So I did a thing... filters?

I have a 40 breeder in the back of my SUV! I couldn't resist the 1per gallon sale.... and Stanley is getting so big.... anyways. I'm thinking about investing in a canister filter. Are they really worth it? I mean a hob filter that is big enough for a 40 will be about 50 bucks anyways... and from what I understand a canister will cost about 120. Convince me either way!!

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I have a big cannister for my 150L - I love it. Hubby has it's little brother for the 60L fish tank too. Both are completely silent and very efficient.

The added bonus of a cannister is that you can use the hoses and divert them via a cooler or to remove water.

I would go with the canister for a tank that size, yea. They're great for permanent media and like auntiejude said can be hooked up to a chiller which you might need.

I have a canister on my 29 and 125 gallon tanks and I would not get any other kind of filter. Like there other post have said they are silent and I have it going through my chiller which takes all my worry away. Good job getting the 40 gallon at the sale I was actually thinking about getting one myself but I don't need one, so I'm trying to come up with a reason to buy one but can't seem to find one.

OOH! The one dollar per gallon sale is back!? To bad I don't need a tank :lame:

I have converted myself to sponge filters. I don't have a reason to use anything else unless I wanted to make a stream habitat or something. They work great. I wouldn't spend $120 on a filter! That's outrageous! I can make a DIY sponge filter for $0. Of course you would need a few sponge filters in a tank of that size, but it would save you a lot of cash!

I guess it depends on if you want mechanical filtration as well as biological filtration. Because sponge filters don't do mechanical . Anyway, if it was me, I would just save some money and make some sponge filters :happy: -Seth

I have a canister on mine and love it. I personally like the mechanical filtration as well as biological. Mine is so quiet and I have had to check it a few times to be sure it is running. Mine came with a spray bar too which I have directed at the back wall a little to disperse it a bit and break the current. One downside though is that the instructions it came with were very poorly written and there was a bit of guess work setting it up. Initially priming the canister was painful. But it was worth it. I am very happy with mine

They're great for permanent media and like auntiejude said can be hooked up to a chiller which you might need.

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Chillers are probably not needed up here in Washington. Never gets that hot here. So I don't think that would be needed, but you never know, maybe.

I would definitely go with a canister filter
Ive heard nothing but good things about SunSun filters, and you can get one of those for up to a 75 gallon tank for about 60 bucks on ebay
Ive got the sunsun nano canister filter for up to 20 gallons on a 10 gallon tank and I love it!!

sde said:

Chillers are probably not needed up here in Washington. Never gets that hot here. So I don't think that would be needed, but you never know, maybe.

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It depends on the day. If you don't have AC, it can get VERY hot in some parts of Washington. Like you said about sponge filters, they can be great for someone who doesn't want to spend a whole lot of money. But if you've ever seen a canister filter in action, it would make more sense why people would spend that kind of money on them.

A good canister filter will be nearly silent when it's running, and when you have a ton of tanks(as most hobbyists do) that cut in sound can make a large difference. They also have a much smaller upkeep to consider too. Not that big of a deal when you just have one or two tanks, but when you have a lot (or are lazy like me) it can mean a lot.

As far as price goes, you have to consider this too, Seth. To an adult working 30 hours a week on minimum wage in Washington, they would receive roughly $1,200 monthly before taxes. After rent and other bills, you could sit pretty well and be able to spend that kind of money. When I was 14, I blew all of my money on concert tickets and usually never had any more than $200 at a time, so if I had fish tanks I would have been building sponge filters like none other!

I seem to have gotten off topic :uhoh: Anyways, I think canisters are the way to go, if you're willing to put the money in for them. I know when I finally am able to set up my 55 I'll be getting one myself.

She's in the west, so its colder over here :happy:

Yah, I know I am 14 and don't make money so i don't "realize" how much people make, but saving money is a pretty smart thing in my opinion. You never know when you might need it for something more important. That's just what I think

Behold the middle ground! XD

Saving money is very smart, you're right. Some people spend extra on things that look more pleasing to the eye and require no effort is all :3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVWqq73mW_4

sde said:

She's in the west, so its colder over here :happy:

Yah, I know I am 14 and don't make money so i don't "realize" how much people make, but saving money is a pretty smart thing in my opinion. You never know when you might need it for something more important. That's just what I think

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It can get warm here! Haha if I had the money for a chiller it would be nice but ice bottles work just fine
and I'm almost 17 and I work but I do pay bills and have a gas sucker SUV haha but I think it'll be a good investment. I think I'm going with a sun sun filter unless I find a good deal on a more reputable brand.

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