THE TRUTH ABOUT AQUARIUM FILTERS - CANISTERS

[@thekingofdiy]

Over the past 11 years, i have also mentioned rinsing your mechanical sponge in a bucket of tank water so as not to kill the bacteria living on it. While you shouldn't DEPEND on mechanical sponge when you have dedicated bio media to run an aquarium, it of course is considered and plays a role in bio filtration.

[@cowboy777120031]

The king of DIY I love your reviews which one would you suggest on a 50 gallon tank freshwater

[@TheXworldProductions]

The King of DIY hey bro i have one canister filter, Aqua One Aquis 1250 Series II In the box sais it mantaisn 1400L/h and i have na 300L Aquarium, i think you will like that canister cause i dont have any sponge in there, it comes with 3 big compartments just to put MEDIA i really like that canister i think u should give it a try

[@dbossgaming1079]

I totally agree

[@dwaynetherockjohnson3336]

Can you do a video on how to set up the fluval filter or a homemade filter to your aquarium

[@thekingofdiy]

Sean BRosnan you are asking a question on a comment that talks about the answer.

[@christophergruenwald5054]

I have a fx6. Absolutely love it. I didn’t even use the media they sent. I packed it full of different media. Tested the actual flow and it is right at that 560 gph full of dirty sponges and media. One thing to note; to get the best circulation in the aquarium install the intake and output on the same side of the aquarium. This took me a few years in the hobby and some testing to figure out. Aim the output across the tank, it will move the entire top, hit the wall, go down flow across the bottom back to the intake. The water circulation is circulation within the tank is significantly better than putting the 2 on opposite sides of the aquarium

[@NinjaSushi2]

I found the best thing to do for a canister filter is to take some filter floss and a rubber band and put it around the intake. It doesn't necessarily look the best but it'll save you a lot of cleaning from your filter. The filter floss itself will capture most of the mechanical detritis which allows the canister itself to polish the water and clean it.

[@nancymarroquin1762]

@@NinjaSushi2 I’ve used pre-filter sponges on my intakes, and they work great, too!

[@comedianmattrossey]

Joey, I truly like and think you should regularly do this kind of true breakdown of heavily produced and marketed aquarium equipment. Yes, please do more of this style of truthful reviews. I have often thought and wished companies would be more truthful about their products rather than trying to hype them with a pile of bullshit. This kind of review of aquarium products is what is truly needed!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Cyrilrichi]

Exactly ..man

[@Indexium]

Fluval and affordable don't belong In the same sentence.

[@Diego-pf4hy]

I buy fluval products when there on sale ngl

[@NinjaSushi2]

@@Diego-pf4hy black Friday?

[@Diego-pf4hy]

@@NinjaSushi2 Yes, and petsmart has had 15% off on the aqua clear filters this whole summer.

[@royy_obs8439]

@@Diego-pf4hy yup! Literally just got an FX4 for $145.00 at PetSmart today. No way in hell I’ll buy it for 299.00 lol

[@shiyamaifrad8933]

@@royy_obs8439 dude 140 for a filter is a huge amount here😢i spent 5$ on a filter for my 7*3*2 pond and still feel like its expensive

[@johnmartinez4943]

I respect you a lot for this video. The bigger you are, the harder it is to speak honesty. You're pretty big and this is as honest as it gets. Great stuff Joey.

[@mrliquiman]

I believe that's why Company like Fluval wants you guys experience fish keepers to review, Because when a company wants you to review a product and willing to accept any negative reviews that means they are willing to improve base on those feedbacks, and without any important feedbacks from experience fish keepers that's probably why the product is like this today.

[@darrenmcburnie3060]

You can’t just disregard the sponge in this filter, or any filter for that matter. All of that sponge provides a tremendous amount of surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow. They aren’t solely mechanical filtration, so it isn’t just 2 little bags of media!

[@lukerlaforest4039]

Love my fx4. I use on my 75gal, it does a great job. I also replaced all the sponges in the center and added much more bio. Great vid Joey, hope you follow up on how you customize you fx6!

[@sw1ftysangels851]

Yep like others have said.... I'd love to see a video on how you would actually setup the filter canister and then setup in your tank.

[@stonedbatman2067]

More reviews please Joey! People love honesty. I've been watching you for 2-3 years now, and I think you're one of the most trustworthy fish keepers on KZbin 👍

[@wakeg7064]

It's great to have an honest opinion. I use fx4 now on a 75g. Would not go much more then that.

[@MikeE-hb8zb]

I personally love you doing reviews because of your honesty! Good, bad or indifferent..

[@chefkda]

I can confirm what you said. I have 4 FX6's for a 500 gallon system. DIY plumbed. Have a flow meter connected to output. Get between 500 to 560 gallons per hour per filter. Don't use the round sponges. They just clog it up. I fill the center with lots more ceramic media. Have them hooked up to Alexa enabled home automation electrical plugs for voice control, so that I can turn off filters during feeding, then have them turn back on automatically after 5 minutes. Have cordless impact wrench to loosen and tighten clamps. Have bidet sprayer in fishroom, so that can rinse and clean FX6 housing. I clean the media in the buckets filled with fish tank water. I also have a Drip system. Automated lights, fans, Air pumps, ect. Fishroom is really just for clown loaches.

[@UHPhilipA]

Keith Allen I’d love to learn more about this set up!

[@chefkda]

@@UHPhilipA I haven't done any KZbin video's of my fishroom for 8 years. Maybe it's time for an update? Maybe before all my 14 to 20 year old clown loaches start dying of old age.

[@tarishaas7564]

as i'm looking into getting a canister filter for a new tank this has probably been one of the most important videos i've watched so far!

[@drikaweb]

Thanks for your honesty. I never understood why my aquarium was so cloudy even though my canister says it filters more than the tank capacity. Well done!

[@celticbarry9877]

Use the microscope thing you have to compare the amount of bacteria on the bio ball things compared to sponge from inside a filter.

[@KDiGee]

I think the difference would be surface area, not necessarily bacteria count.

[@phillips9945]

Family friendly? 😂 In the last video you whipped a hot dog against a tank and asked your catfish if he wanted it! I laughed my ass off! 😂 Go ahead! Tell Fluval how you really feel! 😂😂😂

[@JungleScene]

those adult innuendos are my favorite part of joeys channel. you can tell he wants to make these jokes sometimes and struggles to keep it in. I feel that pain.

[@heidispawsandfins]

He asked the catfish if he wanted this weener - I almost wet myself 😂😂😂

[@nancyx25]

For some weird reason I've been dreaming of hearing him throw out an f bomb, will never happen, sooooo sad! 😭😂😂

[@phillips9945]

He says, “Hey? Hey? You want this wiener? No.” ...as he slaps it against the tank! That’s funny!😂

[@heidispawsandfins]

@@phillips9945 yep that's it - still cracks me up 😂😂😂 It was far too late, here in the UK, to go back and get the exact wording..... but you've made it all the funnier again, thank you x

[@ChrisSmith-hi5ew]

Joey, you did something a lot of people don’t do, read the book manual.

[@alexestabrook1771]

Look into pond filtration. Oase, a German company has statistics which prove foam/sponge is the most stable and beneficial biological filtration media, they do aquarium filtration too and it all consists of foam only, maybe a bit of plastic to please people who don’t believe what will be doing most of the work in the filter, most fish store throughout Germany run sumps on their systems with only foam because they too know this, most pond filters contain the same or in some cases less media than canister filters, the only thing that warrants them to work on thousands of litres/gallons is the flow rate of the pump. Stocking should be taken into account when buying canister filters too, for small community fish the filter size issued on the box should be fine, for larger, dirtier fish then half halving that number is necessary. FX4/5/6 also channel water through working like a vortex so a lot of the heavier debris that enters will fall to the bottom without clogging up the sponge as much

[@green7449]

I bet it is the most stable but, it also gets clogged the fastest and requires the most maintenance. Imo you'll always be better off filling the entire thing with bio media then attaching a pre filter that is pure sponge. That way you get the best of both worlds and all you need to do is make sure the pre filter is cleaned at least once every 2 weeks.

[@alexestabrook1771]

Green Not trying to sound like a rep but Oase biomasters have a sponge prefilter and almost the entirety of the internal filtration is sponge, the prefilter needs taking out and cleaning in tap water once a week, doing this means you don’t have to open up the canister for about a year, as advised by the manufacturer, pretty easy maintenance of you ask me, obviously not as low maintenance as say fluidised or bead filtration but for a sponge filter it’s pretty good

[@MDFishTanks]

I think this is fair comments. I took the ceramic media out of my canister and replaced with crushed lava rock. The tank took OFF!!!

[@christopherlamb9785]

Mine too.

[@wowdad3055]

Lava rock is cheaper , the ceramic media is not bad but they never give you enough.

[@IOioiIO]

It might be boring to you but i ENJOY seeing the technical parts of an aquarium, you always point out when you like the outputs, or overflows or valves even. Just doing spotlights on a single part is something I enjoy a lot. One of my FAV videos from a while back was looking at different types of filter media and seeing all kinds of options for just one aspect of the aquarium.

[@johncasey4623]

Just wanted to say I love the new direction of your videos. Going back is really nice. I missed the projects and seeing your hobby and learning to help mine get better. Thank you Joey

[@skaatemple]

Yep I agree. I mentioned it a few times on his other videos. Really miss the DIY stuff.

[@mangothejuice6348]

Joey I respect you for not cursing on your channel. Good job exposing these canisters

[@bopeep7806]

I keep marine fish and corals but in the past I’ve used many canister filters and all the sponges are going to get packed with bacteria, that’s why your only supposed to clean 1 tray at a time, hence 3 trays, I do agree there should be extra ceramic media to increase the bacteria capacity and the manuals do tell you they sell it separate to put more in, also the gph on the box is the pump running with media, but not dirty so your technically right but the gph is tested with a media full canister with tubes at typical head height and manufacturer length of tubing in the box :) hope that helps others

[@alanpitkeathly3055]

The ceramic rings in all cannister filters are rubbish plus the way they say it should be set up isn't correct either. Good video again Joey, the gallery is looking so much better than before. Can't wait to see how they look when you decide how your doing each one

[@andybarlow5524]

I think u grew a moustache during this rant

[@dknight5548]

Lol

[@deathpulserationale]

Omg I totally thought it too

[@anonymousx6x]

Now that is a review. I could easily care less about the good things. Tell me all the bad so I can prepare for the worst.

[@jonathansimpson1106]

Joey's coming out with a canister filter with the exact flow rate on the box at a certain head height with the media! I'm buying! You're the King of DIY and you've proven it! Get that book folks it'll blow your mind!

[@shawnbarone3967]

Thank you for this video! I have a FX6 filtering my 320 with 50+ cichlids in it. Being new to the hobby (one year) I have been using the filter the entire time, changing the sponges using the minimal media supplied cleaning at every water change. Now is the time to make this thing work the correct way.... Thanks again.

[@Luis19Alfonso]

It’d be great if you could post a video of how exactly you’d set up your canister filter when you put it to use 👍🏽😁

[@thelazyriveru.s.442]

to be honest, Joey; idc if u do or dont do unboxing or what ever , I'm a fan of what ever u do and love what u love ,...do what u want man and keep it up

[@callumlester8787]

If you do like you said and give trueful reviews on products then yes I would like to see these type of videos more. True reviews will be helpful to everyone in this hobby, to new comers and old timers.

[@bryson5134]

Precisely why I appreciate DIY projects. You know exactly what you are getting when you do it yourself! I built my tank stand for my 180g using your build video! Much appreciated!

[@dampo2754]

Make a DIY video how to fill fx6 properly for larger tanks, I assume you could replace some sponge to fill up with more bio media or something.

[@goodsir986]

I really dig how passionate you got in this video

[@chrisaffinati7537]

First truly beneficial video I’ve seen from this channel in a long time. Kudos sir.

[@xxxhunterrxxx4431]

Every video of joey is beneficial or educational in some way or the other..🙂✌️

[@EngineInformant]

honestly he has to put out content to be relevant but how much diy can you do? the rest is just filler to keep you obtained. not his fault

[@xxxhunterrxxx4431]

@@EngineInformant Checkout his older videos on KZbin..✌️

[@dfl8656]

This might be my favourite video you ever uploaded.

[@violettenewman8686]

Very informative. I learned a lot about canisters I never knew. Thanks Joey.

[@willparsons32]

MAN!!....You hammered this issue out absolutely perfectly!! The minute one plugs in the power cord to the wall socket, the filter starts to loose it's filtration capacity. One... just one single small (dime sized) dead piece of dead plant will impare the flow rate of any filter.

[@haniomar7524]

I really really would like you to talk about how to make plumbing for tank with no hole in it what is the best way and the easiest to make plumbing to the sump

[@contracabal]

Look up his vid on a pvc overflow. I used his 2nd design on my 65gal with a 10gal sump. Just make sure you put a ball valve in to control the flow

[@chasingnature]

Get em👏 I really appreciate the honesty because most other KZbinrs just advertise products for sales instead of true honest reviews. It shows just because a product is marketed everywhere doesn’t mean it’s the best or logical.

[@cos626]

What your missing is you can completely customize your canister media. Just because they come with two little bags of rings and a ton of foam, doesn't mean you have to use it that way. Just like sumps, it's how you set it up. I have the cascade canister on a 125 gallon and it's not even as powerful as this Fluval you reviewed. I haven't cleaned it since I set it up 1 year ago and never have nitrite or amonia spikes phosphorus, etc.... This is saltwater by the way.

[@alejandrorobles6865]

But then they should advertise the actual filtration rate. It seems that they just say something to sell more filters

[@theblackphoenix5084]

Thanx Joey. You've helped me make up my mind on what kind of filtration i want in my 100 gallon tank. You always come through for us. I've watched most of your videos for the last 4 yrs. Keep up the good work bro.

[@johnwhite9764]

I love you honesty and your energy and passion keep up the good work and would love to see more reviews like this but show us how you would change the product as well

[@amandahendee9005]

Thank you! Setting up my first tank and I'm glad I got the Fluval 407 for my 65g tank. Also glad I'm replacing the majority of the sponges with additional ceramic media!

[@heatherhanson4029]

Thank you! I don't even have a fish yet. I'm just trying to learn everything I can. No one talks about stuff like this that they experienced folks take for granted.

[@thatfishyguy9634]

I’ve been thinking about getting rid of my canister and setting up a sump for a while now, but this video helped me decide! Thank you Joey and loved the video!!

[@chefkda]

Sumps have their own set of problems. Access #1. Filter socks #2. Noise #3. Redundancy #4.

[@BenM-nv6mu]

Excellent and totally agree Joey! Also yes you should definitely do more reviews, but only of the equipment, chemicals and food you use and know about. In fact the very reason you SHOULD do reviews is because you would be straight and honest. That's what we want and need. This review for instance has not put me off Fluval at all. quite the opposite. I know where I stand with the kit and how to rate it and use it. Perfect! Peace and respect, Ben

[@melmann7615]

Continue doing what comes to mind Joey, because I didn’t see it as a review. I see you just taught a lot of people about filter that was once blanked to us. Gallery looks great and can’t wait for the next journey.

[@charlee1503]

Joey how about talking about how you can improve the canister filter. What biological media should I purchase to improve it.

[@SilverNoMakeVideos]

He talked about that the whole video..

[@laszloszocs7477]

Best on the market these days by far is the seachem matrix has the best surface are of all media out there and as Joey mentioned the inner compartments can be filled with it easily giving you a large area to raise those beneficial bacteria also bio media doesent need washing just a gentle rinse once in a while to remove dirt

[@lukek5291]

You know he gets real when he takes out the fine print... Love the passion, good change from feeding fish videos 👍

[@kathrynthomas6390]

Hey Joey, would you be willing to run an experiment for a few months and compare a high tech planted tank on a sump vs a canister filter? CO2 concentrations, plant growth, fish survival, etc.?

[@crimsonrosez5097]

I’d love to see that video too from Joey or anyone whose qualified!

[@garryhackstedde6875]

Joey thank you so much. I remember coming home with a bowl and a betta and almost giving up after the poor betta died... Than i found you and 2.5 years later i have more tanks than toes and its beautiful

[@Chinitocuba]

I have Fx4, they are great but all companies lies about filtering capacity. You RIGHT!!!

[@mkhanson1440]

I have an FX6 for my 90 gallon Chiclid tank. I replaced my inner top sponge with Purigen, the middle and bottom is a combo of crushed coral and bio media. The side foam filters were replaced with filter floss which is finer than the current sponge. Water is always clean and clear. I also took the intake cover off and replaced it with a rough sponge cover.

[@ryan39364]

Would love the see the actual flow rate! I have the same filter and have always wondered

[@AndyM1927]

Thank you so much for making this video, Joey... I've been using canister filters for over 10 years, and now I know, using them wrong... So when I set up my new filter today, I took most of the excessive amount of sponge out, replacing it with bio media from the out-going filter instead... And all because you educated me... Thank you, thank you, thank you...

[@jona2590]

You can see the pasión joey has for his fish manifest in anger here. I appreciate this video s lot, we need more people like you in the hobby joey.

[@drunkskunkfunk]

At the same time i agree, I feel like joey does forget people also still use substrate. Some of us have our whole tank covered in a couple inches of beneficial bacteria holding substrate.

[@annel5296]

How come you're not doing the planted tank in the empty tank near your desk? I would think that it would save you from having to move the filter over. Also if you end up needing to use different lighting for that tank, it wouldn't ruin the symmetry you have on the main wall if the planted tank was on the other side of the room. Just a thought.

[@acotyac]

I have to agree...

[@sirelliott3753]

This content grounds me. No stress No worries No impending concern I appreciate it, pretty cool stuff. Been here since 2015 ish been away for a good 5 years

[@tiny2438]

Your overview of hang on back filters would be cool to see

[@jenniferlong5144]

Joey, I totally agree! I have an overstocked 65 gallon with 15 mbuna and one bristle nose. My tank was difficult to keep clean. I have a Fluval 406, a Hydro 80 Gallon sponge filter and a HOB aqua clear for an 110 tank. With all that working plus water changes at least once a week and a vacuum of the substrate and filter sponge cleaning once a month, I finally got my tank clean and yes, Im totally cycled. I listened to you and others and filled my HOB and Fluval 406 with ceramic media! You are great!! Love your videos!

[@Fliegerabwehrkanone-re1ty]

Joey thanks for the video I honestly didn't know that about canister filters I have a canister "rated" 125 on my 125 gallon African tank I'll definitely be adding more filtration

[@CMHPC23]

i think you should do review videos, because it would everyone on all levels of the hobby. you're channel doesn't only have to be about DIY, you can also teach people how to use the equipment the right way and also help understand why.....

[@wswartz79]

So, you're saying that my FX4 isn't going to be enough for my 75 gallon lmao. Ugh... Well, I guess it gives me an idea of why my nitrites and ammonia were a bit high with my Africans. Seeing as to how they also think they're oscars, therefore no plants... Ugh. Again. Thanks man.

[@ronkilpatrick5106]

Thank you for the most honest review on canister filters. I get so upset by the way they advertise and market them.

[@green7449]

HOB filters are even worse, Some have ratings over 100 gallons... I wouldn't use a HOB filter for anything larger then a 10 gallon tank. Even if it's rated at 120 gallons...

[@thomaslanders6244]

Sponges are excellent for biological filtration, not just the ceramics

[@SomeJustice19k]

They're not excellent, they're adequate.

[@almarma]

Mike Justice But they do the job too in many cases. There’re many long term pros that use simple sponge filters with an air pump and then you have high tech ones and both seem to work. In my opinion, high tech filters are overrated, at least for regular users, and some even have the idea that big complex filters could avoid the water changes, and in my opinion and experience, water changes are much more important than high tech filter on the relevance list.

[@Flak_TV]

I agree it makes it harder as a turtle keeper because we have to have 2-3 times filtration per tank size. So I have a 125 so I need 250-375 gallons worth of filtration. I ended up with 2 cascade 1200s and a sunsun 304b. They work great but clog up quick. So now I feed my turtles outside the tank. I do want an fx4 or fx6 so I can put one or 2 of the cascades on my 55 gallon because it’s only running a sunsun 302 and a diy powerhead filter. I have 10 turtles total. 6 of them are babies.

[@160sura]

Joey. Your opinion means a lot! Thank you.

[@b1oh1]

Joey, the more I watch you, the more I love you and your content. You've inspired me to do so many projects.... Not just with my aquariums either. Your energy and passion are infectious. My wife has even started following my lead now and doing projects on her own. On the review videos, I would say don't do them unless it's like this video. Do reviews on the technology and the marketing, not the products. Companies will do anything to get people to buy their products, sadly. I've always had a problem with disingenuous marketing.

[@tgmdxk64c1a]

How good are those small hang on back or in tank filters if it’s a small tank (assuming

[@vi4269]

Upvote pls answer lol

[@thomasambers9977]

Phil H I have a 30 gallon with a fluval/aqua clear hob 50 gallon replace the charcoal with an extra sponge so the filter is two sponges and a bag of bio media and my tank is always crystal clear

[@Shane_Reynolds85]

Double your tank capacity and use that size HOB filter. for your 25, get one rated at 50-75 gal. Also, look at Joey's DIY media videos for options that vastly outperform the filter cartridges included.

[@rachelcoleman5747]

Modify it

[@TRMelis]

I built the sewer pipe, four foot, it does wonders on my 90 gallon. I have a small fluval that came with it. Just a cleaner. Thanks for your diy.

[@johnisanon]

I need to see more of this guy in your videos. Feelin it.

[@joeysanchez4839]

I want to see you break down fluidized sumps and explain maybe what you wrote in your book, and I love hearing your opinion about different aquarium equipment. keep it up 👍

[@srwordsussecuaces6374]

26 Fluval employees disliked this video

[@parrotbill9072]

We made our own filters using a 5 gallon bucket full of crushed coral P rock and a aquarium prefilter mat on the top where the intake is. From the bottom of it we had a 12 volt bildge pump, that went through a in-line canister charcoal filter and into the tank return line. You take the number of gallons the tank holds and multiply that by 4, because you want 4 water changes an hour to keep a saltwater tank helthy, so you want a bildge pump that can handle 4 water changes an hour. I know...you're focused on fresh water tank, but saltwater is all I did, and I feel that a marine system on a fresh water tank would work even better.

[@nikistewart5496]

First of all I love your channel !!!!!!!! You help me out with my questions I have all the time. Question: I have 8 fish (4 koi) (1 butterfly tail goldfish) n other gold fish. They are all the size of my hand and smaller.. They a 55 gal tank. And I have 2 whisper filters from tetra. They are the ones for 20-40 gallon tanks. I have a 80 gallon tank that I am going to be setting up and I need to find the perfect filter for them. What do you recommend cause I was going to buy the Fluval fx4 or the fx6.. which do you think or what type of canister filter would you recommend?????? And could I put different kinds of media like carbon and such . ???

[@SightedSphinx]

Not Joey but id say the FX6, especially cause Goldfish and Koi produce a lot of waste and will grow to be pretty big. I'd recommend carbon only if you think your tank water is yellow or tinted because of tannins or waste (best way to check if its yellow is, get a white bucket do a small water change and compare it to a cup of tap water)

[@nikistewart5496]

SightedSphinx well I have carbon activated filters in there right now n they seem to b doing very good with that just the water isn’t crystal clear like my other tanks and I’m trying to figure out why. I have two bubble walls on either side of my tank so they have good aeration.

[@ers18619g]

Im a fish keeper and I believe Fluval actually designed the trays correctly because actually sponges give you better Biological Media than those Bio-Balls that many fish keepers use. Its the same analogy as to why you use Sponge filters in your tanks. Fluval understands that the sponges soak up more Beneficial Bacteria than the bio-balls and thats why the majority of the canister filter are sponges !

[@queensaladini6731]

Edu-tainment thanks Joey ♡♡♡♡ your energy is wonderful keep it up.

[@OnyxMafea]

You make it all look so easy.. and afforadable 😂 I'll just tell you huge learning experience, challenges, and joy from this hobby. I've become so addicted to just wanting to upgrade everything non-stop it seems like. Keep up the great work man, and as always love hearing your knowledge, so that someone like me who is new to the hobby can learn. You gallery is looking beautiful by the way.

[@Drivingwithjames]

Can u please talk about activated carbon because it seems like u never use it and I want to know if I need to change mine or just take it out and not use it ????

[@Shane_Reynolds85]

Use it when you need it...illness or poor water conditions. It also only lasts as "Active" for 30-60 days depending on the flow rates and other parameters.

[@Drivingwithjames]

@@Shane_Reynolds85 then why do most of not all filters come with it if u don't always have to use it ??

[@manditory2095]

@@Drivingwithjames The ongoing replacement cost. They want you to have to keep coming back to buy it again and again.

[@davidjohnston1971]

Activated charcoal doesn't need to be used in your filtration regularly. With regular frequent water changes, good bio media in you filtration adequate for the size of the tank you have no need for charcoal. It is good if you have to medicate an entire tank and after treatment be sure to remove all the meds without a 100% water change. Charcoal will do that for you. Charcoal has a limited life as "activated" of about 30 days after that it's just more bio media. I replace charcoal with more bio media as do many advanced hobbyists and pros.

[@Shane_Reynolds85]

@@Drivingwithjames Because it is cheap to produce/distribute and makes people feel good about their filtration. I haven't used carbon in quite some time.

[@dereks6706]

honestly joey im glad you made this video. was just looking at buying a canister filter for my 120gal

[@PowerSlug100]

I agree and disagree. For bare bottom tanks yes, I'd say your guidelines are right on point. However, and I can't stress this enough, it's more important to depend on the biosphere of the tank itself. The substrate, live plants,etc. A good substrate will do wonders for biological filtration. Yes some fish can't be kept with plants or even gravel, and in that case I'd agree whole heartedly.

[@martinboyse5775]

You should review filters every now and then. Very helpful video never user canisters filters but have looked into them this was hugely helpful. Keep up the good work, honestly is the best policy,

[@johnniner8134]

Joey can you make a mini sump or some kind of over head filtration that is just as or more effective than a canister?

[@luigigreen9823]

That would be interesting. What I run on my heavily stocked 125 gal cichlid tank is 2 large canisters and an AC 110. I'd like to see some diy filtration that's just as effective. I feel as though DIY filters can be easier to maintain.

[@DaDonBossMan]

You probably could, Joey awhile back did a diy overhead sump with a plastic flower tray and it’s effectiveness could increase with more bio media, and maybe a multistaged prefilter (corse-fine), and stronger pump possibly.

[@godspi4609]

100 % agree, i worked at a pets mart years back and was told to not educate customers on healthy cycle rates or filtration....it cost the customers more to buy replacment parts then it does pay the extra up front and have what you need

[@AttilaThebung]

Buy once, cry once

[@marksparks420]

would love to see how and what you put in the canister filter like what media and stuff.

[@patriciapage5153]

I'm new to keeping fish and I like to hear your honest opinion. Thank you.

[@shawn9015]

Aren't the canister and hoses totaly filled with water making a siphon. If so shouldn't the water being forced down counter act the amount of force to needed to move it back up?

[@KyleStorm666]

Because both ends of the hose are in the same tank, there's no difference in pressure between the input and output, or not significant enough to get water circulating through the filter. Good question though

[@JungleScene]

afaik even with a full siphon, the pump still needs to work harder to pump water higher. i dont think the physics with head pressure differ with canisters but I could be wrong.

[@heidispawsandfins]

Then the gradual build up of waste also has an affect on the flow rate.

[@mezuttuzemmezut7773]

It was verrrrryyyyy useful for me..(like always)..thank you joeyy!

[@BuckWezr]

Pretty sure the nitro bacteria aren't really picky about where they set up camp. Most any exposed surface in said 400g tank will ultimately be populated with our little friends, no?

[@gregghorner9107]

Agreed. I use mostly just sponges and floss in my filters instead of adding bioballs or what not. They provide extra filtration and are easilly rinsed for future use.

[@MrMeches]

The KING has Returned!! I do enjoy when you get down and dirty about things and you always do it respectfully!! I tell many new hobbyists the same thing. GPH / 2 is what it really supports!

[@Jsbs1991f]

Sponges grow beneficial bacteria too!!! There are literally filters that are just sponges with an air line run to them that do great at keeping a healthy tank. They've been around for decades.

[@nlhrb]

Off topic question. You've mentioned before that lava rocks can be used as filter media but can you like crush them to use as substrate? No hate I haven't seen those irl, I'm about to order some online

[@haramboy6932]

WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT ME !?

[@mkuc6951]

oh hai Mark.

[@lifeislivinginpeace447]

My wife yells at me all the time

[@seropserop]

Joey I have one of these and it's really important to put a sponge in the last compartment right before the pump or else the bio media will break off small sand particles and potentially lock the motor from spinning

[@strangefish805]

I think you can include the spounge as biological as I run an odyssea canister with only spounge .everything tests great bee using for several years on a 90g

[@JayeshJarka]

I hv learned this over my 15 years being in the hobby. I usually half the flow rates and tank capacity mentioned on the box and than use the number of filters accordingly after modifying the filter.

[@tifu678]

3:30 Damn! Calm down, Joey! You're passionate about the hobby, but no need to get veins popping discussing canister filters!

[@jacobbyer6086]

Joey, great video! I would be interested in a video about your quarantine process.... Your setups, quarantine times, any treatments, ect. Maybe you could give us a look the next time you pick up some fish! Thanks!