Wow... someone jelly.... We all have opportunities, not anyone's fault you don't have your own business but you. Frustrating when people act like that.. You don't like it, watch someone else geeze...
I like my canister filter, simply because I can plumb it well away from the actual tank, I can have an inline UV sterilizer, there is no evidence of a filter where the tank is displayed and it's completely silent. Only the intake tube and discharge manifold are visible in the aquarium. I Like being able to change filter media and use whatever works without having to have it custom fit. It's what I've used since the early 80's and I've been able to keep and maintain extremely sensitive fish species when others were not successful with them. I see nothing wrong with over-the-side filters, but you now need the behind-the-tank clearance and visual aspect. I'm actually surprised that you actually say they are "bad", and you've injected egos that I don't think actually exist? You've stepped on a lot of aquarists unnecessarily here. We really don't put others down for the filtration they use. Just differences in equipment. Thanks anyway. :) I still like your channel. :)
i think the point is canisters are fine if you feel the benefits are worth the expense .. but you dont need to pay more for filtration if you just want a cleaner tank and there are cheaper options
Racheal said it best. The point is that for a much cheaper price you can have the same or better filtration. I’ve had canisters and absolutely hate them. Overpriced imo for something that is a pain to clean and deal with. Would much rather have a sump with much more to play with, and room for changes if I’m spending good money on filtration. The good thing is that with all the options we have in this hobby regardless of what I prefer, if what you have works for you and your happy, that’s all that matters. Cheers.
I started off many years ago with a canister and had perfect water conditions. Because I wanted easier maintenance I changed to a HOB Filter - water conditions were not ideal. Then I tried Sponge Filters and again, less than ideal water conditions. Now I am back to a canister (Aquael Ultramax 2000, 2days shipping from Poland to UK) and have perfect conditions once again, plus such silent running that I have to keep checking to make sure it is on! The pre-filter is pure genius and cuts right down on maintenance, while giving me water which passes weekly testing. Give me a canister any day - I will not be changing again.
I agree with you on this. Cory started worrying me. Every filter works the same, run the water thru media so it can be filtered. HOBs are no different. Or sponge air driven filters for that matter. I clean my Eheim canister twice a year, no problems so far. It takes 1 hour top. Also, I see a lot of comments supporting the canisters. CORY!!! What happened here DUDE???!!!
When you say water conditions not ideal, what do you mean?? I find that as I keep my tanks planted like jungles, I find I rarely have to change water and probably don't even need filtration, but like to keep a sponge filter going and airstones to help. I can see why canisters are ideal for those large tanks with very few plants that absorb all the fish waste and need to polish that water
I’ve had my Fluval 204 for 16 years. Still works well with my 26 bow front tank, very, very quiet and efficient. Cleaning is a breeze, flow control is simple and easy to adjust. Use 3 chambers , keep my bio rings and don’t clean them, use and repack charcoal, and use and replace filter floss to keep water sparkly. Not that hard to maintain plus it’s hidden underneath my tank. I can buy a new Fluval 206 for $120, my old 204 still going 15+ years. Sorry I’m a Canister fanboy.
4 years later. I've got Fluval 207's on two tanks. Mine are just full of foam. They are absolutely overkill, but they're super easy to use (mine are plugged into smart plugs to give them a feed button too)... I had HOB's, but I moved to the silent Fluvals instead of my aquaclear hob's because the HOB 's where loud and surprisingly easy to have leak out the back. I wouldn't run canisters for lots of tanks, I'd just go sump. If I just had small tanks, sponges or matten filters. But for just one or two "regular" living space midsized tanks they're amazing.
I have kept fish for approx 34 years. I started with a bowl and worked my way up to a 10 gal setup with a wisper hob. Finally I made the jump to a 55 gal. I did go to a canister. I agree it was very foreign to me as to how this works. Fast forward 15 years I got it. Super simple I like customizing the trays with how I want them. I understand your way of seeing things but I hate hearing the water move I want it to be quiet and this works well. I am diehard fluval. I have pre sponges to prevent junk getting in the canister. There is so much you can do with them.
yeah and with pre filter sponge Canister stay much cleaner now i don't know why people have so much problems with canister filter i have a 306 Fluval and 55 gallons tank do you remember the Fluval 103 i use one as a gravel vac.
I don't know why people have so much problem with a bit of water noise. For me, moving water is a major part of the appeal to fishkeeping... Sights, sounds... smells... feels good to me...
My 2 cents: At the end of the day, I think people need to realize that it’s never about canisters vs hobs vs sponges vs sumps, rather it should be about finding what’s best for your situation. I’ve rarely had any issues with canister filters when I owned them, cheap Sunsun or expensive Fluval, they all worked the same in my experience and I loved them when I had them. These days, I pretty much just use sponge filters because they work really well with how is setup my tanks (lots of plants, fairly low fish stock). But it was experience and learning that got me there as opposed to people telling me “buy this type of filter and don’t use that other thing because it sucks.” Now I’m not saying you should discredit other peoples’ experiences (science isn’t scientific without peer review) but take the time to investigate on your own. Those experiences are often the most valuable not just in the fish hobby, but in life itself.
I completely agree with you man I use a canister filter in my 55 planted for the main reason of wanting crystal clear water and distributing my co2 without having visible bubbles via an external reactor. It’s really dependent on what you need for your aquarium and what your budget is. Although you can get great results with anything you use with some patience and know how
As a beginner aquarist I got myself a 90gal/320L aquarium with an aquis 1200 canister- even as a beginner it's been nothing but a breeze to use. They provide so much filtration, adjustable flow, completely silent, and a full clean about every month or so takes me ~20 minutes max. Honestly, what's not to love?
Yeah, but I'm sure he's also biased by being in a business. People will recommend a canister filter to those who are new to the hobby. So I take this video more as someone taking down the giant in the field. Obviously canister filters are great, but under what circumstances?
A filter being too complicated for the owner to operate is an issue with the filter, when you consider that there are much more simple options. Granted they should do their hw, but that's besides the point.
It's the "16 year olds don't need a Ferrari argument" not that Ferrari aren't awesome. He doesn't say canisters are bad or faulty, just not that they're the one-fits all.
Been in the hobby for more than 50 years. As part of my journey I have utilized a myriad of filter systems and brands. First power filter would have been a Metaframe/Living World Dynaflow with “Magic Magnetic Drive” . After many brands of other power filters over the years, I eventually graduated to canister filters about 20 years ago and have never looked back. The same way a larger aquarium is actually easier to maintain than a smaller one is the same way I look at a canister vs. a hang on backs. In my opinion, hob filters are overmatched by large aquariums of 150 gallons or more. I continue to use FX6’s with success.
I'm new to the hobby, but pretty quickly I was like "oh, canister filters are the best and I need to get one". After watching many hours of aquarium channels on RU-vid I realized it was overkill for my purposes. When getting into the hobby at first I was approaching it thinking the more money the better results, but I'm seeing more and more that knowledge and patience are the real way to get results.
I just don't want a mondo chunk of plastic hanging off the back of my tank and making all that noise. My water quality got worse when I switched to a Seachem HOB from a Fluval canister. HOB is now sitting back in the garage.
It takes me 3-5 minutes to clean my wet-dry sump. And I don't have to take it apart to do so. In 20 years, I've had all types of filters, and canisters are by far the most hassle. It's good that you enjoy servicing your canister, though.
Sponge filters, planted tank, easy fertilizer, cheap light. I guess it's like I'm going to work on a bike but the view is magnificent! I owe it all to Cory!
I definitely agree that up-selling unnecessary stuff, especially to beginners or less knowledgeable people, is harmful, to really any hobby. “Replace your media!” also grinds my gears. But like was said, canisters definitely have perks. They are definitely quieter than a HOB. Running a canister ~4’ from my bed, the canister and the sponge filter/power head combo at worst make a (very) low hum. They do look a bit nicer than a HOB, without going full ADA, glass pipes level (which represents a significant jump in cost; canisters are sort of a middle man here). And, I love sponge filters, but, it’s a big black thing sitting in the tank. And again, I love sponges, I have one sitting just like this in my tank, in conjunction w/a canister (gasp!). Still, just a canister looks “cleaner”. A lot of people have tanks just to look at. They want the dirty bits hidden away. They also add a little bit more water volume (mine I’d say adds around 3gal to a 29gal. tank- + ~10%), which is handy especially on smaller tanks, and have more room for media than even the best HOB’s. Yes, a sump is better here, but that’s another significant price jump, esp. if you don’t have time to build one yourself. There of course are probably filter solutions that solve some of the issues canisters have, but I wouldn’t say they are the demon middle child they’re being made out to be. Also wouldn’t judge them on someone not being able to set it up right-they are fussy, but just read the manual carefully and be prepared for an emergency when setting it up, know where the “abort” button/lever/switch is, ha.
They definitely have a place for those who want to use them. I just feel that recommending them to people new to the hobby is a mistake over going over what options are available and showing the different types and letting them choose. When you present someone new to the hobby with the $10, $50, $150, $350 option to filter a tank. Explaining the benefits of each, there will be people who always want to buy the best, those who want to just try it an be cheap and those who want to go middle of the road. But to have groups, stores etc default to a canister as it being superior, I think is hurting the hobby.
Aquarium Co-Op yeah, I definitely agree with that. Like I said, up-selling people on unnecessarily fancy stuff isn’t good. It’ll just drive people away from the hobby, and ultimately, from businesses like yours. I wish had an LFS near me like yours. Best option is a chain store that is far better than Petsmart (🇨🇦 Petco) but not perfect. Was there recently when I overheard a staff member sorta helping a woman decide between otos or a nerite for an “algae cleaner”. She was definitely not ready to look after otos. Now, he wasn’t trying to sell her on otos, but I would’ve definitely steered her away from them, and he wasn’t. Fortunately, she did leave with a snail I think.
I think just about any filter has it's place. I personally use Ziss filters, some HOBs, some sponge filters, and a couple cannister filters. I think cannister filters have a use. I also think they are recommended way too much. Thinking about buying a cannister filter? Here's my advice: 1. Research everything. What features do you want? What media do you want to use? How does it work? Do I want to keep fish that tolerate flow? Is there a different filter that suits my needs? 2. Get some petroleum jelly or silicone grease to treat the seal when you maintain it. Neither cannister filters I bought came with either and I was surprised. 3. Have back up filtration. I prefer something air driven that is inside the tank. 4. Maintain it at least once a month. If you made it all the way down here kudos! Your attention span is far greater than mine when it comes to RU-vid comments.
Cory introduced me to sponge filters I was sold when my sister looking after my aquarium for two weeks let my new 50 dollar HOB run dry and it broke. Now inly use sponge filters in my 8 nano aquariums . Thanks Cory!
I use fx6 on 75g for 3 years running. Clean it every 1-2 months. Huge biological capacity (more than I actually need I imagine). Takes me 30 mins to service. I mainly switched because I like the silence. No water splash. Minimal evaporation vs HOB. Service less frequently than my 2 emperor 400s. Bonus: keeps my aquarium at 78 degrees. Heater doesn't even kick on at this point. Only during water changes. Also bought it for $180 back then. Used
......why are you doing water changes? lol. Get some sponge filters and live plants. No more water changes ever. Your fish will have tons of babies and before you know it your tank will be overrun by fish and plants.
I have my can filter ( a fluval fx5) and two wave makers on their own power strip to run my 100 gallon aquarium. The lights are on its own power strip too. When I feed my fish, I just simply turn off the filter's power strip. When the fish are done feeding, usually in about 8 minutes, I turn it back on. Now because I do that, I can get away with cleaning the filter every 4-5 weeks. I do a 50% or more water change every two weeks scrub the glass panels and when I clean my can filter, I just change the floss, rinse off the media, and squeeze the sponges while cleaning them until they are clean all the way through. I use room temperature water to do this so I don't kill my good bacteria. I then fill it back up. I bought a big submersible pump from amazon and put garden hose on it. This makes my water changes go very quickly. The last time I did it, it took me 43 minutes for all that cleaning. Simple water changes are a lot faster. My water is gin clear and polished very nicely. I don't think I could get it any clearer than I have it now. Been running this setup for 6 years now.
When I started my first tank, the local fish store I went to tried to push a canister filter on me. It was expensive compared to sponge filters and HOBs. After 6 months in the hobby, I can see that everything is way overpriced at that shop, and they were trying to gouge me. I'll never go back there.
I bought a small canister filter for my son’s 5 gallon aquarium and it’s really improved the filtration without turning the thing into a jacuzzi. I was considering an under gravel filter but the canister is performing well without taking up valuable space inside the tank. He has crabs in the tank and sometimes they really make a mess when eating a fish. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they are “bad”. It depends on the situation. A sponge filter would take up way too much space and hang on the back is not going to work because the crabs would use it to escape.
I have had the same Aqua Clear 500 hang on back filter for nearly 30 years. I use 2 of the Aqua Clear sponge filters in it. All I do is clean the filters, they last for ever. The only thing that needs replacing are the impeller shafts. I make my own shafts from brass rod I get at the hardware store. They cost about 20 cents to make and last at least 10 times longer than the Aqua Clear shafts and they are quite.
actually just had my hang on the back dump 10 gallons out of my 38 onto my rug a few weeks ago, ceiling damage on the floor below and everything, just sprung for a Fluval 106, 0 problems so far. very happy with it.
@cheff wallets broooo, I’ve read soooo many people defending their beloved canisters and hardly any on the sump side of things. Way better value/expandability than a canister and also achieves that “it looks way better than a sponge or hob” that everyone is so damn worried about. Lol
8 months ago when I first started and got my first big tank (40b) my first filter was a pen plax canister. after a few weeks the water level dropped and it killed the pump. I ended up returning it and got a fluval 406 and the lid never fit and leaked everywhere. I almost quit and I now use hob on my stock tanks and sponge filters on hospital and quarantine tanks. Maitnence is now so easy and they handle the tanks perfectly.
To be honest, I agree with you, but I also disagree with you on a lot. I agree that a canister shouldn't be the first filter type for everyone, and it isn't necessary for every tank. They can be a pain in the ass to maintain and if you don't know how to operate them, they can be a nightmare. I've had my fair share of problems with them, they're definitely not a "magic-fix" to my tanks. However, I got my Fluval canister for only $60 for my 20 gallon planted tank. I much preferred how I was able to adjust the output since a lot of smaller HOB filters don't have adjustable flows. A lot of small HOB filters, I've found, also don't have the capacity for mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration. Pretty much every filter you buy is going to need some cleaning due to algae and waste buildup, and yeah, canisters have a lot of tiny parts that are a pain to get into, but if you do it right it's manageable. I still have to go in and clean my HOB filters on my other smaller tanks when they get nasty. Do I think canisters are for everyone? Absolutely not. But are they the worst? Not at all, they're really not that bad.. As long as proper research is done before someone goes and buys one, because they are a more advanced filter.
All depends how you set your filters up as to how well it will work for you. I have a HOB on one tank and a cannister on another. The HOB needs cleaning more regularly as you'd imagine it would. In the void of my cannister filter at the bottom of it I usually have a couple of ramshorn snails to eat left over food. When I clean the filter I take them out as they've usually grown huge and swap them for a couple of smaller ones. I probably only clean it every couple of months. Water quality is perfect.
Honestly it takes me about 15/20 mins max. Carry it to the tub, rinse all the media/baskets in old tank water, clean the impeller, scrub the inside of the pipes, then reconstruct and set up in your aquarium again. Easy peasy- and I'm a beginner!
@@shiftyshrimp5930 Easy peasy! And its best to rinse it with aquarium water OR rinse half with tap and the other half the next time to save the bacteria.
@Byron Simpson My tap water isn't chlorinated or fluoridated, so fortunately if I make a mistake it isn't a big deal. But using aquarium water to rinse your media should be a habit- don't want to crash your cycle!
The more higher quality media you have the more stable your aquarium will be over time, and is just simple facts, canisters can hold a fair amount of media (at least mine can). If you’re a store owner of course sumps are easier to maintain, but me for, here in Australia sumps are expensive to get built/setup, so canisters are a no brainer
thank you, thank you, Cory, for simplifying what can be a very overwhelming hobby. With ALL products available and the very strong opinionated community, you help us newbies stick with this amazing hobby by keeping it real, fun, and easy to understand the whys and whats!
I use an fx6 on my 75 gal. I switched from 2 aqueon 75s which I was constantly switching filter floss and I only have to clean my canister filter maybe 3-4 times a year and still using the same filter pads it came with 2 years ago
A lot the reason people love canister filters comes down to aesthetics. They don't take up space within the aquarium and are silent. I like them because they don't take away from my planted aquascaping, and unlike a sponge filter, won't offgas C02. They're also the closest we can get in the FW side of the hobby to sumps without actually buying a sump.
I also really enjoy laying down and watching a tank. My favorite tank so far (I've only had four) so far was a two gallon with only bladder snails in it. It was on my bedside table and I'd watch it for an hour before going to bed. The snails were cute and I'd count the egg clusters and see how many babies I could find. I'd even spend hours watching it waiting to watch eggs hatch in the afternoon. It was wonderful.
I'm running a 40g with biohome, but I have 2 cascade 1200 canisters loaded down with it, in-line with only the first one plugged in with the outlet 3/4 closed to slow the flow into the second canister. The idea is to have the water deoxygenated by bacteria as it goes through the pre-filter canister and the 1st cascade 1200 letting NH3 and NO2 detoxified to NO3 before it enters the 2nd cascade 1200 where it should be a largely anaerobic environment for denitrification. So far this experiment is kind of working, but not to the extent I would like probably because my fish stock is too much. NO3 build up in the water column has slowed down a lot though based on how often I have to do a water change which is about once every 2.5 - 3 weeks. Fish stock is a bristlenose, 10 peppered cories, 4 neon tetras, 2 endler culls, a GBR pair, 6 nerite snails, and about 150 blue cherry shrimp.
I've run a system like that with none of the canister motors running, using a power head instead. You can adjust the flow by bleeding off the excess. The problem with fine tuning a setup like this is how long it takes to see the results.
Arguement towards cannister filters seems super biased...and the comparisons were very strawman... if you dont clean ur sump its bad..if u just leave your hang on the back alone it can also become a nightmare...
To stay with the metaphor, sure you could never maintenance a car, whether it's a Ferrari or a cheaper car, those systems would break down. The problem is, people assume the canister filter aka Ferrari need less maintenance than the cheaper car. This isn't true either.
I have two Eheim 2217s/600s. One of them was garbage picked, was from the early 90s or late 80s, and was used on a saltwater reef tank. Aside from needing some new o-rings on the quick disconnects, it runs solid. That thing is older than me, yet the main orange o-ring is still in near pristine condition and no fittings have had to be replaced or threads worn out. My other 2217 is about 15 years old, and I have never replaced the media or sponges in it, and I have never had an issue with ammonia or nitrogen build ups in my tanks. You get what you pay for. If you wanna clean your canister filter fast, get some media bags, put all the media in the little baggies and put the baggies in your filter. It can be just as fast as cleaning a hang off the back, where you just rinse each of the baggies in a bucket, and then place it all back in the filter and plug the thing in. Priming giving you difficulties? Get yourself a turkey baster. It is a miracle tool for the aquarium - priming pumps and filters, siphoning detritus, or feeding brine shrimp, it does it all.
Both of my canister filters are sitting unused. I may set them up again one day, but for now my UGF and sponge filters work fine. I can set my aquariums almost flush to the wall and not have to get on the floor to pull a heavy, water-filled canister from the back of my tank cabinet/stand. I always hated maintaining those canisters! I appreciate you sharing the "growing pains" AC is experiencing with stocking levels - reminds me of those awkward' tweens' years we all experienced- very frustrating at the time, but I'm confident you'll grow through them 😎 Safe travels next week. I hope you get to film some at the TX farm💕👍
@Maybury Mayhem- I honestly don't know the brand I have. They are the ones that have a single sponge with the tube in the middle, not the ones with 2 sponges. Sorry I couldn't be more help😎
(way off topic) I am so happy right now and it is completely because you (Cory at Aquarium Co-Op) care and recognize the importance of grammar!!! I feel like such a dying breed because nearly everyone else I talk to, watch, or interact with doesn't seem to care in the least. Thank you Cory from Aquarium Co-Op, not only for all you do with helping novices like myself with the hobby, but also for caring about so many other things (like correct grammar and your adorable dogs).
I got a canister filter with my fluval roma 240 set for my 2 goldfish (common and a comet) and I have to say, I wouldn't buy it separately - it's too expensive. HOB would be the "make your own set" way to go. Since it was in a set, I cannot complain, i's quiet as hell and my dad doesn't complain - he complained for the "noise" from my HOB for 40 liter (10 gal) tank xd. HOB is much easier to set up and you can see when it's dirty-ish. Canister is for me easier to clean because I always manage to spill from the HOB when I remove it from the tank. That all said, I have to disagree with the overall tone of the video. All filters have their pros and cons and tbh, canisters are the ones with the lesser cons than some other filters. All filters are bad if you don't know how to use them and most filters are amazing if you read a lot, watch tutorials and optimize the filter media. Although canisters are expensive, I think they give you a lot for that money and not to say you can make a DIY canister. A more constructive video would be to list the pros and cons and discuss those and demonstrate things, not just rant for 1,5 hours. The pros and cons videos would be amazing for all filters and all fishkeeping things - a bit shorter but more effective.
I bought a canister filter for my 55 gallon, it was difficult to understand how to put everything together but when I did it was pretty straight forward.. it works great it's quite and to be honest you shouldn't have any problems with it sucking up dirt or sand unless you got an extra long intake tube which is touching the substrate in which case it's your own fault. And if you keep up on maintenance which is the cleaning of the canister filter to ensure it doesn't overflow and cause a mess.
Well to be fair, there are canister filters with bad manuals. When in talks with Oase I pointed out that if you followed their written directions you flood your floor. Everyone has to use a canister filter at some point. I'd wager there are people in your family who would struggle to utilize one initially.
Cory, fishload is a misnomer. It’s really feed load. How much do you input into your aquarium? That’s the question. Fish are not input (except feeder fish), they are part of the aquarium filtration, filtering that what has been input. Pruning plants, removing dead leaves -before- they begin to rot, and cleaning your mechanical filters are your outputs. If you have to do waterchanges, it means you have unbalanced input to output, so waterchanges become a form of output. It’s all about inputs and outputs and balance. A mechanical filter and chemical too I guess are really just ways to simplify how to collect output.
you can backflush and fill your tank with a FX . you turn off the the quick disconnects and open up the drain and open up which ever line depending on if you want to fill or drain tank.
All I can say is I use biohome on all my canisters I have 6 tanks and my nitrates have gone down to almost zero on all of my Aquariums and to be honest I do think you over use your youtube popularity sometimes some fish keepers are quite capable of doing research and testing things out without any big RU-vid’s telling us what’s bad or not.
I agree with bio home being great iv 3kg in my canister and nitrates are always 5ppm after 3month running in a medium stocked 100ltr tank I have learned a lot from Cory but he's defo wrong on this one think he needs to find out for sure with his own research befor slamming the media
In my 260 gallon show tank in my family room I suppose I could have used a sump however a pair of FX6 cannisters resulted in a much cleaner setup for me and run almost silently. I clean one filter each month so I never have to worry about crashing my beneficial bacteria. I have at least 4x more bio media than came with the units. Yes, like anything you need to know how it works to get the best performance but for me, I wouldn't be without my cannisters. Pricey? yup. As a percentage of the overall project they were a bargain. Also Fluval customer service is THE BEST. Disagree on this however I appreciate the discourse so you still get a thumbs up:)
Interesting Cory. I set up a brand new tank December 2021. I have both a Sea Chem Tidal 75 HOB and a Ultum Nature Delta 120 Canister on my 75 gallon tank of African Cichlids. The Ultum was $179 and did not pump at all coming out of a box brand new. The store in Chicago would not accept a return on it because a new owner would not honor the warranty even with my receipt. I have previously owned a Fluval canister and thought hard to maintain and overpriced. I should have learned the first time. Ultum is giving me the runaround and it's still not replaced. Your point about wattage is right on, and so is the ability to adjust the flow. The Tidal 75 is low wattage and adjustable, making it great for feeding the fish. And it doesn't disturb my plants that I have to have at the surface because Africans love to hide in them. Thank God I have the Tidal or my $200 worth of Africans wouldn't be with me any longer.
I'm getting back into fish keeping after being out 7 or 8 years. I had a canister filter on a 29 back then and it worked great. It was however very expensive to buy. This time around I got a 55 and bought 2 penguin 350s that I modded for it. I probably only needed one and I still saved a ton of money.
Eheim Classic canister filter range (2211, 2213, 2215, 2217), allow you to put what ever the hell you want inside them, can even buy a pre filter for inlet + air diffuser adaptor, also power usage is decent (5w, 8w, 15w, 20w respectively). Struggle to set up this simple canister filter effectively then imo you really need to step away from fish keeping altogether.
@@Brian-R Yeah ive noticed most of he's videos now involve own brand product placement with obvious bias towards areas to drive money motivated agendas. Shame really but he's not exactly been subtle with it and these click bait titles are icing on cake.
Well I've never had an issue with my canister filter I've still got the same media in it that came with it from when I 1st got it and that was over 4 years ago I take it out once a year and rinse it all off that's it. I get there not the best but if you set them up right they work great. One fluval fx5 running 3 20 gallon aquariums as one.
I swear I get worse algae with my canister. It seems like the rotting stuff in the canister feeds it, Ive noticed the same on my pond where most of the algae grows around the canister outlet. My 2nd tank with a big DIY sponge filter has none.
I've had bio Home media for my tank , I've noticed a huge change in controlling my parameters. It takes a few months but I personally stand by it. I've tried alot of media's. So I'm going to have to disagree with everything he said about bihome.
As always, super valid argument! My argument for canister filters...I use Sponge and my canister, my canister can be whatever I want it to be, and best part no more water on my floor, can turn off sponge to be quiet...and can use the canister to remove medicine, (put my sponge in another tank) makes my tank look "Unmechanical" (I hide my sponge behind drift wood) it adds 5 Liters or more to my Tank It's not for everybody but tinkering with my canister is almost as fun as the Fish themselves, Water quality has never been better for me. Had HOB and always had issue with Overcleaning my filter...and under cleaning a couple of times.........I do 50%-50% with my FX2 (getting rid of detritus, but only ringing out 1/2 of the sponges) Will do a 33% or 66% with my FX6 when I clean my Pond filter for the first time....going to have the FX6 dumping into a Bog filter when done. Pretty versatile tool. Could not accomplish all this in the Sump or HOB filter days.....at least with a perfect dry floor (I'm clumsy) Stand alone bucket you can take outside, can't beat it
you dont need to use clear tube - regular hosepipe is a lot cheaper we buy canisters because of the service intervals - we dont all have the time to change water every day
Eheim classics, 2213 and 2215. Been running for years, rinse them out every month or so. Never change the media, very occasionally need spare parts which are easily available. Has lasted a long time now, if you can hear them you need to change the impeller, but it lasts years. Tanks would be fine with a sponge filter, this is true.
love your analogies. the trash can one was an argument in my household. i want a small one with trash out the house before it stinks, hubby wants huge one to "fill up more" less taking out. we tried it his way and after a few weeks of waking up to what's that smell he sees things my way lol
I have a planted tank 40 gallon and a hang on filter with 4 cartridges. I have pothos plants in the back of the filter. I change 1 or 2 cartridges every few months and keep at least 2 old cartridges in the filter because I dont want to wipe out the good biological bacteria. Its quite and my water is clear. I have learned so much from this channel and my current tank is an success.
I have professionally worked with many canisters and I think that most people that own them completely neglect them due to fear of how they work. Exactly like Cory said, people at the store recommended them one because it’s “the best”, not taking into account how much time a casual aquarium owner might be willing to dedicate learning about how it works/how to properly maintain it/the benefits it provides vs it’s flaws. I myself have accidentally caused a flood with my own canister because a hose popped off due to an design flaw. I find that many canisters have those flaws that show up long-term. Doing services, I have encountered so many canisters running at like 10% capacity or on the brink of breaking due to people’s neglect. There is little indication that the filter is clogged or is having issues to a novice hobbyist, so people simply ignore them. Lack of oxygen exchange they provide is another common issue. You don’t typically run into the same issues with hang on backs or sponge filters, because people can visually see reduced flow/bubbles and can take them apart more easily to diagnose an issue without risking a flood. While I do like some of the benefits of a canister, I think it’s mostly intermediate/advanced hobbyists who can truly benefit from owning one.
Canister filters are super easy to set up, to use and super easy to clean and don't take space in your tank (besides the in- and outlet, which when in glass is barely visible to the eye). Even if one has never learned to read, or doesn't understand the language, there are literally PICTURES on most boxes or manuals on how set them up. DETAILED BUT EXTREMELY EASY TO UNDERSTAND PICTURES. At least, Eheim has, but I can only assume that other manufacturers follow that concept to avoid misconceptions. So unless you literally have the brain and IQ of that of a fish (sorry fishies, I love you tho), or don't understand the languages in the instructions, you have no excuse when you fail setting one up. No excuse other than being ridiculously lazy. And then you simply shouldn't even bother keeping fish to begin with, because keeping fish means more than just setting up a canister filter. PERIOD. With that being said, I've been using Eheim canisters for almost 28 years now. I know, old school brand, but very reliable in my opinion. I've used inside filters, "hang on the back" filters, DIY filters (with plastic bottles),... from other brands and none of them fitted me personally. Maybe I'm rusted and old, but why should I fix something that worked for me for 28 years, right? The only thing that I'm going to try out within a few weeks is the spong filter sitting inside the tank. I've been doing long research on them, and I'm willing to give them a try. From what I understood they can't do any harm at all, and are a good support for canister filters. :) Cheers. Ps: an Eheim 250 canister filter only uses 8W. I mean.... com'on. Hard to beat, don't you think?
Since watching breeders for the last few years on RU-vid using sponge filters so much, I switched a few tanks to sponge filters and will never go back. I have a sump on the wifes main tank, was thinking of canister in my bedroom for a 40 gal I am looking to set up and only because of the space and the volume of flow I need for the setup, but every other filter in my house is a sponge filter now. On my brothers new beginner tank I set him up a planted with blue dream shrimp then like 6 corydoras and it has a sponge filled hang on back and a sponge filter. Best of both worlds and as a beginner with all of it he has no issues. They are so easy and great for beginners and then if you want to move to canister or sump you have time to research and save money and move in that direction if you wish.
I had some friends who got it in their head that they could get away with doing less water changes by switching to a canister filter. Sure enough, I checked their water, they have to do p much the same water changes they’ve always done. I also don’t like the idea of a large machine holding gallons of pressurized water over my carpet. I have two HOB filters on my largest tank and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve got a heart defect that doesn’t really allow me to bend down safely, so bending down to perform maintenance on a canister filter, for me anyway, is a bad idea. I can stand up and changers cartridges on my HOBs, clean out the filter itself if I have to, much easier for me. I don’t judge anyone else’s setup if it works for them.
My two cents. I run an FX4 on a heavily planted 75G rainbow tank with a large school of rummy noses, half dozen cory's, some ottos and a pair of bristle noses. The only issue I have is cleaning the filter out every 3 months (But that's really not much of an issue). You can pimp it out insanely well and house a lot of great BB and have some amazing flow and filtration. Not to mention, you wont have to clean it every few weeks like a HOB and you wont need the tech know how to setup a sump. It is also more visually pleasing than having a HOB sitting on the back of your tank.
My 55 has both a canister and a sponge, over filtration is fine for a community tank. All my other smaller tanks have maten or sponge filters. The HOB is the clear loser for me and noisy as well, it’s collecting dust now.
I may be one of the few that absoulutely needs a canister filter. I have a 125 gallon with about 100 adult african cichlids and I feed two leaves of romaine lettuce every day. I struggled for a long time to keep suspended particles at bay, it was literally like a snow globe, up until I got my FX4.
Depends on fish and tank size. I keep Tanganyikan cichlids such as Cyathopharynx, Cyprichromis, Enantiopus, Xenotilapia etc. They are big fish when compared to tetras,apistos,livebearers and you can't use enough plants. They need 75-100 gallon tank minimum, so canister is the only choice for me.
I think your just going off your opinion. But that’s nothing bad and nothing wrong with it. I think breeding setups/selling or distributing yes I agree you shouldn’t use 100 of them. But for a single tank to hide all of it is very nice. Yes you don’t “need it” but it’s aesthetically pleasing. But whatever idk. I think the can filters with the built in heater are some of the nicest filters you can buy for a freshwater tank. Not to mention all the bio media you can fit. Hob unless an almost 100 aquaclear 110 then none of them have the space for proper bio media/ others like carbon etc. not the greatest video in my opinion....
How much biological capacity do you need for 23 neon tetras? I vertically don’t know. Therefore I would find it hard to say that one filter or another is enough without testing. If we are going for aesthetically pleasing I’d find it hard to be a fully planted tank with an nice circulation pump with the motor on the outside and only the prop on the inside.
Aquarium Co-Op I see what your saying, like I said everyone is entitled to their own opinion and this is the trouble with having your own and a RU-vid channel. I love your channel and your videos and your always so fun and goofy for the most part lol. I think it’s just all a love hate kinda thing. The two freshwater I have run on sponge my salt just got downgraded from a can to a aquaclear and a diy refuge so who’s to really say. I just think you were a little harsh but thanks for your response.
O-M-G. Corey - you have so many good videos. But, this...THIS tops them all. I don't know why it took me this long to stumble upon this, but so glad I did. So many laughs....but so true on so many levels. You are 1000% right about the canister culture. I was 99.9% certain to not go with a Canister on my 90g that I'm planning right now. This put me at 100%. Thank for all of these laughs. A truly home run video. Keep on keepin on...
Maybe we could quantity fish capacity by measuring the energy in Joules that a fish gives off for a specific amount of food to determine their digestive speed as well as the avg concentration of ammonia in their waste. Then create a rating that is the product of the two. So you would have F# = [J•M•g^-1] . The high the F# the higher biological impact of the fish in a standard volume
So, as a person with a math degree.. I am like this is a really good idea… and then, as I fit the stereotype of someone with a math degree and I am often told I can’t pick up sarcasm.. I am second guessing if this post was sarcastic or not lol.
I'm running three very different tanks right now. A 55 gallon with a canister filter and an air stone with sand substrate and only a moss ball (given to me). A 26 gallon with a hang on back filter small stone substrate and a few live plants. A 10 gallon with an air stone (no mechanical filtration) live plant soil, more natural substrate capping, heavily planted, and a plant specific Fluval LED light. It's interesting to see how these different systems work (or don't).
I had an aquarium before and didn’t do enough research. I chose a canister only after I researched all the topics you brought up. Thank you for giving your opinion.
Aquarium Co-Op once I get more experience I will likely try your experienced methods. I’m slowly acquiring all my tools and supplies for my 40gal tank. I am getting plants as well. Do you have a book for someone not a novice but not as experienced as you? I guess I’ll keep watching your videos. Last Q! Is there a canister filter that you do like?
The SUNSUN HW-3000 canister has a variable speed flow with UV timer. Though I agreed a sponge filter will do almost all the things a canister would do, but it takes space inside the canister.
Hi Cory, you are one of the best informed people in our hobby, l have learned so much from you, so thank you very much, but! Please, please don't take two hours to make your point, it's a valid point & in my opinion correct. But using an email analogy, if you don't make your point in the first paragraph, you start losing the readers interest.
I'll take an expert going deep into a topic and spending 2 hours on it any day over a twitter 128 character argument. Particularly with regards to the aquarium hobby where people who have been in it for 20 years are still learning
Hey Cory I bought a 60 gal tank that has the canister filter comes in from the bottom and has a bubbler on the other side that comes in from the bottom. Wanted to get your advice on this. Is there a better place to ask this question.
Cory talking about fluval x6: “they raised the price, and gave us less parts” Me thinking to myself: wow so that’s how I look when I talk about apple products
I moved to a canister for 2 reasons. First, the Tetra Whisper is not good at it's job, and second, it not that quiet. So far im happy with my Aquatop CF400uv. Super quiet and will save money over the years.
I had a hob for my first two planted tanks (10 and 20). I found them messy and a pain to clean. I upgraded to a 36 (bowfront- never again) and upgraded to a fluval 406 canister and love it. It’s definitely easier to clean. I’ve had it for almost 2 yrs and have only ever replaced the floss. Why replace the bio media? Isn’t that counter productive...? I purposely over sized and I’m about to upgrade to a 55 and love that my existing filter will work with it. I’m glad I had a hob to learn from but to me a canister is easier and much more efficient. Before buying it I watched all the videos I could find and researched as much as I could and I am glad I made the switch. Isn’t it really about providing the best possible environment for my fish and plants? I really didn’t find this informative - it seemed like more of a rant.
Definitely a rant. No one was arguing about canister filters being bad before this, he just wants his customers to stop demanding he stock canisters and start buying sponge filters. He admitted in this rant he doesn't make a lot of profit on them and when people return them it hurts him as the seller.. And that's fine if he doesn't want to carry them anymore but instead of misleading people he should just say it was a business move and that be the end of it.
Had a 406 once, out of the blue it started leaking under the cabinet. Made a huge mess and ruined the cabinet, what a disaster. Keep an eye on it, I'm warning you lol. Replaced the o-ring around the lid, nothing worked kept leaking afterward. Since I bothered replying to your old post (sorry just wanted to warn you lol) I'll mention if you're ever looking to try something else look into sumps, way easier to clean and maintain. Total peace of mind operation, stick all your heaters etc in the sump, stick a sponge in there for emergencies like power outages. You choose how much media you want in there, or filtration as there's tons of room. Since you pick the return pump you can choose a return pump with a flow controller so it's good for any future application, some have feed buttons so you can stop the pump when you feed. They're generally cheaper too, especially if you build one.
I'm planning to get a 20 gallon tank aquaponics system. It is going to be a DIY build. I was thinking about building 2 canister filters for mechanical filtration and bacterial growth to feed the soil and plants. 2 canister filter will be running at the same time and will clean them alternatingly. Do you have any advice on filter media? I was hoping for something washable and reusable. Would this setup work?
Canister filters definitely process waste more efficiently, in my opinion, and keep the waste all in one place for me to maintenance. I never get as much gunk in a hang on back as I would in a canister, and that to me is telling me its working. However, this is just personal experience. I think they are worth the investment for what you get out of them and you shouldn't start a tank until you can afford everything you want (python, canister, heater, etc.) I do think you're right that canisters come with crappy media and a lot of people don't customize and optimize them enough, but that all falls back down to knowledge and research. Just because you don't know how to use it doesn't mean it's bad.
I personally think for say water clarity, an undergravel filter is the best. A canister has it's strength as any filtration does. Everyone's value of something's worth is individual. Likely someone with a 10 gallon tank, might not feel that $120 canister filter is a worth while investment. While someone with 100 gallon tank might feel that money being spent is a great investment.
Canisters are quiet, hold more media.I have 2 tanks in my bedroom so I needed something quiet. 3 Ehiem Classics, feed heavily, weekly water changes and clean canisters every 3 months. Not a single leak in 10 years, cleaning them does take some time and if you're not careful you can break things and might spring a leak. I wouldn't recommend a Eheim Classic to someone who isn't slightly handy. I gave my friend an Eheim Classic and he struggled but he figured it out eventually. HOBs are soooooo easy I wish they were quieter tho....
I know the camera is rolling. It’s the lag between pressing the go live button on RU-vid. There is up to a 30 second delay before the RU-vid back end catches up to let you know your signal is broadcasting.
@@AquariumCoop I understand, I just thought it was funny. I would probably sit and stare off into space and forget to be looking for when RU-vid catches up.
I don't know if Fluval was listening to you but....I bought the FX6 today and it can pump water out and pump my clean water in with my just moving a hose from one bucket to another using that like drain valve spot. Making water changes for my 125 gallon tank a breeze.
I have a 30-60 gallon filter on my 55g with goldfish, bare bottom tank, planning on getting just one.. more.. (lol) oranda goldfish and that be it. My question is, should I get a second filter? They have a Biowheel at a chain pet store near me cheap that cycles 50g/ hr. Do you think that would be enough filtration? I do a 30% wc once a week.
I don't buy bio media online or fish store. I just buy lava rock at a land scape company by the pound and crush it to the size I want it. Works great and is a heck of a lot cheaper.
I've never used canister filters. I had a water issue , I was running 2 hob filters and 2 big sponge filters and they didn't keep up. So after some research I took a 5 gallon bucket drilled 2 holes near the bottom put in 4 big trays the size of the bucket media in each one , then bought a 300 gph submersible pump at a second hand shop . I have less than $ 20 in this filter and now I only use one sponge filter and the 5 gallon bucket filter. On a 125 gallon. I do have some more tweeking to do to it and a more powerful pump but I was actually able to take off both hob filters I paid about 40 each for .
I disagree. If used correctly and understanding the filtration you are trying to achieve, canister filter could be a good option for you. If you overstock your tank, no plants, a HOB will not do the job. All filters can fail (power outages or bad maintenance). I agree they (canisters) can be costly, but the pricing has come down over the last few years. Used ones are a bargain. HOB filters may not work well on tanks at 90 gals or more, unless you have more than one in use. Canisters alone may not work well on tanks 220 gal or more. It all depends on stock and type of fish etc. Cory, too long winded and not on point.
I hate doing maintenance on canister filters. I have used several and they are a leak waiting to happen. Not to mention the bending over to open the can and pull them out. Water goes everywhere even with the valves turned off. I am getting too old for the bending, stooping, and fussing with canister filters, I used to have a Cascade 1500 filtering my 125 gallon until I opened the can and water flooded underneath my cabinet. It was gone that day. Now I have three Seachem Tidal 110s on my 125 and the water is crystal clear. You have to clean the baskets more often but I easier.
Joseph Dy Theirs lots of people showing their results they are very positive overwhelmingly positive, biohome media in a canister filter is one of the best filtration you can get for your fishes men and women lies but numbers don’t lie people out there testing showing good results
320G and have two FX5 on it..granted I only paid $100ea and they work amazing. You dont have to spend alot of money on maintaining them. You can buy a 40lb of lava rock or a bag of polyfill and cut to size. I alternate cleaning them (monthly) which takes about an hr or so..water is always crystal clear and water perimeters are on point. I also have 2 XXL sponge filters.. every filter has its place in the hobby/community.
I have a 75 gallon tank with a “fx4” I haven’t maintenances it since mid November 😅 In the tank is: two large Oscars, two large jack Dempsey’s, two blood parrots, and two giant silver dollars. I feed every other day. I check my water perimeters weekly. And I never have ammonia, NO2, or NO3. The entire tank is caked with brown algae, I love how it keeps my NO3 none existent. Lights are on for about 10 hours a day. I honestly think I could run the entire tank on two sponge filters The reason I have and fx4 is Because it was on sale on Black Friday, plus I had 100$ in rewards 😂😅
Interesting topic. I'm from Germany and I do not have the feeling that canister filters are so hyped over here. For my 160 gallon Mbuna tank, I wanted a canister filter since I always used them in the past. But I went with a Matt Filter, running on 2 power heads. I love it. Sure, the mechanical filtration in my opinion is not as good as with a canister. But the biological filtration is amazing. Even after being on vacation and skipping 1 or 2 water changes, the water is still ok. Also, there is no water, running out of the tank and back. I am so happy that I doesn't have to deal with all the hoses and I can hide the heater. There are cheep and meaningfull alternatives.
Most of the videos on filtering are by Americans and they always seem to have that debate about sponge, hob and canister. In Europe the debate seems to be about canisters outside the aquarium and filters inside the aquarium. I've never seen a hob in Europe. There are people who swear by canister filters but the claims they make are not specific to canister filters. I seriously dislike canister filters because of the mess with the hoses and transporting water out of and into the aquarium. My new Aqualantis aquarium comes with the BioBox and I love that concept. Yes, it takes up space but all the water stays in the aquarium, easy access to filter material, hides heater and pump, and silent because under water. But I like the idea of the Hamburger Matten Filter. Thanks for pointing that out.
I prefer canister over anything else, for my personal situation. $60 sunsun works perfect for my 29g, never any excess nitrate issues using biohome ultimate, more than enough room for excess amounts of biomedia, only need to clean it out once a month or 2 (which takes about 10-15 minutes) and above all else... it's NEAR SILENT and have the least amount of equipment in/on the tank compared to HOB and sponge filters. It's not about "being better" than other people or "feeling good" about my equipment, it's about what I feel works and looks best in my personal situation.
I get what he’s sayin because when I first got into the hobby I myself was thinking about the fx6. I have a 75gl tank but it’s stocked with like 23 or so inhabitants. Multi species, very different poop makers from little to heavy. But then the price tag on the fx6 did make me reconsider the purchase. I did some research and I’m sure a bunch of people are going to gasp and give grief about it but I found the Sunsun HW-5000. It works great for me. Has a few of those bells and whistles Cory was discussing. Adjustable flow pump, adjustable feed timer, drain valve you can use for water changes or to simply draw water from the tank to use to clean the sponges. I’m currently following a RU-vidr who has both the fx6 and the sunsun hw-5000 and is doing a comparison between the two. Another difference is the way smaller price tag. Which is touching in the why pay for a Ferrari topic. For me the canister filter was a great addition to my filtration and much more affordable. Suggesting canister filters to everyone is not a bad thing but you should really take a little bit of time to explain how to use them and maintain them. That would cut down the return of canister filters back to the store greatly. Hope that helped a bit.
I personally like canister filters. I find them easy to work on, they are quiet, they look better IMO because they are not hanging on the tank. I like the fact that they are away from the tank.
I run a canister filter mainly to contain 1 layer of sponge 3 other trays of Biohome that on top of my sump which uses socks plus a DIY PAD above holy rock more biohome sitting on top of a cheap small under gravel filter giving me 2 air bubblers slow anaerobic bio activity. Then the other half of my sump is PLANTED. Running 225 gal well stocked lots of tank born Frontosa and Bristle nose plecos Water chemistry tested often and it’s always perfect Any maintenance is a welcome activity for me. Very relaxing.
