Which Cascade to get? Filter Current

[myriad1973]

I’m in the process of getting equipment to setup my 75 gallon planted tank, but I’m torn trying to decide which canister filter to buy. I plan on stocking tetras, Bolivian Rams and Keyhole Cichlids, and eventually perhaps some Festivums and pencilfish.

My concern is flow rate. I know for certain that I want a pair of Penn Plax Cascades, but I’m not sure which model to get. A pair of 700’s would give me 370 GPH or a pair of 1000’s would give me 530 GPH. I want to keep the current fairly low since I plan on keeping pencilfish later on after the tank is established. 530 GPH seems a bit like overkill to me... am I wrong? I will be using prefilter sponges also for extra surface area and to reduce flow a bit.

My previous tank from 2012/13 was 125 gallons, and it had a filter flow rate of 1070 GPH, which makes me wonder if that was overkill at that time?

 

[Thunder_o_b]

I run a min of 10x the water column in filtration. My 150 tall has 1,520 GPH. 2 HOB and two canisters. The 44 pent has 750 GPH, HOB and canister.

Pre-filter sponges are great. I have them on all our filters.

There are all kinds of ways to defuse the flow.

Just wondering, why Penn Plax?

 

[Jonmott]

Penn Plax canister is a decent canister but I don’t believe they’ve fixed the bypass issues, you’d be better off with the new sun sun fx 5 knockoff imo

 

[myriad1973]

I decided on the Penn Plax because it gets good reviews, plus it’s within my budget. Right now they’re going for less than $70 on Amazon. As far as money goes, my options are fairly limited.

What bypass issue are you referring to?

Also, these responses aren’t helping me with my decision lol

 

[Jonmott]

I owned one about ten years ago and the baskets fit so loosely that plant matter and detritus would go right up the outside of the baskets. You can fix the issue by stuffing floss on the side with a chopstick or pen or something.
well that got old quick for me so I sold mine got an ehiem and it’s still in use to this day.

for your budget you can't go wrong with a sun sun or similar brand imo but the choice is yours obviously.
good luck

 

[myriad1973]

Thanks for the info.

But concerning filter current, that was what I am seeking answers on. I don’t want the fish to die because they can’t get a break from the current.

Can you offer any advice?

 

[Jonmott]

You can always lower the output of any canister, shouldn’t be a problem, Just lower the flow with the output control knob, I wouldn’t go below 50% though.

 

[myriad1973]

I use to have Marineland canisters, and I don’t recall those having that feature. They are on the Cascades and Sunsun’s?

I have considered getting a pair of Sunsun’s also. I like the ones that have the UV sterilizer.

 

[Colleen B]

I have cascades and I find that the flow rate is pretty strong and hard to reduce. Go with the smaller option if you're going to have weaker fish.

 

[myriad1973]

After doing some more research on the Cascade, I can see what you’re talking about with the bypass problem.

I didn’t have that problem with the Marineland filters.... perhaps I should stick with that since I know it works. The basket seal is very good. The Magniflow 220 is going for $75 on Amazon.

 

[myriad1973]

I ended up just buying a pair of Magniflow 220’s today. Not too high of a flow rate and 3 trays for media per canister instead of 2.

 

[Islandvic]

Reducing the current in a tank generated by the discharge of a canister is easy to reduce without reducing volume of flow.

Use the spray bars and drill out the holes larger.

The discharge flow is the same but the pressure is reduced.

Same concept with a garden hose with your thumb covering half of the end.

Remove your thumb and what was once a jet of water coming out is now just a normal flow of water exiting the hose.

I did this mod to the spray bar to my Hydor 600 canister