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Ok all you wonderfully smart people, inexperienced here with canister filters and I think I need to change to having one. I have a 60 gal, with 2 bla-bla (Emp 260 bio-wheel) filters. I don’t want the filters to show any longer and I just bought a Turbo-Twist 6x (18 watt UV sterilizer)which all put together would be just a BIT to much of a current (fish would be smashing into walls. The question is, HOW DO CANISTER FILTERS WORK, and WHICH IS THE BEST ONE FOR THE SIZE TANK I HAVE?

See, I told you I was naive.

Thanks all,
Entkitty


See my profile (link below) for fish and setup.

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.

Hi,
First, you should be able to "delete" as "duplicates"
the other two posts. I never did see the image you sent.
When that happens to me I have found it was because my
picture was larger than the 100Kb allowed. To post them
I have reduced them to 90Kb and they post.

As far as how the canisters work, think of taking your
outside HOB filter, and sealing it up with a hose to
provide the water in, and another to provide for the
return flow. They are essentially just sealed up
regular old filters. Having said that, the really nice,
expensive ones, come in separate cylinders, all chained
together so the output of one becomes the input of the
next in line, and so on. Each cylinder performs a
specific function. Prefilter, filter, water treatment,
heating, sterilization, CO2 injection, and then return
to the tank. In the more economical canisters, instead
of being separate cylinders, they are separate sealed
"boxes" within one cylinder.

Look up on the internet a canister filter from Ehiem
for instance, and they will show you some of the interior
construction.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I'd say an eheim 2026 would be fine for your tank.

Gibson SG you know you want one!!

Frank, Other two post? Picture? I didn't know there was others from me. I will check it out and thank you.

anyhow, there are many models out there

Model # 2231 1st Media 2nd Media 3rd Media
(option 1) Coarse Filter Pad (Blue) EHFISUBSTRAT 0.53gal (2L) Carbon Filter Pad

2231 (option 2) Coarse Filter Pad (Blue) Carbon Filter Pad

2233 (option 1) Coarse Filter Pad (Blue) EHFISUBSTRAT 0.8gal (3L) Carbon Filter Pad

2233 (option 2) Coarse Filter Pad (Blue) Carbon Filter Pad

2235 (option 1) Coarse Filter Pad (Blue) EHFISUBSTRAT 0.8gal (3L) Carbon Filter Pad
or
2235 (option 2) Coarse Filter Pad (Blue) Carbon Filter Pad

but I don't see and 2026 as Kridge suggested. so, which one?


See my profile (link below) for fish and setup.

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.

Also, how easy are they to clean and how often, same as the ones I have now?



See my profile (link below) for fish and setup.

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.

I am not sure how tall or strong you are but remember that once it is full of water it going to be quite heavy.

Guy at the store was telling me that he leaves his on the shelf under the tank, unclips and takes out any media that needs rinsing or replacing. Every time I took the lid off my canister it squelched water everywhere when replacing the lid. So I had to lift it into the laundry sink to do the changes.

I am not good with all the technical stuff and was afraid to take the tubes off the valves in case I couldn't get them back on. Hence the pipes/tubes got algae in them because I wasn't confident with the technical stuff.

The canister was also too heavy for me to lift so it didn't get washed out as much as I would like.

Just last week two members of this site came to my house to help me take down the canister and put up a hang on back filter.

That is just my experience. But it shows that although canisters do the best job of cleaning the tank they aren't everyone's cup of tea. (there is a lot of support on the site for them but I thought I would just say that some of the bigger ones are very heavy)

But I am sure lots of people have not a jot of trouble.

Maybe when you go to the shop you can have a good look at how they go together and what is involved. I am sure you are much more adept with technical stuff than me.

Am sure you will make the right decision for you. All the best for whatever you decide.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

Hold on wish, Heavy? I am not a strong girl, yes, strong for my size, weighting in at only 97lbs. I can lift a bucket of 5 gallons of water just fine; however, more than that can be a struggle. also, how often does one clean a filter of this type? Weekly, monthly or every other month?

Wow, how heavy is heavy?

Thanks wish. Any one else who can give me advice?

Entkitty


See my profile (link below) for fish and setup.

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.

I've piced up my friends before and they are heavier than your average filter, but you shouldnt have any problems if you can lift a 5gallon bucket with water. Thats pretty good over 40 pounds

I got a canister because most people seemed to suggest that you don't need to do very much maintenance at all.

EDIT: Not to mention the filtration capacity of three liters of media.

Some, like the 2026, have a flow meter on them; if the flow starts to drop, then you know it's time to do some cleaning. Mine hasn't shown the slightest signs of slowing down in the month I've had it, although that isn't a very long time.

Some people have even suggested that an underloaded canister will break down solid waste as quickly as it accumulates, because the surface area of the media is large enough to accomodate a lot of solid waste without actually losing much water flow. In a case like that you'd never need to maintain it at all, at least until the filter media started physically breaking down.

The 2026 at least is more costly than the Eccos you were looking at, but it has some nice features. The hose connection includes integrated ball valves so that you can disconnect the canister without spilling water - this does actually work, although I usually get a couple of drops. There's also a flow-meter - basically a ball in a cage - to give an indication of when the canister needs maintenance. The cover locks down at all four corners as well. It seems fairly well-designed and if I take off the silly plastic decorative pieces on the corners it fits right into a five-gallon bucket. (No, they aren't part of the locking mechanism!)

Last edited by Silverlight at 23-Nov-2004 21:49

Am not saying they are too heavy to manage for everyone but I found mine awkward lifting in and out (if I picked one up and put it straight back down it isn't too heavy, but the reality of lugging it and tilting it to get it in place again is something different).

If the level in the canister wasn't at the correct level it had to be unhooked, carried back to the laundry, hauled up to the sink and more water added. Taken back to the tank, tilted 35 degrees onto the shelf and hooked up again to see if it can get going.

Was not trying to put you off. They keep the tank sparkling but it wasn't compatible with my strength. I wish I could have a canister but it wasn't practical for me.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~