penance

Just a basic review question - This canister filter was recommended to me by the Petco SA and would like to know if I'm running this on my 55 tank will it keep my tank clean on it's own?

Do most people add another filter or undergravel filter to use with this one?

Thanks

aquarist48

I just bought one myself. However, I'm only using it on occasions as a water polisher using the micron filter. As far as the size you need....the filter should produce 10xvolume of the tank. (or close to it) Too, take into consideration the fish and the current. Ex: 10g tank should have a 100gph filter.

Llama

I don't like undergravel filters to be honest, the potential for things to go wrong is rather high.

Cannister filters are very good at cleaning, lots of surface area for the bacteria to work on

penance

the small blue wheel was in the box with my canister filter but is this just an extra attachment for used with the bio wheel?

Attached Images

HOT.jpg (7.4 KB, 59 views)

penance

The packaging quotes 250 GPH so for a 55 gallon this would be good?

Thanks

aquarist48

The blue/white wheel is your micron filter. You actually remove the blue sleeve and the contents and replace it with the micron filter if you want to do a water polishing. Since you are wanting to use this filter full time you only need use what is in the blue sleeve...add the carbon and other filter media of your choice...It will work on the 55 but you may want to add another one depending on the fish you plan to buy. I don't know that it will be very efficient on it's own.

penance

So I couldn't use both at the same time right? I don't think I would need it as a water polishing purpose, my main goal is for it to be a filter.

aquarist48

That's correct. You can't use them all at the same time.

Regal

I have the magnum on my 75 gallon but I don't think it would work by itself. I would add a hang bio-wheel or some other hang on the tank filter for added water movement and biological filtration.

I leave my micron cartridge on and run the Magnum all the time. I bought an extra micron cartridge so I will have a spare while one is being cleaned. If you did not get instructions or an owner's manual (that happened to me) they are on the Marineland web site. You need to know how to clean the filter and use the air ejector cleaner. It can be confusing to put it all together.

One of my micron filters is a little tight, like maybe it shrunk. So be sure to clean it properly. I might have just got a dud.

aquarist48

The air ejector, isn't that the small hole at the very bottom of the canister? I have the little green wire that fits that hole. There isn't one thing on the instructions as to where it is... it just says what the green wire is for.

CWO4GUNNER

I never use the micron filter for either my Magnum 350's as i found they dont polish water nearly as well as carbon bag inserts (three 1 ounce carbon filled pantyhose socks) with regular cheap white filter blanket media over rapped with the OEM blue bio stocking. IMHO nothing polishes water for crystal clarity like carbon when water is forced through it in a canister filter, not passively like in a hang filter. My microns will probubly only get used if I have nothing else but they do work great under higher pressures like in pool filters with direct drive shaft driven impellers and water is forced through at 30-50 PSI. But in these little magnet driven impellers with 2-6 PSI a micron's potential is not close to being fully utilized and quickly stop water flow IMHO.

Get yourself a Magnum 350 rated for 100 gallons for only $84 plus $8 shipping at Pet Solutions. You wont regret it have a super clean tank and a filter with larger capacity if you scale up later.
http://www.petsolutions.com/Default....temID=47433504

Regal

There is a tiny clear tube along the side of the big black tube that goes down the middle of the canister. When you clean the filter just put the bright green thing in there and twirl it around a few times then run some water through the clear tube. There's always a little gunk in there. And yes these are all technical terms lol

Gunner,

I have to recpectfully disagree with you. The micron cartridge filter strains out anything up to one micron in size and that's how it polishes the water. With carbon and filter floss it seems the the same size size stuff could just flow through.

That's a really good price on the Magnum 350 though. That's cheaper than the HOT magnum's price at petsmart so ya if that's an option that would be what I would do too.

aquarist48

Thanks Sue! I'm all for filtering to the micron

penance

I found the little green wire as well and thought it was a bit odd, when it comes to maintenance time I'll have to figure this out with suemvb's instructions ^^

Hopefully this filter works out otherwise I'll purchase another one to use as a second.

macmom6

I currently have this filter. I like it and it does a good job on my 30 gal tank. My only problem is that I seem to get a lot of algea buildup inside the thing and don't know what to do about it. Anybody got any suggestions? My magnum HOT is running with the biowheel attachment on it also and I do have problems with algea buildup inside the spray bar for the biowheel. The tank itself does not have too much of a problem with algea though.