now or how long it kept running for.

 

[simplicity]

Just wondering but do you know where this tank is now?

I see videos from 1 year ago and 11 months ago and nothing since.

I found his thread on nano-reef but it went silent.

He had a very nice scape but wondering where the tank is now or how long it kept running for.

No idea, I was wondering the same thing. But he essentially was the one that got me thinking about the whole canister filter method. I think the filter roller is what I would go with if I get the sump, looks interesting. The more automation, the better.

 

[vetteguy53081]

The Biomaster 850 I'm looking at has a prefilter section that is very easy to remove and clean which collects most of the gunk in the tank before it enters the main filter area, which I would only fill with biomedia.

Now, people keep saying you have to clean them often, but don't you have to clean filter socks and the protein skimmer every few days? A guy I'm watching on youtube has a very successful tank using just a Biomaster 600 (with the high PPI pre filter foam and biomedia in the main chamber), and an inline algae reactor (Tunze). He says all he does is take out the prefilter and squeeze the gunk out and put the foam back on (every 3-4 days).

The system I'm planning out includes the stronger Biomaster 850, a chaeto reactor on its own pump, and a UV sterilizer on the output on of the Biomaster that can be turned on/off as needed. The lily inlet I'm getting provides both surface skimming and pulls in water from the middle column.

If the prefilters are cleaned regularly why is this not a viable system? At least you don't have to worry about cleaning the filter socks and protein skimmer every few days...

To a degree , Yes.
One of the most significant issues that canister filters come with is that they can be tough to clean out, which is valid with most aquariums equipment. Canister filters will collect waste and residues in time, meaning that it will need to be periodically cleaned. For reef tanks, the importance of protein skimmers can’t be emphasized enough in conjunction with canister to reduce required frequent maintenance. Canister filters are better suited to small saltwater aquariums because of their limited filter media capacity. Regular cleaning to prevent the buildup of detritus, leading to high nitrates and phosphates will allow you to have a thriving reef tank.
The more stages the unit has, the more effective it will meet biological, mechanical and chemical filtration requirements. Utilize filtration that's rated for at least 4x your tank size, using a large single or multiple canister filters. Lots of biomedia and include carbon. It's all about routine maintenance once the system gets a few months under its belt.
Despite the best efforts of companies like Fluval, the canister filter is quickly becoming a thing of the past, at least in the reef aquarium realm. With protein skimmers dominating the market, canister filters are no longer vital to have on a reef aquarium, though there are still some benefits to their use. The filter’s operation is simple. Bottom line is : You can learn how to clean a canister filter to use it for your aquarium, but it involves breaking down the components, cleaning individual parts before putting them back together again. To prevent algae growth and nitrate problems in saltwater, you’ll need to clean it often.

 

[simplicity]

I am setting up my new tank this weekend and I'm going to be using a Biomaster 350. For basically all of the same reasons you describe. I did tons of research on filtration because my stand doesn't allow for a sump, I'm not about to attempt drilling my tank anyway, and I dislike HOB filters... and I discovered the Oase canisters (the ease of the prefilter cleaning and the ability to add the heater to it sold it for me). I have not been happy with my current AIO so this has to be an improvement. I'll be transferring all of my MarinePure biomedia from my existing tank to the canister. I think I'll be stealing your idea of installing a sliding drawer for pulling the canister out for maintenance.

Like you, I am trying to keep as much equipment out of the tank as possible and keep the clean look. Would you mind sharing what glass lily pipes you got and where? Also, I'm having a hard time deciding if I need to purchase any of the different prefilter sponges...

I am putting the heater in the canister, so the only thing that will be seen in the tank will be my skimmer and wavemakers. I bought the Current USA Serene background light system that's meant for freshwater tanks... going to play around with it and see if I can make it look cool on a reef tank, lol. Up against our light gray walls, I envision it sort of looking like a peninsula tank. We'll see! Might end up being a huge fail.

Crazy, I've been wanting to do the same thing with that frosted glass/LED kit... I noticed it because a lot of freshwater guys seem to use it, but it's not very common for saltwater. I've heard it's great from multiple reef people, including the saltwateraquarium.com expert, Brian. There is one guy on Youtube who has the setup with 12 hour long live streams of his tank where you see the change in coloration from day to night with constantly changing background colors. I think it looks best at night.. It's hard to find videos on what it looks like during the day when ambient light around. I guess it would look sort of gray in the daytime or without the LED on. Or maybe it would just reflect whatever color the tank lights made.

 

[Spare time]

I heard that the tube that goes over the edge can accumulate air that can cause the siphon to stop, flooding the tank and floors. Some people say that air builds up causing gurgling noises. I also don't like having something hanging on a clean rimless display. (yes, the other route has glass lily pipes hanging which look good when clean).

Oh I was thinking hang on back filter not overflow box. Some people drill overflow boxes onto the back

 

[simplicity]

To a degree , Yes.
One of the most significant issues that canister filters come with is that they can be tough to clean out, which is valid with most aquariums equipment. Canister filters will collect waste and residues in time, meaning that it will need to be periodically cleaned. For reef tanks, the importance of protein skimmers can’t be emphasized enough in conjunction with canister to reduce required frequent maintenance. Canister filters are better suited to small saltwater aquariums because of their limited filter media capacity. Regular cleaning to prevent the buildup of detritus, leading to high nitrates and phosphates will allow you to have a thriving reef tank.
The more stages the unit has, the more effective it will meet biological, mechanical and chemical filtration requirements. Utilize filtration that's rated for at least 4x your tank size, using a large single or multiple canister filters. Lots of biomedia and include carbon. It's all about routine maintenance once the system gets a few months under its belt.
Despite the best efforts of companies like Fluval, the canister filter is quickly becoming a thing of the past, at least in the reef aquarium realm. With protein skimmers dominating the market, canister filters are no longer vital to have on a reef aquarium, though there are still some benefits to their use. The filter’s operation is simple. Bottom line is : You can learn how to clean a canister filter to use it for your aquarium, but it involves breaking down the components, cleaning individual parts before putting them back together again. To prevent algae growth and nitrate problems in saltwater, you’ll need to clean it often.