CFS 130 Canister

[zodiac]

correct me if i'm wrong.

if you use the 4 sponges,the 2 big ones act as media and house a lot of the bacteria.

you want to fine filter before where the bacteria is.

if you replace a big sponge with media like i did,you'll want to fine filter before the water gets to the media.

[240ric]

From my little understanding of canister filters, you want the most coarse material at the input of the canister filter.  This is to help trap most of the tank debris before getting to your bio media (unless you have some type of pre-filter on the intake).  Also, if you have the fine filter at the input of the canister, the fine filter will get clogged pretty quick reducing water flow.

 

I think in the CFS 130 design, the bio balls is the media intended to house the majority of the BB, but I agree with you that the coarse sponges will also house BB.

 

I guess I'm just trying to mimic my Eheim classic canister filters.  The order of media is as follows:  tank water input --> eheim mech pre-filter media (mech rings) --> coarse sponge filter --> eheim bio media --> fine filter --> back to tank.

 

Currently, this is how I filled my CFS 130 filter from bottom to top:  bio balls - white extra fine filter - blue fine filter - seeded eheim bio media from my eheim classic - white coarse sponge filter - eheim mech filter rings.

[240ric]

I added a DIY Venturi valve to the output of the canister to help oxygenate the tank.  This is similar to the NAG bubbler that I put on my Eheim canisters.  See pics for details.

 

 

So after a few days with this canister, here are my thoughts:

 

Pros:

- High flow with knobs fully open.  Probably be good for tanks up to 20, maybe 30 gallons.  I had to dial down the knobs to around 50% for my 15 gallon.

- Different options for output: spray bar or adjustable nozzle.

- Portability, hangs off the back of your aquarium.  I bought it because I like the canister design but for this 15 gallon, I didn't have anywhere to put a full size canister.

- Cheap.  $30 shipped from eBay.

 

Cons:

- Backwards design of media (See my previous posts).  Had to flip the order of the fine filters and sponges, and also added some of my bio and mechanical media from my eheim classic canisters.

- Noisy.  Don't put this canister in a bedroom.

- Not enough data/reviews out there to determine reliability.  A couple of reviews on Amazon concerns me on the reliability of the water pump.  If it fails after a few months, I will just spend the extra money and find a way to fit an Eheim 2211 behind my tank.