New to canisters help your boy out

[AlphaTintu]

Most canister do fine, but bio-load and water quality play a major role.
I've had only one FH (4-5" size), had Fluval 206 canister (which came with the whole tank from pre-used!).
I've had bio-media (loose), fluval spongue, carbon in mesh bag, some vertical stripes sponges and that did the work fine.
With having only one FH 4-5" in size, I used to clean the sponges and bio-media with tank water once in a month! many would not agree with me here, but that flowerhorn had no issues in 2 years.. (I ended up giving him up to someone during my overseas long term travel).
Only problem with that filter was a manual pumping to fill the tank water, and then it will get going until you open it again.

No offense to anyone, but I find canister does excellent job if maintained properly. Fluval canisters are usually very silent.

I am sure you will like it.. Less often maintenance but more time to clean than HOB filters, however, once you know how to clean the canister, you will just speed maintaining it, and you will definitely like it. Youtube videos will do.

Enjoy the gift, and happy anniversary!

 

[AlphaTintu]

I find canisters "not user friendly" to maintain, so are usually left too long between cleanings, and end up holding gunk which in the can, means in the tank breaking down and degrading water quality. Although they often make tank water "look" good holding all that detritus, looks can be deceiving..
I've used a number of popular brands and never found any I would use again.
One was included in my current tank package, and has been sitting idle, because I find them a pain.
I know many people rave about them, so I thought you deserved another view.

) I've never seen a person who doesn't like canister. But I like the another view of yours, and appreciate honest opinion from senior members. I found canister good because I just kept one FH, so definitely it was less debris accumulated in the filter medias, and it was every 4 weeks of duration on cleaning it.

 

[Drumm22]

All of my mechanical filtration is in 4 prefilter sponges attached to the canister inlet which I clean out in removed tank water during water changes.View attachment 1427655 My canister has only biological media I pretty much never have to crack it open.

Is biomedia like lava rocks

 

[Drumm22]

Most canister do fine, but bio-load and water quality play a major role.
I've had only one FH (4-5" size), had Fluval 206 canister (which came with the whole tank from pre-used!).
I've had bio-media (loose), fluval spongue, carbon in mesh bag, some vertical stripes sponges and that did the work fine.
With having only one FH 4-5" in size, I used to clean the sponges and bio-media with tank water once in a month! many would not agree with me here, but that flowerhorn had no issues in 2 years.. (I ended up giving him up to someone during my overseas long term travel).
Only problem with that filter was a manual pumping to fill the tank water, and then it will get going until you open it again.

No offense to anyone, but I find canister does excellent job if maintained properly. Fluval canisters are usually very silent.

I am sure you will like it.. Less often maintenance but more time to clean than HOB filters, however, once you know how to clean the canister, you will just speed maintaining it, and you will definitely like it. Youtube videos will do.

Enjoy the gift, and happy anniversary!

Thank you!!

 

[Drumm22]

So i set it up last night. I put my lava rocks from my hob into each tray of the fluval. Seems to be running good. Very silent. Just awkward bc its on the side of my tank reaching around to the back due to the tank setup. Im guessing i should add another airstone? I had an airstone on one side of the tank and the hob on the otherside. The fluval doesnt cause much surface breaking??

 

[deeda]

Why not just adjust the nozzle so it's pointing up a bit more at the surface?

 

[AlphaTintu]

D deeda is right, if you want to break surface, use tank suction cups and cut the nozle, stick it with suction cup pointing upward!

I use an old school filter as secondary filter, just 10 bucks at Amazon, doing great job, I loaded fluval underwater media, and used all sponges came with the filter, it creats bubbles as it's underwater..using HOB as primary..

 

[WalksWIthGobies]

Is biomedia like lava rocks

Yes it can be though I use synthetic media, API Bio Chem Stars

 

[james99]

I had an fx5 and fx6 on my 125. Great filters until it came time to clean them, they're alot of weight to wrestle from under a cabinet.

 

[Drumm22]

I had an fx5 and fx6 on my 125. Great filters until it came time to clean them, they're alot of weight to wrestle from under a cabinet.

Good thing im an animal?