TheEssigs

Hey guys!

I need a cannister filter recommendation for my 125g. I am currently running 4 Marineland filters; (2) 350s and (2) 200s; and I dont feel its enough (its actually a bit shy of the HOT 10x rule). I dont like the the look of the water... its not clear, its hazy. My Oscar, when he dumps, he takes a dump.... literally.... so ewe

So in order to combat this, I want to add a cannister filter, remove the (2) 200s while keeping the (2) 350s.

I never had a canister, and would like to know which you guys think is best to do the job, as well as be the best for a cannister beginner...

jdhef

I have a Fluval 205 for my 36 gallon tank. I am very happy with it. It works great and is super easy to maintain. Plus, you can customize your filtration by choosing different media to put in the internal media baskets.

Of course you would need a larger model for your 125 gallon tank.

TheEssigs

Thanks JD, Ill do some research on that brand; Fluval.

jdhef

Yes it's actually made by Hagen. You can find some info at www.hagen.com and
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/sub...&PSUBCAT=10726

I bought mine at Petco so you can probably get some info on their website also.

outlaw

I have an Odyssea Canister on my 46G. and the LFS I go to has the same one on their 125 (and I don't see another filter on it) which has Gold Fish and Plecos in and the water is clear. It's probably similar to the Fluval but if you're on a budget... I paid 70 for it with a local pick-up charge. TheFishFactoryOnline is where you could order from. It's a complete starter kit. I can't say I have any complaints with it and have had it now for about 4mo. Just not name brand.

TheEssigs

Thanks outlaw. A complete starter kit would be cool, considering we do not have any knowledge of cannisters...

outlaw

NP, and it looks like the Odyssea is comparable to the 205/305 series of Fluval, looking at the link posted above and some others on line, the Fluvals also come with the "starter" media. I bought mine because it was cheaper and heard good things from my LFS. Only believed them because they are smaller business and rely on the "faithful" customer.

TheEssigs

I went to LFS, and they had Marineland and Rena filters, the Rena that would be compatible to the tank is running $179. I still going to look around, and if all else fails I'll order online.

In the back of my mind, I am thinking, what if they leak or the tube breaks, will the filter dump out all the tank water??

outlaw

That can be an issue with almost any filter... to a point. I had a HOB that would over flow out the back all over the floor. Luckily it was in an unfinished basement and there weren't any worries. With any canister you run that risk but if you keep up on maintenance and just check everything over once in a while you shouldn't have an issue. If you are that concerned and have the room, you could always put the canister into a bucket where if it did start to leak, hopefully you could catch it before the bucket fills. When I set ours up i monitored it daily to make sure there weren't any pin holes or a leaky canister or valves. Now I just check when I do the media cleaning for any water spots before I make a mess. Unless you have it defective out of the box I don't think it would be a concern for several years with proper care.

Quick answer- Yes it would be possible because the exhaust hose would have a siphon started on it and empty the tank to the point of the inlet of the exhaust hose. Usually this isn't in the gravel and should hopefully leave enough water in the tank not to kill all if any fish. At least with ours it wouldn't.

Hope this helps relieve any stressful thoughts. Good Luck!

TheEssigs

Outlaw - Awsome idea.

I do have the room, actually. I already have one of those huge rubbermaid storage bins under the stand that I keep extra fish decor and odds and ends in, so I can definately fit another one on the other side to dedicate to an emergency overflow. I think the one I have is a 50g bin... so at least that will keep 50g off the floor in case of a problem... I bet I can find something a little larger as well.

You have been a great help, thanks again!

outlaw

NP, glad to help!

Another thing you can do to protect against a hose break/leak is get another set of hoses but larger diameter then what you have and use it as a sleeve. That way if the smaller hose breaks, you have a larger/stronger hose on the outside of it, and if you are going to do your large bin, you can sleeve it all the way to the canister where it would then just dump into the bucket. It would probably take some patience and a lot of swearing to do with the hoses sticking and not wanting to slide very easily. In that case you could probably plug then front end of the filter hose and put something on it like vasiline or if they make a lube that is more aquarium safe on there.

Just another preventive idea. At my LFS they have a 1" ID hose for 1.25 a ft and it would have easily covered the Odyssea hose if I wanted to do something like that.

Another thing, if your tank is big enough and it leaks, you could always just add more water and swim with the fishes! haha jk

TheEssigs

i think I may go with the rena... i'm checking/researching reviews.

Bunse

You may look at Penn Plax Cascade.