Canister Filter - What's good

We got stuck on internal filters. We've gotten some HOB (cascade) filters with second hand tanks, but they just kill our fishies,, they can't seem to not get sucked in!! (And we couldn't buy a stopper for the water inlet). Then we used a canister filter, but that was a mission to get started, and then to keep running!! We've given up, and are going the more demanding way of cleaning filters every weekend!!

 

Guaze over inlet
The problem with internal, is that there is never enough space for media.
If your tanks are bigger thank 80 odd litres, then more often than not, the internal filter is inaffective.

Not so much an issue if you have guppies and tetras, but some fish do like clean water.

 

Use filtersponge as a great biological pre-filter on any HOb or canister / or any filter that may suck in fish!

 

Just make sure that you leave sufficient space between the glass and the sponge for your fishies to easily swim through - I've lost a few fish that got stuck between the sponge and the glass

Or make it large enough so that there is no way a fish can get between them (which I thought I had done but clearly I didn't )