Canister Filter Impulse Buy :)

HeidI ho!! So title says it all.....while scrolling around on ebay yesterday, I decided to make a purchase. I got the 3-Stage External Canister Filter 265 GPH Fresh/Salt 75 GAL Aquarium FREE MEDIA (no brand name that I can find). Does anyone have any experience with this or any filter close to this? Was this a bad decision? I have the Marineland Penguin 200 now and just am not fully satisfied with it. So I was going to try this and a sponge filter and see where it gets me. Any and all input is graciously accepted!!

 

I am not familiar with that specific filter.
I suggest that you place the entire filter in a 5 gal bucket if you have the space just in case it leaks.
Let us know how it works out for you.

 

I can’t seem to find a name for it lol I guess it’s a John Doe Filter

I am not familiar with that specific filter.
I suggest that you place the entire filter in a 5 gal bucket if you have the space just in case it leaks.
Let us know how it works out for you.

Thank you. Will do

 

does it look like this?


Probably a SunSun HW-302

 

does it look like this?
View attachment 461402
Probably a SunSun HW-302

Yup. That’s the looks of it lol

 

Sun Sun canister. It's a value canister. There's a love hate relationship with this filter. Some people say it's really good and other says that you have to handle it like glass as the clips that hold the canister lid down can shatter.

 

Sun Sun canister. It's a value canister. There's a love hate relationship with this filter. Some people say it's really good and other says that you have to handle it like glass as the clips that hold the canister lid down can shatter.

Thanks for the heads up Looks like it'll require a little modification, for the clips then. Well, if that's the worst it can do...no harm, no foul for $50! I just want something more efficient than what I'm working with now. That's why I decided on it and a sponge filter!

 

Thanks for the heads up Looks like it'll require a little modification, for the clips then. Well, if that's the worst it can do...no harm, no foul for $50! I just want something more efficient than what I'm working with now. That's why I decided on it and a sponge filter!

I think if you treat it with kid gloves you should be alright.

 

Here's something I should know ahead of time....when I hook this filter up, should I leave the Marineland running alongside with it for a few days, to build up the beneficial bacteria and all???

 

Here's something I should know ahead of time....when I hook this filter up, should I leave the Marineland running alongside with it for a few days, to build up the beneficial bacteria and all???

I would leave it for a few weeks. Or move your media over from the marineland to the new filter.

 

I would leave it for a few weeks. Or move your media over from the marineland to the new filter.

Thanks, that's what I was hoping, in stead of running 2! I was thinking of moving the media (I have 3 aquaclear 70 sponges and some biocubes in the Marineland) and I think that would do quite nicely in place of the carbon filtration that comes in one of the filter slots on the newbie

 

I'm running this exact filter right now on my 45. After a year of use, I'll say it works pretty well. I had it leak on me once. So I recommend keeping it in a plastic tub. I would add more media than what it comes with.

 

I'm running this exact filter right now on my 45. After a year of use, I'll say it works pretty well. I had it leak on me once. So I recommend keeping it in a plastic tub. I would add more media than what it comes with.

Awesome!! You're the person I have been waiting on to respond lol I was hoping to catch someone with the same setup Yeah, I have the 3 aquaclear 70 sponges and some bio rings I'll be throwing in...I also just ordered a bio sponge meant for a cascade canister filter....hopefully that's a good start?? What would you recommend?

 

Awesome!! You're the person I have been waiting on to respond lol I was hoping to catch someone with the same setup Yeah, I have the 3 aquaclear 70 sponges and some bio rings I'll be throwing in...I also just ordered a bio sponge meant for a cascade canister filter....hopefully that's a good start?? What would you recommend?

That sounds good!

It should come with water polishing pads (those white pads), which might need replacing after a couple of months as it deteriorates every time you clean it. You can replace it with PolyFil(aka Filter floss).

This is how I have my canister setup, from the bottom up.

Bottom Layer (Tray 1)
Bioballs
I use these as a prefilter as they aren't that great of a biomedia, but they were designed to never clog. As a result, they do the job quite nicely
Blue Coarse Sponge
Your filter should come with this. It catches smaller particles that the bioballs missed

SECOND LAYER (Tray 2)
Polishing Pad
Catches most of the smaller particles the previous steps missed
Sponges/Other biomedia
I have all my sponges I've set aside for biological filtration here. You can put any media you want here at this point, the AC 70 sponges, the bio sponge, bio rings, etc.

LAST LAYER (Tray 3)
Polishing Pad x2
My filter came with 3 polishing pads so I put two here to catch every last particle.
Ceramic Media
This is where I have all my ceramic media. Biorings, Seachem Matrix, etc. They can clog easily so I have them after all the fine filter material.
Chemical filtration(Optional)
Before I setup my Penguin 200B, I had Purigen in this layer so I could easily take it out and recharge it without having to disassemble all the layers.

Note: The reason why I put polishing pads in every tray and not just in one of them is that this filter has some bypass. Meaning that some dirty water does find its way around the trays. Having polishing pads in every layer catches these stragglers.

 

That sounds good!

It should come with water polishing pads (those white pads), which might need replacing after a couple of months as it deteriorates every time you clean it. You can replace it with PolyFil(aka Filter floss).

This is how I have my canister setup, from the bottom up.

Bottom Layer (Tray 1)
Bioballs
I use these as a prefilter as they aren't that great of a biomedia, but they were designed to never clog. As a result, they do the job quite nicely
Blue Coarse Sponge
Your filter should come with this. It catches smaller particles that the bioballs missed

SECOND LAYER (Tray 2)
Polishing Pad
Catches most of the smaller particles the previous steps missed
Sponges/Other biomedia
I have all my sponges I've set aside for biological filtration here. You can put any media you want here at this point, the AC 70 sponges, the bio sponge, bio rings, etc.

LAST LAYER (Tray 3)
Polishing Pad x2
My filter came with 3 polishing pads so I put two here to catch every last particle.
Ceramic Media
This is where I have all my ceramic media. Biorings, Seachem Matrix, etc. They can clog easily so I have them after all the fine filter material.
Chemical filtration(Optional)
Before I setup my Penguin 200B, I had Purigen in this layer so I could easily take it out and recharge it without having to disassemble all the layers.

Note: The reason why I put polishing pads in every tray and not just in one of them is that this filter has some bypass. Meaning that some dirty water does find its way around the trays. Having polishing pads in every layer catches these stragglers.

Thank you for getting into detail the way you did!! I appreciate the knowledge

 

I've been using the SunSun filters for years and I'm one of those who like them. However, I have noticed with these canisters that when loaded up with a lot of media you will restrict the flow rate dramatically. I currently have 5 of them and my flow rates very from 1/3 to 1/2 of the stated flow rates. As an example I have a SunSun HW-404B with a stated flow rate of 525 GPH but with very few bends and turns it averages only 235 GPH which is 45% of the stated flow rate. This filter is set up similarly to what tocandesu suggests, however I do add just a tiny bit of ceramic media to the very bottom of all of my SunSun canisters to create a little disturbance prior to it flowing into the media because these filters flow from the bottom up.

 

I've been using the SunSun filters for years and I'm one of those who like them. However, I have noticed with these canisters that when loaded up with a lot of media you will restrict the flow rate dramatically. I currently have 5 of them and my flow rates very from 1/3 to 1/2 of the stated flow rates. As an example I have a SunSun HW-404B with a stated flow rate of 525 GPH but with very few bends and turns it averages only 235 GPH which is 45% of the stated flow rate. This filter is set up similarly to what tocandesu suggests, however I do add just a tiny bit of ceramic media to the very bottom of all of my SunSun canisters to create a little disturbance prior to it flowing into the media because these filters flow from the bottom up.

Very informative. Thank you. Almost seems like I should return and get the 404 instead? At any rate, won't be too many turns. More so, media would be the culprit of flow restrictions. I'll give it a whirl and see how I feel about it. Thanks for the heads up!!

Ok its heree!!!!!! Rinsing and getting set up!