Aquarium filters come in all shapes and sizes. So how do you know what filter is the best for your tank? Answer this question first – best for what? Not everyone has the same objective when selecting a filter. Sure, everyone wants well-filtered water, but nearly all commercial, off the shelf filters will accomplish that. Some hobbyists even build their own filters.
So where do external canister filters stack up in overall filtration options (e.g., versus HoBs, sumps, sponge filters)? That’s a post for another day. This post assumes you’ve decided to purchase a canister filter but aren’t yet sure which one is right for you. To make the best decision, you should answer the following questions:
- What size (gallons) tank are you wanting to filter? Note: Really large tanks might require multiple canisters to filter adequately.
- Will a canister be the only filtration of the tank or will it work in tandem with another filter?
- What is your stock level (i.e., what fish and how many of them are/will be in the tank)? Note: Heavier bioloads require more filtration.
- Are you planning on live plants?
- What’s your budget? Note: Larger filters generally cost more, obviously.
- How much time/effort are you willing to expend maintaining it (i.e., cleaning it regularly)?
Rather than go through every question above (which I’ll do in a post another day), I’m going to focus on #6. This is the one question that is most often overlooked by most aquarists when selecting a filter. There are numerous canisters on the market. The time and effort needed to disassemble and clean each one varies greatly. Some can be taken apart and put back together in minutes. Others take much longer. Some are easier than others with respect to getting everything re-seated correctly when reassembling (i.e., so the impeller doesn’t get bound up or otherwise rattles around). Some have binary attachments; components seat or connect one way or not at all). For example, some canister pump heads can only be seated one way. It’s either correct or the pump head won’t even attach to the canister body. If you’re confused, relax. Newcomers to canister filters experience this.
I’ve used numerous brands of canisters, including Eheim, Sicce, Zoo-Med, Oase, etc. Never heard of Sicce? See my review of their Whale canister. Never heard of Oase? See my review of their Biomaster Thermo 350.
Suffice it so say that, of all the canisters I’ve used, the easiest to disassemble, clean, and reassemble is Sicce’s Eko line. I can take one of those apart, clean it from top to bottom, and have it back running in 10 minutes or less. Good luck doing that with a Fluval FX6. I’m not knocking the FX6. It’s a great filter. It’s also big, heavy, and a beast to move, disassemble, and clean.
I’ve made no secret about my preference for Sicce’s canisters. I prefer their Eko line over their Whale line simply because of ease of maintenance.
If you’re wondering why I don’t run sponge filters, since I have multiple tanks, that’s easy to answer. I don’t like the fact they create so much noise inside the tank. See my post about tank noise from a few years go. Yes, I’m aware that most breeders and fish stores run sponge filters. That’s fine. I just don’t like the noise. Canisters are extremely quiet. And since at least half of my tanks are show tanks, I don’t want to hear tank noise, nor do I want my guests hearing it.
Nevertheless, if you’re in the market for a new canister filter, ask about the ease of maintenance of the brand you like. No one likes to spend hours performing maintenance on their equipment. Water changes and tank cleaning alone can absorb a huge amount of time. If you’re like me, you want equipment that is easy to clean when it needs it. I want to spend my time enjoying my fish and less time doing all the work needed to keep them.
If you want more solid information about multiple canisters brands, check out the six-part series called Canister Wars by Aquamanknox on Youtube. Here is Part 1 of the series.