I'm done with canisters

[mudbuttjones]

I try to clean them more often than once a year. I try to do it every couple months. I feel like by the time the flow rate is negatively affected your putting the motor, orings, and fittings under stress.

I had went almost A year on my 406 when i first got it and the flowrate diminished causing the motor to get hot, it warped the impeller cover and eventually the shaft broke. The "tune-up" kit was only $25 for a new oring, impeller, shaft, and cover.

Imo the best thing to do is to have the replacement parts on hand. Thats what I've decided to do. Makes everything much easier.

Sent from my SCH-R950 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[viejafish]

I am with you, OP. Canister is more trouble than worth it. Canister has many parts that can fail and leak, and cleaning a canister is a PIA. So people procrastinate cleaning canister, thinking that its large media volume means less cleaning necessity. Wrong, a canister is merely a black box that hides waste out of sight, and a dirty canister is a time bomb waiting for anaerobic disaster to happen. I am only comfortable with filters that is open to sight and the atmosphere. For small tanks, you can't go wrong with HOBs or sponge filters. For big tanks, a sump system is the way to go.

 

[viejafish]

I try to clean them more often than once a year. I try to do it every couple months. I feel like by the time the flow rate is negatively affected your putting the motor, orings, and fittings under stress.

I had went almost A year on my 406 when i first got it and the flowrate diminished causing the motor to get hot, it warped the impeller cover and eventually the shaft broke. The "tune-up" kit was only $25 for a new oring, impeller, shaft, and cover.

Imo the best thing to do is to have the replacement parts on hand. Thats what I've decided to do. Makes everything much easier.

Sent from my SCH-R950 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

This is a classic misuse of any filter, only cleaning it once to a few time a year. Canister is appealing because of its large media volume that can hide a lot of waste, which mislead people into believing that it rarely needs to be cleaned. A dirty canister can turn into a nitrate factory or even worse, an anaerobic time bomb.

 

[spiff44]

The same could be said about sumps... how many people suck the crap off of the bottom when they remove their media for cleaning?

There is pros and cons to both.. I think a sump is inherently more problematic with possible overflowing, evaporation issues.

 

[mudbuttjones]

This is a classic misuse of any filter, only cleaning it once to a few time a year. Canister is appealing because of its large media volume that can hide a lot of waste, which mislead people into believing that it rarely needs to be cleaned. A dirty canister can turn into a nitrate factory or even worse, an anaerobic time bomb.

There's a reason I try not to go longer than a couple months between cleanings. I have an app on my phone I use to keep track of my filter maintenance and water changes.

Canisters are out of sight and out of mind. Its easy to neglect them until they stop flowing water.

Sent from my SCH-R950 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[Redearsunfish]

There's a reason I try not to go longer than a couple months between cleanings. I have an app on my phone I use to keep track of my filter maintenance and water changes.
View attachment 1052662
Canisters are out of sight and out of mind. Its easy to neglect them until they stop flowing water.

Sent from my SCH-R950 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

I like your posts, and i like your fish keeping style.

 

[Redearsunfish]

I am not against canisters per say, but as I keep goldfish, canisters simply get fouled too quickly.

By the way, a leaking canister is a nightmare. I hope no one has to go through it.

 

[ktrom13]

I have 2 small canister and don't have a single issue with them. Sure it's a bit time consuming compared to other filters but they do the just nicely.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[viejafish]

The same could be said about sumps... how many people suck the crap off of the bottom when they remove their media for cleaning?

There is pros and cons to both.. I think a sump is inherently more problematic with possible overflowing, evaporation issues.

A sump system has other problems, like noise, overflowing, and evaporation. But a sump system is transparent and open to the atmosphere, so unlike canister, it can't hide problem and won't go anaerobic. Many operate a sump system with sock, which must be cleaned frequently or else the flow will slow down or stop.

The best system is often the simplest ones, like sponge and HOB filters. HOBs are unforgiving. You can't procrastinate and must clean the filter frequently or else the flow will by pass and and stop mechanical filtration. Sponge filter provides only biological filtration, which demands frequent WC to remove solid waste. That turns out best for the fish, because the sooner you remove waste from the system as it generates, the better for the water quality.

 

[asm129]

I agree with the OP. I have an Fx5 that I clean two or three times a year. It's a real pain and one of the few times I've really not enjoyed the hobby. It's not just cleaning the filter pads but dragging it out to the backyard and cleaning all the media. It took me a couple hours last time and I hated every minute.

Sump are much easier but they can be Nitrate factories too if you let the waste build up in the bottom of the sump. What I do now is use a wet dry vacuum to clean the bottom of my sump and it makes life a lot easier. On all my future setups I'm only going to use sumps with filter socks.