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Written by Leon Huang
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Tuesday, 26 July 2005 |
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Page 6 of 9
Canister filters
The most commonly used filter for larger fish tanks. It is usually
hidden underneath the fish tank's stand or inside the cabinet. Water
travels between the fish tank and the filter through an inlet and
outlet hose.
How it works
The impeller motor inside the canister filter draws water from the fish
tank and into the water, where the water will pass through a series of
filtration media(usually from bottom to top). The water will then exit
from an outlet hose and back into the fish tank.
"The greatest advantage of this filter is being able to pack huge amount
of filtration media into it."
Pros
The greatest advantage of this filter is being able to pack huge amount
of filtration media into it, and yet not being an eyesore if you hide
it well. Even for the smallest models, you get at least two trays to
customize the filtration media setup to your liking.
It is also a perfect filter for planted fish tanks, as it will not
cause any water surface disturbance at all as long as you do not attach
the rain-bar. And along with that, you get an extremely silent filter.
Having greater filtration capacity is also good for the busy hobbyists,
as that would mean less frequent filter cleaning and maintenance.
Cons
Being able to hide the filter does not mean you could easily hide the
water hoses. Depending on your setup, you might need to be drilling
holes into your cabinet to perfectly hide them.
First-time assembly is rather involving. You have to setup the bars and
hoses, pack the filter trays with media, and start a water siphon from
the fish tank into the filter. Taking apart the filter for cleaning and
maintenance is also more involving than other types of filters.
Price is another issue for the canister filter. They cost quite a bit
more than other types of filters, but if you want the best filtration
capabilities, you'll have to fork out the money.
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