Anyone use Cascade Canister Filters?
- Thread starter gspille
- Start date
They're ok filters. I have a Cascade 1200 and 1000. They do suffer from some bypass issues.
I have a 1000 on my 40 gallon mbuna tank, and it keeps it super clean (300 gph).
The RENA XPs would be a better choice. However, I would pick the Cascade over the MAGNUMS. I had magnums and don't trust the O-rings on them. They have flimsy clamps to hold down the lid; doesn't seem very reliable as I've had one that leaked because of the clamps (Cascade has heavy duty clamps to hold down lid).
I have a 1000 on my 40 gallon mbuna tank, and it keeps it super clean (300 gph).
The RENA XPs would be a better choice. However, I would pick the Cascade over the MAGNUMS. I had magnums and don't trust the O-rings on them. They have flimsy clamps to hold down the lid; doesn't seem very reliable as I've had one that leaked because of the clamps (Cascade has heavy duty clamps to hold down lid).
On a lightly stocked tank they do fine. You have to really oversize to be able to have anything big or to stock heavy. I have a 1500 running for 8 years now. I clean it once or twice a year, but is on a 150 gallon tetra community tank.
Forget the Magnum. Cascade are pretty dang good for the price. Rena is a little better but more expensive.
I have an XP3 on a 125, and wanted to put canisters on my 2 75's now, along with the penguin 350's. One has my rotkiel sevrum, blue acara and a pleco, and the other is a tetra and rasbora community. I was looking at the cascade for the price, and it's cheaper than the XP2 and pumps more gph.
I have a 1000 on my 65g (36x18x24) and two 1500 on my 120g (60x18x26). They are a great budget filter and with on-line sales you can get these for pretty cheap. You will need to buy some bio filter media however because all they provide is carbon, sponge and white pads.
You will want to over filter with these, like it was mentioned already.
My 1000 on the 65g is very lightly stocked with 6 little fish about 1.5" in length (4 Buenos Aries Tetras and a pair of Blue Eye Cichlids). This filter is more than adequate for this. When I was using this as a grow out for the fish in my 120g, I could see the need for a bigger filter.
My 120g that uses the two 1500's at times even feels under filtered with: 6" Midas x1 , 5" Red Hook Silver Dollars x5 and a 5" Pleco x1. I do 3 water changes a week of 30g because these guys are all messy and poop a lot. But all in all I'm happy with these filters ability.
Just an extra thing to think about: One thing I did do when setting up the canisters was to ditch the in tank heaters. Its a great time to get a Hydor in line heater. Best $45 Ive spent. Get those stupid looking, breakable heaters out of the tank.
All this ranting and I never really made my point!
Cascades are great filters for those on a budget.
You will want to over filter with these, like it was mentioned already.
My 1000 on the 65g is very lightly stocked with 6 little fish about 1.5" in length (4 Buenos Aries Tetras and a pair of Blue Eye Cichlids). This filter is more than adequate for this. When I was using this as a grow out for the fish in my 120g, I could see the need for a bigger filter.
My 120g that uses the two 1500's at times even feels under filtered with: 6" Midas x1 , 5" Red Hook Silver Dollars x5 and a 5" Pleco x1. I do 3 water changes a week of 30g because these guys are all messy and poop a lot. But all in all I'm happy with these filters ability.
Just an extra thing to think about: One thing I did do when setting up the canisters was to ditch the in tank heaters. Its a great time to get a Hydor in line heater. Best $45 Ive spent. Get those stupid looking, breakable heaters out of the tank.
All this ranting and I never really made my point!
Cascades are great filters for those on a budget.