Hi all. I am thinking of buying my first canister filter. When looking at buying one, what all needs to be taken into account when deciding on which one to buy? I don't know enough about them to know where to start. TIA
Firstly, you need to work out how much filtration you need. The size of the tank? You need to cycle your tank 3-4 times an hour. A filter that does that will be perfect. Then you need to just figure out what filter media you want. i use filter floss pads, coarse sponge and Ceramic rings. Ehiem, Cascade and Fluval are exceptional filters.
Thanks for the reply. Is it worth my while to go for a canister that has a higher rate per hour (with the idea of catering for a larger tank at a later stage)? Based on the former, is there a point where I could have a filter that turns over too many litres per hour? TIA
I think there is, speaking under correction, its not gonna be a problem with having too much filtration, but rather flow rate, some fish don't like feelin like their habitat is situated on the edge of a waterfall...
darryn, get the biggest best filter you can afford, esp if you have an upgrade in the future. You can always reduce the flow with spraybars and aiming the outlets towards the glass etc
Also consider the price of replacement parts etc. I have had a Fluval and now have 2 cheaper Dophins 1600's . There is not much difference, only if your are buying a Rollls Royce make sure you are prepared to pay for its up keep. Having said that. regular maintance of any Filter will prolong its effectiveness and prevent excess strain on the motor. Clean your filter every three months. ps there are guidelines as to prevent any crashes occuring
I have personally found that you can bargain on about 75% of the rated flow of a cannister filter. So if you have a 100L tank you'd need about 600L per hour flow (I advise at least 6x per hour tank volume) and so I would go look for an 800L per hour filter. Another good measure of flow is if all your plants gently sway in the current. It means you have decent flow ALL OVER your tank. Dead spots can become a problem (algae, low O2, etc.) Then also take into account the needs of your fish. For example, hillstream loaches need an extremely high current and lots of O2 in the water. This type of setup would not suit discus.
probably the wholesaler? i dunno, or someone like KLB engineering, they might know? (pump guys) http://www.klbengineering.com/ long shot, but try?
