Are canister filters worth it

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
šŸ¶ POTM Poll is Open! šŸ¦Ž Click here to Vote! šŸ°

Worth it

  • Yes

    Votes: 1 33.3%
  • No

    Votes: 2 66.7%

  • Total voters
    3

Aquarist2020

Fish Fanatic
Joined
Jun 18, 2020
Messages
105
Reaction score
6
Location
A mystery
Iā€™m thinking of getting one but is it worth. I do have constant nitrate problems. Iā€™m a beginner ( 8 months in ). Is it worth all the work. If Iā€™m gonna get one itā€™s gonna be the sun sun canister filter
 
A canister filter won't solve your nitrate problem. In fact it could make it worse unless you clean it every week or two.

If you post more info people may be able to advise on controlling nitrates. Specifically tank size and dimensions, what fish you have and how many as well as plants. A photo would be useful too. Also test the nitrates in your tap water and let us know the results, as well as the nitrate level in your tank.

Without all that info all I can suggest is that filters make nitrates and will never reduce them. The best way to keep them under control is by doing a substantial (50% or more) water change every week. I have 4 tanks and change between 70 and 80% in each one every week.
 
Short answer, yes, cannister or external filters are worth it imho.

Bigger capacity for more media, more powerful flow and usually easier for access.

Long answer, it depends on your tank size, set up and tank stocking.

Some livestock like lower flow so external filters tend to have larger flow rates but some of these external filters have adjustable flow rate controls or even adding baffles or pointing the flow nozzle towards glass at back or side rather than flowing directly into tank can reduce flow to satisfaction.

Small tanks wonā€™t really benefit from large canisters as basically itā€™s is usually overkill in terms of flow rate and there are lots of good little HOB (Hang on Back) and internal filters that do the job perfectly well, even simple sponge filters are good especially if you have a betta or shrimps set ups in your tank.

The list of things are almost endless for pros and cons for both small and large tanks and which type of filters.

I have had great success with HOBs on large tanks and small externals on small tanks, it all had to do with what kind of set up and tank stocking I wanted.

I say that doing a little homework and research into what tank stocking you would like goes an awful long way in deciding tank sizes and filter types as well as budget of course.

Filters are mostly a personal choice as some keepers swear by one type or a certain brand only while others like a variety or certain types of filter.

Edit - seangee Is quite correct in saying that any type of filter wonā€™t do anything for nitrAte levels, the best course of action for lowering nitrAte is large water changes, at least 50% once weekly, though I normally did 60 - 70% water changes. Certain live plants can also help with nitrAte levels as well.
 
I personally donā€™t believe so, especially for beginners.

I think beginners should get HOB, internal, or sponge filters. All of which are easy to clean and setup.
 
I go with the live plant option in dealing with nitrates, live plants especially fast growing floating plants will absorb ammonia at a higher rate which also takes care of nitrates and nitrites. Also moss balls which are actually a form of algae are good at absorbing nitrates. I have mostly sponge filters in my tanks.
 
I go with the live plant option in dealing with nitrates, live plants especially fast growing floating plants will absorb ammonia at a higher rate which also takes care of nitrates and nitrites. Also moss balls which are actually a form of algae are good at absorbing nitrates. I have mostly sponge filters in my tanks.
Best get the tap and tank numbers. In my experience plants are very good at stopping nitrate levels from going up - but not particularly good at bringing them down if you have high nitrates in your tap water.
 
Best get the tap and tank numbers. In my experience plants are very good at stopping nitrate levels from going up - but not particularly good at bringing them down if you have high nitrates in your tap water.
Your right that is true, if it is already in the tap water.
 
Canister/external filters should only leak if they are not correctly assembled or if they are not properly maintained.
That's good. My neighbour thinks about getting a 125 L tank and a canister filter for 120L tanks, I wanna help her a lot but I don't know much :unsure:
 
That's good. My neighbour thinks about getting a 125 L tank and a canister filter for 120L tanks, I wanna help her a lot but I don't know much :unsure:

Over the course of some 30 years keeping multiple tanks, I have had canister filters, hang-on-back filters, internal filters, and sponge filters. One of my tanks is a 33g (125 liter), and I would not waste money for a canister on this small a tank.

As some others have already mentioned in this thread, filtration depends upon what you intend putting in the tank in terms of fish. And live plants can factor in. But it is the fish, especially their requirement concerning water currents, that should generally determine the filter. When my 33g was housing small quiet fish like rasboras, pencilfish, tetras, hatchetfish, and cories, a dual sponge filter in the rear corner was all I needed to maintain water clarity. Very minimal water current suits these fish. Biological filtration is not really an issue if the tank is not overstocked, and particularly with floating plants which such fish also require. At another time, when this tank housed a group of dwarf chain loaches and some smallish barbs, I used an Aqueon Quiet Flow internal filter in the rear corner because this could create a decent current down the tank, which suits these fish.

The issue with canister filters is cleaning them; it is extra work, compared to simply rinsing out an internal sponge or rinsing the Quiet Flow during the weekly water change, and ease of maintenance is something to keep in mind. I know I have always kept my internal filters much cleaner (every weekly water change), whereas my three large canisters that I had on the 70g, 90g and 115g tanks were probably not cleaned as frequently as they should have been. And when they were, it was a laborious job (for me anyway), cleaning all those long hoses, the media, etc.
 

Most reactions

trending

Members online

Back
Top