Thank you for all the info and for your quick response. I truly appreciate it. Until a few days ago I didn't even know what an external filter was. lol 😕 I actually purchased the canister for my red earred slider turtle. She's about a foot in width and the internal filters I was previously using were not enough to keep her tank clean for very long. I'm hoping this filter will be easier maintaince and keep the tank water clear longer. Thanks again for the info your tank is beautiful by the way 😆
Hey Kyle...I think for the price this is the one of the better units out there. Mines still going strong as well. Thanks for checking out the video man!
Thanks for the reply...He’s a strong swimmer, mostly quiet, but when he gets his “zips” he stirs it up himself, lol. I’ve had him since about 2003-2004, purchased him as a small little one.
WOW thats a ling time! I have seen some really big ones before but I never had one last me more than 8 years. My buddy had one by itself in a 55 and it was scary big...I would be afraid to grab that thing lol With this set up I have now I kinda gave up on em and got the cory cats...they had babies and now I have 4. This filtration system works great for keeping the water very clean....I still have to do routine vacuums though...With the amount of decor I have the waste gets caught up around the edges of stuff so that is where I have to vacuum once a month.
Steven Housden Yea, it’s pretty crazy sounding. I had a regular striped angelfish live for 7 years, and I still have my red-eared slider for about 34 years. I’m soon getting a larger tank for him as well. His is getting old and with that the glass can weaken or become a level or brittle...a level of retirement home lol. One more question: when sifting the sand while vacuuming, does it cloud the water and affect the filter? I ask this not only for cleaning purposes, but my pleco loves to attach to the wall and do vertical zips, top to bottom.
Thats about the longest I have had an angel as well...I purchased a pair of them and I lost one at just over 7 years...lost the other about 2 months later. When I vacuum it never clouds the water...The sand I have in here settles really fast...it would take a lot of sand in that filter to hurt the propeller. Im sure mine has sucked up some over the years but I have had no issues with mine. You can find replacement propellers on ebay but I have yet to have to get one.
I change the Carbon filter once a month...thats about as long as they suggest keeping them in. I found 3 packs on ebay pretty cheap...2 filters in a box, 6 total. The other filters I replace once a year. Every time I change the carbon I just wash them out. I do not wash out my bio balls...when they get clogged up pretty good I just swish them around in the water alittle I have removed while vacuuming. Rinsing them in tap water will kill off all bacteria built up in them.
Thanks for this review, hopefully it should help when i buy it, I hate my top fin filter 40 and my family hates it it too. SO LOUD!! 90 bucks will be well spent for sure once I buy this. Thanks again :)
Ricardo Figueroa I have it running on my 60 gallon right now and the setup was a breeze. The issue you may have in a 10 gallon is the hoses are very heavy and the flow might be a bit high. I'd suggest adding a ball valve to regulate the water pressure if using on a 10.
I was more interested in how long the motor works. It's a great filter and I've had it for 4 years now. Still works great until I have to turn it off for maintenance. I then have to prime the heck out of it while plugging it in and out. But after a few minutes of swearing and wishing, it comes on. And it feels like it never quit. I think I'll wait 2 more years before considering a new filter. Anyway great info
Kyle Homan Has your filter always done that after a clean up? Mine primes really easy but if I take the tubes out to clean them then I have to do a little pumping. Have you tried this method? How to prime a Cascade Canister Filter.
I just bought this. Base was cracked to the point where it's not even together. Again like yours it does not affect performance. Just funny cuz it's the same problem like 4 years later.
haha yeah man...same thing..but mines still kicking in this tank with ZERO issues. I replace the carbon once a month or so but thats about it. I noticed the price has dropped a lot too since I got mine.
What're your dimensions of your tank? I got a 55 gallon for my Tiger Oscar and bought the Cascade 700 canister filter off amazon for 43 dollars. Very happy it's the performance of the filter. Keeps my water crystal clear even with my savage of a fish. Very messy eater.
My tank is a 55 gallon also. Thats a good deal for the 700...they normally go for around 85 bucks on there...When I got this 1000 I think it was only maybe 15 bucks more than the 700 so it was worth it. Now that you have it...Add the carbon filters to your "wish list" and watch the prices...they jump up and down all the time.Right now they are 9 bucks for a 2 pack...way too high...Last set I got from ebay I got an 8 pack for 25 bucks free ship. Thats 16 carb filters..pretty cheap. Get some kind of biofiltration too... I use Marineland PA11486 Canister Filter Bio-Balls ..plastic over ceramic because the plastic can be washed off and re used if they get clogged up...ceramic you have to throw away and start over.
Ok so it took me a sec to figure out why it wasn't working. I primed it and followed all the directions and the water kept going down from the intake tube and it seemed weak. It was primed but I just put more water in the canister to fill it up more. Plugged it in and let it run for a couple mins even tho it still didn't work. Shut off the outtake tube and pumped it super fast like 10 times while it was plugged in and then opened up the outtake tube and it started to run. You just need to mess w it.
Yeah it's kinda loud. The water going into the tank is loud so I put the outlet against the glass and that works. The filter itself doesn't seem to be that loud. It's just like a fan. The boosh sound is probably bc it doesn't have enough water in the filter to touch the top where he motor is.
I really like the spray bar on this set up...I now have all 4 spray bars pointing slightly upwards so the spray breaks the waters surface. Very nice feature across the whole tank.
Hi Steven, I am curious what light you used for your freshwater tank? I see that it may be LED but I am not sure what it is. Thanks in advance and awesome setup! I purchased this filter after watching this video! :) (Currently on amazon for 80 bucks![bought 2])
Thank you and im glad the video helped you. I use a Double Bright LED made by beamswork. Half the price of marineland and just as good. Here is the video for my review on that ua-cam.com/video/KP3CzBoXJDA/v-deo.html Also if you are planning on switching to LED be aware of the green algae blooms that can occur after you switch. I done a video on that too and how to control that with a 9 watt UV light inside your tank. Here is the video for that ua-cam.com/video/NeUgbLHOOAA/v-deo.html I hope these help you..let me know if you have any other questions. Other than the Cascade filter I have had the LED and the UV light well over a year and still going strong.
Steven Housden Thanks for the tip! I watched the videos and when I switch to LED, I will probably pick up a UV sterilizer at the same time for the precaution. I was reading where the double bright can be used for live plants which I have. Great vids and keep them up! (I will be starting to post vids of my setups as well in the near future). I'm curious to know if you run a saltwater setup as well?
NemesisXt Glad they helped you. The UV light video seems to be pretty popular as the price of LED lights are coming down now. I rolled the dice on this Beamswork light. Turned out to be a good roll though. Still going strong and all bulbs still working after a year. Still half the price of the Marineland lights. I found out real quick I wasn't the only one that had that issue but it was a pretty easy fix. I picked up a few extra bulbs when I got the sterilizer from ebay. I was paying 12 bucks each for the 9 watt bulbs in my outdoor pond UV sterilizer from Menards or Home Depot. Turns out they are the same bulbs as this one takes and they are only 6 bucks on ebay. I haven't even went through one bulb yet though. But now I have backup bulbs for both sterilizers. I also don't run the light as much as I used to. That seemed to help a bit too. I have never ran a saltwater tank as I have really not had the time I need to devote to it. Someday maybe! A few of my friends have them and I have been around them all my life just never built one.
Actually...since you bring it up...now that you mention it, lol Going from 2 trays in the 700 to 5 trays in the 1500 is a bit intimidating, We're about to upgrade to a 125 gal. I was trying to research a bit on what to put in. I looked up the Purigen and PhosGuard. If I have it right, the Purigen takes the place of Activated Carbon? The phosguard is for a planted tank? Or water with high phosphorous? In our 55 gal. I have AC, ammonia block, ceramic media, Aragonite for my pH, floss and the sponge. 1 Oscar, 1 Pleco both 6" and 3 Pims each 4". However, I would like to add, in the new tank, a Jack Dempsey, maybe and an Adonis Pleco. Although, I am open to any suggestions? My dream tank would be 4-6 LARge fish in the 125 gal living happily. What would you put in the filter? I know the bio load matters, but any thoughts would be appreciated. I have sand, live plants and we use well & RO water, the perimeters are stable. LOVE the 700, so I hope the 1500 will be twice as good! Sorry so long, thanks again!!
2DebbieDoo All I use in my 3 tray system ( after having it for some time and messing about with it) is in the bottom tray I use a Coarse, Medium, and Fine pad. Second tray is for my Charcoal, and the top tray has my Bio balls and my (Seachem - The Bag Media Filter Bag) with Phosguard in it. Now the only reason I use Phosgaurd is because I use Seachem Neutral Regulator. That stuff is the bomb at balancing your water, plus you cant really over treat and harm your fish. That being said though, It is a Phosphate Based Chemical and we all know algae loves loves Phosphates. This took me about 5 months to realize because I am a man and I dont read directions LOL....I had a bad brown algae problem developing in my tank ...it would cover all my corals in 2 weeks...thats ludacris and after sitting down one day and reading the back of the Neutral Regulator it slapped me right in the face ( Phosphate Based) Well...there was my problem. I would say if I were to go up to a bigger canister I would still only use these same items in there. Having 5 trays doesn't really mean you need to put something in there...It gives the maker of the canister filter, that also sales filters, chemicals etc a reason to make you want to buy more chemicals.. Thats just my own opinion. I researched the Purigen and I personally found no use for it...just another chemical to buy and change. The way my canister is set up right now it is awesome..the water stays crystal clear and balanced in between water changes. Some algae build up over a month period..not to bad. One thing you need to remember is that the more you stuff in that canister the less water can move through it...For instance I got a huge roll of Medium density foam from ebay, dirt cheap, thought I would layer it in and it would be better...nope....just slowed down the water flow and made it worse. It was coming out of my spray bar at about half the rate..thats not good. With the 1500 you will have a bigger motor and a bigger propeller but the same thing applies...more isn't always better. I would layer my same setup better so I didnt have 3 filters in one tray and bio balls and Phosgaurd in one tray...Same setup, just break it a bit. I really hope that helps and please let me know when you get it all lined out..Im curious as to how it does.I was also considering upgrading...Not sure if I need it though on a 55 gallon.
Wonderful info!! Thank you. I am having an issue with algae, mainly because the tank sits beside a North window. The new tank will also sit there but now will have 18x20 inch area to peek in. :0~ Unfortunately, the algae is on my plants leaves mainly & I have tried washing & scrubbing them but, to no avail. The Pleco is too spoiled on wafers to lower himself to eat algae, lol Do you think the Phosguard would help in removing the algae by starving it? I found The Bag on Amazon, you prefer that one for the 180 micron mesh? It also looks like the 2 L of Phosguard is the best price? What are your thoughts on Safe verses Prime? If I am reading it right the 1 kilo of Safe is the best deal, although pricey to start it treats much more than the 2 L of Prime. One of the reviews said, "it treats 20,000 gal." I guess I need to start thinking in those bigger numbers, lol Thanks again for your insights. Take good care.
2DebbieDoo Yeah windows can be a real pain....I am lucky enough to have a shaded house and its actually dark in my living room for most of the day...I dont have live plants now but in an older tank I did...I dosed my tank with a 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide to remove the algae. If you use phosguard or any other phosphate remover it will make that more efficient also..there are tons of videos on youtube about HP dosing your live plants. I got the Seachem The Bag because of the large opening and reusable zip tie, to be honest..I had several "tube" style bags that had draw strings and the openings were pretty small...Made a mess trying to add carbon or phosguard...The Bag is a buck cheaper right now than it was when I ordered it...but its a good size bag that will lay nice in your filter. I picked up a small bottle of Phosguard at my local pet store to get me started and then came home and ordered the 2L from amazon. That thing is HUGE! Hard to tell from the pic but when I opened the box I just laughed and thought " well...that should last a bit" But yes its a way better deal ...I only got 2 treatments from the small bottle. Your first treatment you will use more than needed and change it out after only 2 weeks...after that you can leave it in for about a month....It will turn brown when it needs to be changed. I just change mine out when I do a 25% water change. Safe is sort of like the powdered form of Prime. Sort of!.... Safe does the same job of removing chlorine/chloramine and detoxifying ammonia...BUT it does not have the additional components which specifically help promote the fish protective slime coat and detoxify heavy metals (due to those components not being able to be synthesized in powder form), so there is some difference in features compared to Prime. I use Prime and small dose does me good. I think the Neutral Regulator I use to balance my PH removes most of the chlorine, chloramine, or ammonia...so the added benefit of having something that promoted slime coat was best for me. Its been a merry go round for me over the last year using this new canister filter with chemicals...I think though after a year I got it and made it as cost efficient as I could. Since you mentioned Amazon, Add every chemical you use to your "Wish List" (I made a separate folder in my wish list called (tank/pond) Then where it says Add comments, quantity & priority Mark the current price or what you paid for it in the comments next to the item. Watch how the prices jump up and down all the time. Amazon will show you a price decrease after adding to wish list but it won't show you an increase. Right now my THE BAG says Price dropped 10% (was $8.96 when added to Wish List) When I see chemicals drop in price a significant bit I go ahead and order and stock up. The Neutral Regulator has dropped from 10.96 to 6.95 right now....quite a big drop.
NIce! Yes I seen the price has dropped since I got mine a few years ago at 99 from amazon. Good score!! Its a great filter...still running under my tank right now...no issues.
Cool thank you 😆 one more question I promise it's the last. The reason I was asking about submerging the spray bar is because the water flow is super strong, too strong! Even submerged under the water it's just to forceful. I've tried pointing the holes different directions. Still, too powerful... So, even though the instructions say to open both valves all the way, I closed the outtake one a little bit and that did the trick. As far as I can see from your video your spray bar seems chill. Did you ever have this issue with yours ? and is it okay to not have the valve open all the way? I really don't want to accidentally bust the filter in this learning process.
No worries...I hope im helping some here...Mines pretty forceful too...What I have seen people do is make the holes a little bigger using a small drill bit. If you are comfortable using a small bit you can do that ..I wouldn't make them much bigger though. One thing you can try is this...instead of closing the outake close the intake slightly. With the intake open all the way you are letting in full amount..outake closed off slightly would be equivalent to squeezing the end of a garden hose...what goes in must come out so closing the outake is giving it more pressure. So full amount coming in, full amount going out only with more pressure. I hope that makes sense...So letting in less would be better. Open the out all the way damper down the amount coming in. Plus this will keep some pressure off of the seals in there.
ok i got it hooked up and its nice, but how dose oxygen get in to the water? I'm scared they cant breath but i see your tank is fine. i had the bio wheel making a water fall, its gone now so can they breath? please let me know thanks.
Your water gets its oxygen by surface agitation ...you have a couple of options...each one of those bars you can twist ...twist the first one down and the next up, where it breaks the surface. It does not need to be shooting out and back in.. just adjust it til you can see it breaking the surface area and moving water. You can also add an inexpensive air pump and an air stone or wood diffuser. I prefer the wood diffusers but both work the same. Its not the bubbles going through the water that adds oxygen but the actual breaking of the surface area from the bubbles hitting the top of the water that does it. Air pumps force oxygen into your tank by increasing surface agitation. If you do go with an air pump remember to always put an inline check valve in the line. Like these www.amazon.com/Uxcell-Aquarium-Non-Return-Check-Valves/dp/B00KFV8EIO you can normally find these at wal mart pretty cheap. If you have a power failure the air line can cause a vacuum and and reverse flow allowing your tank to drain. Its a cheap insurance policy. Once you break the surface area with either your pumps spray bar, air diffuser or both, you will be fine.
I have had sooooo many problems with cloudy water that I am at my breaking point. I finally just did a complete water change. I have the cascade 1000. I use to have a nexx api and the water stayed really clean and crystal clear (until it started leaking). Since changing to this cascade I have had nothing but problems. I did my water change one week ago and let it cycle until today. The water was crystal clear for the whole week. I did a chemical check and all was great so I put my fish back in. Within an hour my tank was cloudy again. It has only ten fish in it and I ordered a purigen filter and placed in it when I did the water change. I have tried everything I know to do (before the complete water change) and cannot find a solution. I went from the output spout to the wand and back again and that did not help either. This has been going on for months. I love my tank and want to keep it, but am so stressed over this that I am about ready to give up. I have my filter baskets in as you do yours. I have a 50 gallon tank. Do you have any suggestions? My fish store and myself are just completely out of ideas.
+Laura Stephens hhmmm..Is there a lot of light getting to the tank? When you say cloudy I am guessing its "white" cloudy? Sunlight can cloud up a tank but its generally floating algae and its green...White cloudy is just your tank water not being matured. You said you let it cycle for a week...and it was still cloudy? You also need to leave your fish in there when it cycles...just running clean water through the filter wont change much...You are not adding any bio into the tank...its rather drawn out explanation ...but let me know and we will figure this out..hopefully. I know it can be frustrating.
I was wondering if having short black tubing would cause the filter to not work as well? I cut the black tubing very short, since my tank is very low to the ground. Also, is the spray bar supposes to be under water or above water?
no cutting the tubing wont do much as this one is not gravity fed. The propeller does all the work there. The spray bay should be should be adjusted so it is breaking the plain of the water. So above or at least even with it where it breaks the water surface. You want to bare in mind what type of fish you have too...do they like current? Generally speaking long thin fish like current...fat round fish do not. Im not sure on your setup but if you have fish that dont like much current then you can also spray the bar to the back of the glass this will cause the water to fall down the wall and across the tank at a reduced rate of flow. Either way make sure it is agitating the surface for oxygen exchange, and equally disperse water through out the tank for good circulation without creating too much velocity. Kind of like those air stones...yes they are pretty but what it is really doing is releasing the bubbles up to agitate the surface of the water for oxygen exchange. You can even put it under the water and place it shooting up...OK if you have a lid. As the water evaporates though it will spray harder and you could end up with a mess. I just place mine just above the water surface and shoot it slightly down.
I just had to get rid of 2 sun sun 304B's...I absolutely did not know that you were NOT supposed to leave the inside uv light on all of the time..so I could not find out after changing the orings and tried all kinds of different fixes that people swear to online ..well I just couldnt get the water from pouring out on the sides of the filter..I just had enough so I really want to buy another HYDOR canister filter because I already have one that worked pretty well for about 2 years now..with absolutely ZERO problems...but I keep hearing about these cascades. also cheaper .They seem ok but they do not have but 3 trays? That seems like not enough media carbon and pads..I usually use 2 trays for media only...also my concern are leaks ..so how would u compare this filter to others? I mean I didnt catch that part in your video..what u think for real?
I can say that I recorded this in 2014 and I am on the same one..no issues..I mean literally none. This one does have 3 trays and there is a bigger one with 4 trays for only a few bucks more. I clean this out every time I do a water change. My top tray is my fine filter I purchased from ebay in a roll and just cut it to fit and a small sack of seachem neutral regulator, middle tray is mesh bag of bio balls and bottom tray is course and medium filter stacked. I purchased the course filter from amazon Uni Filter BF-2 12" X 24" X 3/8" 30-PPI Black Coarse Foam its a great 30 ppi filter with no oils in it and I do the same, cut to fit. Going on 5 years and crystal clear water with this set up in the 55 gallon. If this thing every takes a crap ill buy it again..the price has even came down since i purchased it. I payed 99.99 for it and today its 69.99... I dont know about the UV light canisters but I run a sunsun JUP-23 drop in UV light and it always stays on...been on for 5 years. I had to change the bulb twice though. I run a larger inline UV light on my koi pond for crystal clear water all summer. Doesn't seem to effect my fish any running it full time. It just sterilizes the bad algae so it cant reproduce then your filters clean it up.
Hi Steven, since you have had this canister for about 4 years, (hopefully) would you still recommend this? I've been searching online for filters for my 60 gallon tank for a couple of weeks now and I saw good reviews on this but would like your input. :)
absolutely....i still have this one under my tank right now and have zero issues with it. Once a month or so I take it out and clean it up. I think the price has actually dropped since I got mine. If I ever had to buy it again I might consider getting the bigger one since the price has dropped...cant really have too much filtration. If you click the link in my description it is actually Price: $69.24 right now....insane...I payed 100 for it lol
Never had one that big but Some of the larger stuff will not get sucked up...if the fish stir it up it will clean it..its pretty powerful but to actually suck it from over across the tank I just dont know if any would be that strong.
+Alex Morrell Productions Yes...This has been on my 55 for over a year now...I love it. Easy to clean and its quite. Way better than 2 HOB filters. I have had no issues with this at all. Keeping your tank crystal clear depends on a lot more than just your filter system though. No overfeeding, to much light etc etc....but this filter system works great on a 55.
+Steven Housden I appreciate the response, I'm going to cut down on my feeding with only 2 times a day haha or three tops. I just have one more question, how many gallons per hour would you recommend For the 55 gallon tank? haha
i am looking into getting this same one for my fifty five gallon and i was just wondering how this one is preforming today? do you wish you had sent it back? and would you choose to purchase one again?
This thing is still working great...no issues at all. No noises, no leaking, nothing,...still performs as the day it was purchased. I only pull it out once a month and clean it. I make sure to clean all hoses too. I would buy it again today if I had to.
Hello, I ordered the cascade 1500. I would appreciate if you can link me (the ebay links) to where you get your filter medias? Thanks so much in advance!
I just checked my ebay and the seller is no longer there but all you need to order from there is a 30 ppi filter...I just searched and there is a bunch. Mine came in folded in half...maybe 1 foot by 3 foot. I cut mine out of that and made a few. The other is a high lofted air filter...its blue and white...kinda double sided. But you can use pillow stuffing as well..its for the fine media filtration.
I do a normal cleaning with a gravel vacuum ...skim the top and try not to suck up sand....most of the junk stays right on top of the sand. With the sand you have to do them more often than with gravel because it all does stay on top.
Yes..this was purchased in 2014 and I am still using this exact same one...the only thing I had to replace and it was about 2 years ago was the rubber gasket under the lid...that cost about 12 bucks on amazon and changes out in seconds..so id say thats a pretty good filter. Also I am still using the same media inside too...just clean them when I clean the tank and no issues.
@@sikbaggers wowww that's amazing you are really enjoying this filter.... I guess it's really worth the price huh? I'm going to buy this one and hopefully I can have mines long like you. That's a big money saver to me...I just put my 2y RES TUrtle inside a hdx 55 gollon bin tub and Im looking to purchase a canister filter now instead of the internal regular ones.TYSM for responding back so quickly I'm a new subbie just for that along..
I have one of these on my 60 gallon freshwater (to replace my 700); However, since I installed it about a month ago, my tank has been clouding up (likely due to bacterial imbalance) FASTER than before. It has been just under two weeks since I changed 40% of the water, and already, you can't see the other end when you view it from the side. Here is the order (from bottom to top) of my tray media: Carbon pack, ceramic rings, coarse sponge pad. Am I doing something wrong?
+TrollDestroyer86 Hey ...the way this works is that your dirty water goes down the inside tube to the bottom and then comes back up through your filters and media...so your setup is backwards. Mine is set up from bottom to top; BOTTOM TRAY- Coarse filter, 30ppi filter, MIDDLE TRAY- Bio Balls in bag, TOP TRAY - Carbon, Floss pad. That system seems to work the best for me. You want all the large and medium stuff out first (the bottom) then good bacteria that can pass through that filter can reach your bio filtration, then finish with the carbon and floss pad to clean everything else up. Here is an excellent video you can watch ..this dude doesn't even use carbon...and he adds all of his mech filtration to the bottom..but it explains everything a bit better. ua-cam.com/video/szrUlHTW5Zo/v-deo.html Set your filter up this way. Do another water change about 25 - 30 % no more than that, then give it a few weeks to settle down. White usually just means the tank hasnt matured yet. I just did a revamp of the tank and did a deep cleaning on it 2 weeks ago. Mine clouded for about 4 days..then overnight it went clear. Just let it be and don't start tossing in tons of chemicals. Let me know how this turns out for you. I hope this helps you and good luck.
+Steven Housden Thanks! First of all, what is a 30ppi filter? Second, in the bottom tray and middle tray, should there be no floss pads at all? Third, in the top tray, are you saying the floss pad should go on top of the carbon and not below it? Can you specify? Furthermore, the cloudiness in my tank is more greenish in color, not white. Could that be due more to a bacterial imbalance, or something else?
+Steven Housden To further elaborate, I looked up 30ppi foam on Amazon.com, and the only ones they have available are those for the Rena Filstar xP Filters. Would those suffice, and if so, how many?
+TrollDestroyer86 you can put the floss pad anywhere after the heavy pads. I prefer mine to be right on top. Like a final buffing of the water before it goes back in the tank just to catch anything left. Yeah green water is a floating algae...that can be caused by a million things. Toomuch light, the wrong light, phosphates are too high etc.I have another video of the UV light I used to kill my green algae growth. Mine were caused by phosphates being high due to using a product called Seachem neutral regulator. It is phosphate based and the algae was feeding on it. I countered that with Seachem phosgaurd ran in this canister too. But your problem could be something else. This is the exact filter I got from amazon. www.amazon.com/Uni-Filter-BF-2-30-PPI-Coarse/dp/B000ONZT5Y/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1442339942&sr=8-4&keywords=30+ppi That filter is perfect. No oils in it and its thin. If you pack too much stuff in this canister it have the same turnover rate..the water just cant get through all of that stuff. So I run this on top of my heavy in the bottom. Cut it to fit the canister. Then cut a few more from the leftovers. Just clean it out when you clean your tank. I am still using the same one I got last year...I just keep cleaning it.
+Steven Housden I just ordered that product you sent in the link; I should be getting it tomorrow. If it somehow gets delayed, would the following be an okay sequence? BOTTOM - Floss pad on top of coarse sponge MIDDLE - Ceramic bio rings by themselves TOP - Floss pad on top of carbon Please let me know. Thank you!
yeah ..im quite sure its the way its packed...crappy! Im still using this thing ..uploaded the video in 2014 and im still rocking this same filter with zero issues!
Quick question: how often do you change the filters and bio balls? We have a 75 gallon tank so I am sure we would probably be changing it more often. Just trying to get an idea of how much the maintenance will be. Thank you!
I only add new filters once a year..I clean my filters once a month on this 55. Never change out the bio balls. That's where the good stuff grows...The good algae takes time to build up in those balls..so never wash them out with tap water...If you need to clean them out then swish them around in the water you have left from your water change. When I do a 25% water change once a month its the first thing I do is take out the filters, clean everything and put it back together...do your water change while the filter is out so its not spraying all over and churning up your water..I can go a lot longer with this set up then with 2 huge HOB filters...This has been a blessing in time saving honestly. Well worth the few extra bucks.
I've had this unit for nearly a year. The flow has gradually dropped to what is laughable. I'm using it on a 29 gallon tank! Tiny debris floats past the uptake filter like it's not even on. Can't figure out what's wrong since it seemed to have a lot of power when I first bought it. I'm very disappointed!
take it all out...clean the tubing as best you can and check the propeller. if it sloppy replace it. they are about 8 bucks on ebay. also turn the head upside down in the sink and fill with bleach water. rinse it really good after. the bleach will disolve any algae build up. you can let the tubing soak in bleach water also.
+Jesus Gonzalez On my setup I clean it once every 2 weeks. Your setup could be different though. Depending on how many fish, what kind, your feeding habits etc etc. It has a semi clear blue case so you can see the muck building up in there. Once you see the flow rate start to drop off on the return just look at the side of the canister and see how it looks in there. It will all depend on how much waste your tank makes...Just have to keep an eye on it.
I have this in a well stocked 55 gallon tank. I have went 3 weeks without cleaning. Now I have been cleaning it every 2 weeks when I do my water changes. It is suggested to change the Carbon filter every 2 weeks so you have to have to have it open anyway. Just remember that if you use any kind of BIO filtration such as bio balls do not ever rinse those with tap water. Thats where all of your good algae is living. If you have to rinse them, rinse them in the old water you take out during a water change. I keep my BIO in the middle tray, so I just remove it and set it to the side until i'm done. Also...clean the tube and the wand that goes back in the tank from the filter. If you don't clean it for awhile and then clean your filter and re prime it, it will bow little white bits of junk all in your water. Its just buildup inside the pipes. But its nasty. I hope that helps you...any other questions please let me know. Im no expert but I can go from personal experience.
here is where I get them from Amazon but watch the price. It goes up and down a lot. Its 8.74 with prime shipping now but I have got them for 8.05 PRIME twice now and I just order 2 packs when they get that cheap. I have seen them go for as much as 11.25 a pack on there,. So add them to your wishlist and just check them every now and again. smile.amazon.com/dp/B0002DJD62/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1KWTEDGDRP2IX&coliid=I2E8NF5GJCK9W4&psc=1
I am trying to decide on a canister filter for my 75 gallon freshwater tank i am setting up. Do you think the cascade 1000 would be sufficient or to go ahead and spend the extra $25 and get the Cascade 1500?
+Niterunner77 I think when I was shopping for this it said it could do up to 100 gallons...I thought that the more the better when it comes to a filter though. My buddy has this on his 120 tall actually and it works just fine..I would have opted for the bigger one in his case. You're only talking 25 gallons though between mine and yours..I would say this one will do the trick for you...I guess it's a matter of funds really. The price has dropped on these since I got mine. Bigger certainly won't hurt anything though.
+Niterunner77 No not at all...I just looked it up on amazon...way cheaper than my local pet store...wow. The only thing I buy for this that is cascade is the carbon bags...other than that you can buy your own filter media in rolls from ebay...take one of the filters from the canister that comes with it and draw out a bunch on the roll and cut them out. Cheap...and it works...I buy my floss pad and 30ppi foam from there or amazon. I have enough to last me 5 years in just one roll of each. This filter doesn't come with a 30ppi (medium filter) only the course and the floss. For the additional tray I added in some bio balls. Those may have been cascade...cant remember but they work and they are cheap too.
Ive had it for 4 years now...No issues. Never replaced anything...still works the same as the day I got it. Its running in the living room right now. Still quite too. Kinda surprising for a 100 dollar filter to be honest but if I have to buy another one I wouldnt hesitate to buy this one again.
Youre welcome James. The biggest things with these is if you have sand substrate in your tank....when you are cleaning your tank turn this off...if the sand is floating around in your tank and being sucked up into the propeller that can damage the area around the magnets on the propeller ....its like sand blasting it if you will....this is with any brand filter you choose.
In this 55 gallon I do a 20 to 25% water change about every 40 days or so.... I will top it off after one month...some evaporation occurs. Specially in the winter with out heat running.
is anybody had a problem with this filter? i bought it and its been filtering my 55 gallon aquarium for my turtle. every 20 seconds or so it hits air bubbles and it makes a loud noise, similar to a sump pump. I have this filter in my room and it's becoming a nuisance since it is very loud sometimes. thank you
+Whitewine12 If the inlet is completely submersed in water then there should be no air getting in...it sounds like you have a seal bad. When the pump is running it is completing a vacuum...I would take your top off, clean it real good and check for any damage on the seal or surrounding plastic. My old bubble curtain was putting air into mine and I was getting the gurgle noise as the air passed through the filter. I took that out...annoying. So just make sure you have your inlet completely submerged in water and make sure your seal is good and tight. It has to have a good vacuum to work properly. If you have a good seal and the outlet is under water there should be no air getting in at all.
Yeah, I have the inlet completely submerged. but you know I didn't think about checking the seal. When I have some time I will open that up. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks bud
I shot this video back in 2014 and im still using this same one...I just had to replace the rubber seal at the top because it developed a small drip ...not bad for almost 6 years. The seal was like 4 bucks on ebay. I would buy this again in a heartbeat if it ever decided to fail on me.
Thank you for all the info and for your quick response. I truly appreciate it. Until a few days ago I didn't even know what an external filter was. lol 😕 I actually purchased the canister for my red earred slider turtle. She's about a foot in width and the internal filters I was previously using were not enough to keep her tank clean for very long. I'm hoping this filter will be easier maintaince and keep the tank water clear longer. Thanks again for the info your tank is beautiful by the way 😆
I've had this cascade 1000 filter for 6 years now and it's still doing a good job. I've also never cleaned the motor unit.
Hey Kyle...I think for the price this is the one of the better units out there. Mines still going strong as well. Thanks for checking out the video man!
do you have salt or freshwater?
Thanks for the reply...He’s a strong swimmer, mostly quiet, but when he gets his “zips” he stirs it up himself, lol. I’ve had him since about 2003-2004, purchased him as a small little one.
WOW thats a ling time! I have seen some really big ones before but I never had one last me more than 8 years. My buddy had one by itself in a 55 and it was scary big...I would be afraid to grab that thing lol With this set up I have now I kinda gave up on em and got the cory cats...they had babies and now I have 4. This filtration system works great for keeping the water very clean....I still have to do routine vacuums though...With the amount of decor I have the waste gets caught up around the edges of stuff so that is where I have to vacuum once a month.
Steven Housden Yea, it’s pretty crazy sounding. I had a regular striped angelfish live for 7 years, and I still have my red-eared slider for about 34 years. I’m soon getting a larger tank for him as well. His is getting old and with that the glass can weaken or become a level or brittle...a level of retirement home lol. One more question: when sifting the sand while vacuuming, does it cloud the water and affect the filter? I ask this not only for cleaning purposes, but my pleco loves to attach to the wall and do vertical zips, top to bottom.
Thats about the longest I have had an angel as well...I purchased a pair of them and I lost one at just over 7 years...lost the other about 2 months later. When I vacuum it never clouds the water...The sand I have in here settles really fast...it would take a lot of sand in that filter to hurt the propeller. Im sure mine has sucked up some over the years but I have had no issues with mine. You can find replacement propellers on ebay but I have yet to have to get one.
Steven Housden How often do you have to change the filters?
I change the Carbon filter once a month...thats about as long as they suggest keeping them in. I found 3 packs on ebay pretty cheap...2 filters in a box, 6 total. The other filters I replace once a year. Every time I change the carbon I just wash them out. I do not wash out my bio balls...when they get clogged up pretty good I just swish them around in the water alittle I have removed while vacuuming. Rinsing them in tap water will kill off all bacteria built up in them.
I really like your tank a freash water tank that looks like its a saltwater tank.
Thanks for this review, hopefully it should help when i buy it, I hate my top fin filter 40 and my family hates it it too. SO LOUD!! 90 bucks will be well spent for sure once I buy this. Thanks again :)
I run a cascade 1000 on my 10 gallon reef and it works great.
+Brian Amick - LOL! It better work great. That tank is 1/10 the size the Cascade 1000 is rated for. Kind of overkill.
+Hazmat 13 I'm planning to buy it for a 10 gallon tank, will I have any problems with it actual fitting sense you already went through the process?
Ricardo Figueroa I have it running on my 60 gallon right now and the setup was a breeze. The issue you may have in a 10 gallon is the hoses are very heavy and the flow might be a bit high.
I'd suggest adding a ball valve to regulate the water pressure if using on a 10.
I was more interested in how long the motor works. It's a great filter and I've had it for 4 years now. Still works great until I have to turn it off for maintenance. I then have to prime the heck out of it while plugging it in and out. But after a few minutes of swearing and wishing, it comes on. And it feels like it never quit. I think I'll wait 2 more years before considering a new filter. Anyway great info
Kyle Homan Has your filter always done that after a clean up? Mine primes really easy but if I take the tubes out to clean them then I have to do a little pumping. Have you tried this method? How to prime a Cascade Canister Filter.
I just bought this. Base was cracked to the point where it's not even together. Again like yours it does not affect performance. Just funny cuz it's the same problem like 4 years later.
haha yeah man...same thing..but mines still kicking in this tank with ZERO issues. I replace the carbon once a month or so but thats about it. I noticed the price has dropped a lot too since I got mine.
Steven Housden I got mine open box for $50 off Amazon. New wasn't that much more
What're your dimensions of your tank? I got a 55 gallon for my Tiger Oscar and bought the Cascade 700 canister filter off amazon for 43 dollars. Very happy it's the performance of the filter. Keeps my water crystal clear even with my savage of a fish. Very messy eater.
My tank is a 55 gallon also. Thats a good deal for the 700...they normally go for around 85 bucks on there...When I got this 1000 I think it was only maybe 15 bucks more than the 700 so it was worth it. Now that you have it...Add the carbon filters to your "wish list" and watch the prices...they jump up and down all the time.Right now they are 9 bucks for a 2 pack...way too high...Last set I got from ebay I got an 8 pack for 25 bucks free ship. Thats 16 carb filters..pretty cheap. Get some kind of biofiltration too... I use Marineland PA11486 Canister Filter Bio-Balls ..plastic over ceramic because the plastic can be washed off and re used if they get clogged up...ceramic you have to throw away and start over.
Thank you for the advise man! Great looking tank!
Any idea which is a good & powerful filter for 150 gallon bare bottom tank? Which comes UV cleaner, etc.
Ok so it took me a sec to figure out why it wasn't working. I primed it and followed all the directions and the water kept going down from the intake tube and it seemed weak. It was primed but I just put more water in the canister to fill it up more. Plugged it in and let it run for a couple mins even tho it still didn't work. Shut off the outtake tube and pumped it super fast like 10 times while it was plugged in and then opened up the outtake tube and it started to run. You just need to mess w it.
Yeah it's kinda loud. The water going into the tank is loud so I put the outlet against the glass and that works. The filter itself doesn't seem to be that loud. It's just like a fan. The boosh sound is probably bc it doesn't have enough water in the filter to touch the top where he motor is.
got mine today and spray super nice
I really like the spray bar on this set up...I now have all 4 spray bars pointing slightly upwards so the spray breaks the waters surface. Very nice feature across the whole tank.
Nice Aquarium , thanks for the review
Thank you..here is an updated version of the tank and the pump had been running a few months ua-cam.com/video/otc7WPVrohk/v-deo.html
Hi Steven, I am curious what light you used for your freshwater tank? I see that it may be LED but I am not sure what it is. Thanks in advance and awesome setup! I purchased this filter after watching this video! :) (Currently on amazon for 80 bucks![bought 2])
Thank you and im glad the video helped you. I use a Double Bright LED made by beamswork. Half the price of marineland and just as good. Here is the video for my review on that ua-cam.com/video/KP3CzBoXJDA/v-deo.html Also if you are planning on switching to LED be aware of the green algae blooms that can occur after you switch. I done a video on that too and how to control that with a 9 watt UV light inside your tank. Here is the video for that ua-cam.com/video/NeUgbLHOOAA/v-deo.html I hope these help you..let me know if you have any other questions. Other than the Cascade filter I have had the LED and the UV light well over a year and still going strong.
Steven Housden Thanks for the tip! I watched the videos and when I switch to LED, I will probably pick up a UV sterilizer at the same time for the precaution. I was reading where the double bright can be used for live plants which I have. Great vids and keep them up! (I will be starting to post vids of my setups as well in the near future). I'm curious to know if you run a saltwater setup as well?
NemesisXt Glad they helped you. The UV light video seems to be pretty popular as the price of LED lights are coming down now. I rolled the dice on this Beamswork light. Turned out to be a good roll though. Still going strong and all bulbs still working after a year. Still half the price of the Marineland lights. I found out real quick I wasn't the only one that had that issue but it was a pretty easy fix. I picked up a few extra bulbs when I got the sterilizer from ebay. I was paying 12 bucks each for the 9 watt bulbs in my outdoor pond UV sterilizer from Menards or Home Depot. Turns out they are the same bulbs as this one takes and they are only 6 bucks on ebay. I haven't even went through one bulb yet though. But now I have backup bulbs for both sterilizers. I also don't run the light as much as I used to. That seemed to help a bit too. I have never ran a saltwater tank as I have really not had the time I need to devote to it. Someday maybe! A few of my friends have them and I have been around them all my life just never built one.
Hi Steven! This has been wonderful, between the video and the comments, I learned a LOT! Thanks :0)~
2DebbieDoo You are very welcome..I am glad it helped you. If you have any questions Ill try my best to answer them. Thank you for watching.
Actually...since you bring it up...now that you mention it, lol
Going from 2 trays in the 700 to 5 trays in the 1500 is a bit intimidating, We're about to upgrade to a 125 gal. I was trying to research a bit on what to put in. I looked up the Purigen and PhosGuard. If I have it right, the Purigen takes the place of Activated Carbon? The phosguard is for a planted tank? Or water with high phosphorous?
In our 55 gal. I have AC, ammonia block, ceramic media, Aragonite for my pH, floss and the sponge. 1 Oscar, 1 Pleco both 6" and 3 Pims each 4". However, I would like to add, in the new tank, a Jack Dempsey, maybe and an Adonis Pleco. Although, I am open to any suggestions? My dream tank would be 4-6 LARge fish in the 125 gal living happily. What would you put in the filter? I know the bio load matters, but any thoughts would be appreciated.
I have sand, live plants and we use well & RO water, the perimeters are stable. LOVE the 700, so I hope the 1500 will be twice as good!
Sorry so long, thanks again!!
2DebbieDoo All I use in my 3 tray system ( after having it for some time and messing about with it) is in the bottom tray I use a Coarse, Medium, and Fine pad. Second tray is for my Charcoal, and the top tray has my Bio balls and my (Seachem - The Bag Media Filter Bag) with Phosguard in it. Now the only reason I use Phosgaurd is because I use Seachem Neutral Regulator. That stuff is the bomb at balancing your water, plus you cant really over treat and harm your fish. That being said though, It is a Phosphate Based Chemical and we all know algae loves loves Phosphates. This took me about 5 months to realize because I am a man and I dont read directions LOL....I had a bad brown algae problem developing in my tank ...it would cover all my corals in 2 weeks...thats ludacris and after sitting down one day and reading the back of the Neutral Regulator it slapped me right in the face ( Phosphate Based) Well...there was my problem. I would say if I were to go up to a bigger canister I would still only use these same items in there. Having 5 trays doesn't really mean you need to put something in there...It gives the maker of the canister filter, that also sales filters, chemicals etc a reason to make you want to buy more chemicals.. Thats just my own opinion. I researched the Purigen and I personally found no use for it...just another chemical to buy and change. The way my canister is set up right now it is awesome..the water stays crystal clear and balanced in between water changes. Some algae build up over a month period..not to bad. One thing you need to remember is that the more you stuff in that canister the less water can move through it...For instance I got a huge roll of Medium density foam from ebay, dirt cheap, thought I would layer it in and it would be better...nope....just slowed down the water flow and made it worse. It was coming out of my spray bar at about half the rate..thats not good. With the 1500 you will have a bigger motor and a bigger propeller but the same thing applies...more isn't always better. I would layer my same setup better so I didnt have 3 filters in one tray and bio balls and Phosgaurd in one tray...Same setup, just break it a bit. I really hope that helps and please let me know when you get it all lined out..Im curious as to how it does.I was also considering upgrading...Not sure if I need it though on a 55 gallon.
Wonderful info!! Thank you.
I am having an issue with algae, mainly because the tank sits beside a North window. The new tank will also sit there but now will have 18x20 inch area to peek in. :0~ Unfortunately, the algae is on my plants leaves mainly & I have tried washing & scrubbing them but, to no avail. The Pleco is too spoiled on wafers to lower himself to eat algae, lol
Do you think the Phosguard would help in removing the algae by starving it?
I found The Bag on Amazon, you prefer that one for the 180 micron mesh? It also looks like the 2 L of Phosguard is the best price?
What are your thoughts on Safe verses Prime? If I am reading it right the 1 kilo of Safe is the best deal, although pricey to start it treats much more than the 2 L of Prime. One of the reviews said, "it treats 20,000 gal." I guess I need to start thinking in those bigger numbers, lol
Thanks again for your insights. Take good care.
2DebbieDoo Yeah windows can be a real pain....I am lucky enough to have a shaded house and its actually dark in my living room for most of the day...I dont have live plants now but in an older tank I did...I dosed my tank with a 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide to remove the algae. If you use phosguard or any other phosphate remover it will make that more efficient also..there are tons of videos on youtube about HP dosing your live plants. I got the Seachem The Bag because of the large opening and reusable zip tie, to be honest..I had several "tube" style bags that had draw strings and the openings were pretty small...Made a mess trying to add carbon or phosguard...The Bag is a buck cheaper right now than it was when I ordered it...but its a good size bag that will lay nice in your filter. I picked up a small bottle of Phosguard at my local pet store to get me started and then came home and ordered the 2L from amazon. That thing is HUGE! Hard to tell from the pic but when I opened the box I just laughed and thought " well...that should last a bit" But yes its a way better deal ...I only got 2 treatments from the small bottle. Your first treatment you will use more than needed and change it out after only 2 weeks...after that you can leave it in for about a month....It will turn brown when it needs to be changed. I just change mine out when I do a 25% water change. Safe is sort of like the powdered form of Prime. Sort of!.... Safe does the same job of removing chlorine/chloramine and detoxifying ammonia...BUT it does not have the additional components which specifically help promote the fish protective slime coat and detoxify heavy metals (due to those components not being able to be synthesized in powder form), so there is some difference in features compared to Prime. I use Prime and small dose does me good. I think the Neutral Regulator I use to balance my PH removes most of the chlorine, chloramine, or ammonia...so the added benefit of having something that promoted slime coat was best for me. Its been a merry go round for me over the last year using this new canister filter with chemicals...I think though after a year I got it and made it as cost efficient as I could. Since you mentioned Amazon, Add every chemical you use to your "Wish List" (I made a separate folder in my wish list called (tank/pond) Then where it says Add comments, quantity & priority Mark the current price or what you paid for it in the comments next to the item. Watch how the prices jump up and down all the time. Amazon will show you a price decrease after adding to wish list but it won't show you an increase. Right now my THE BAG says Price dropped 10% (was $8.96 when added to Wish List) When I see chemicals drop in price a significant bit I go ahead and order and stock up. The Neutral Regulator has dropped from 10.96 to 6.95 right now....quite a big drop.
I just got this right now at petco, price matched at 69.99. Yes
NIce! Yes I seen the price has dropped since I got mine a few years ago at 99 from amazon. Good score!! Its a great filter...still running under my tank right now...no issues.
Cool thank you 😆 one more question I promise it's the last. The reason I was asking about submerging the spray bar is because the water flow is super strong, too strong! Even submerged under the water it's just to forceful. I've tried pointing the holes different directions. Still, too powerful... So, even though the instructions say to open both valves all the way, I closed the outtake one a little bit and that did the trick. As far as I can see from your video your spray bar seems chill. Did you ever have this issue with yours ? and is it okay to not have the valve open all the way? I really don't want to accidentally bust the filter in this learning process.
No worries...I hope im helping some here...Mines pretty forceful too...What I have seen people do is make the holes a little bigger using a small drill bit. If you are comfortable using a small bit you can do that ..I wouldn't make them much bigger though. One thing you can try is this...instead of closing the outake close the intake slightly. With the intake open all the way you are letting in full amount..outake closed off slightly would be equivalent to squeezing the end of a garden hose...what goes in must come out so closing the outake is giving it more pressure. So full amount coming in, full amount going out only with more pressure. I hope that makes sense...So letting in less would be better. Open the out all the way damper down the amount coming in. Plus this will keep some pressure off of the seals in there.
Take the cap off the end spray bar
Hey Steven, How tall is the filter at it's highest point with hoses attached?
ok i got it hooked up and its nice, but how dose oxygen get in to the water? I'm scared they cant breath but i see your tank is fine. i had the bio wheel making a water fall, its gone now so can they breath? please let me know thanks.
Your water gets its oxygen by surface agitation ...you have a couple of options...each one of those bars you can twist ...twist the first one down and the next up, where it breaks the surface. It does not need to be shooting out and back in.. just adjust it til you can see it breaking the surface area and moving water. You can also add an inexpensive air pump and an air stone or wood diffuser. I prefer the wood diffusers but both work the same. Its not the bubbles going through the water that adds oxygen but the actual breaking of the surface area from the bubbles hitting the top of the water that does it. Air pumps force oxygen into your tank by increasing surface agitation. If you do go with an air pump remember to always put an inline check valve in the line. Like these www.amazon.com/Uxcell-Aquarium-Non-Return-Check-Valves/dp/B00KFV8EIO you can normally find these at wal mart pretty cheap. If you have a power failure the air line can cause a vacuum and and reverse flow allowing your tank to drain. Its a cheap insurance policy. Once you break the surface area with either your pumps spray bar, air diffuser or both, you will be fine.
What’s the height on it when it’s fully installed?
I have had sooooo many problems with cloudy water
that I am at my breaking point. I finally just did a complete water change. I have the cascade 1000. I use to have a nexx api and the water stayed really clean and crystal clear (until it started leaking). Since changing to this cascade I have had nothing but problems. I did my water change one week ago and let it cycle until today. The water was crystal clear for the whole week. I did a chemical check and all was great so I put my fish back in. Within an hour my tank was cloudy again. It has only ten fish in it and I ordered a purigen filter and placed in it when I did the water change. I have tried everything I know to do (before the complete water change) and cannot find a solution. I went from the output spout to the wand and back again and that did not help either. This has been going on for months. I love my tank and want to keep it, but am so stressed over this that I am about ready to give up. I have my filter baskets in as you do yours. I have a 50 gallon tank. Do you have any suggestions? My fish store and myself are just completely out of ideas.
+Laura Stephens hhmmm..Is there a lot of light getting to the tank? When you say cloudy I am guessing its "white" cloudy? Sunlight can cloud up a tank but its generally floating algae and its green...White cloudy is just your tank water not being matured. You said you let it cycle for a week...and it was still cloudy? You also need to leave your fish in there when it cycles...just running clean water through the filter wont change much...You are not adding any bio into the tank...its rather drawn out explanation ...but let me know and we will figure this out..hopefully. I know it can be frustrating.
Add water clarifier 2 caps every week.
I was wondering if having short black tubing would cause the filter to not work as well? I cut the black tubing very short, since my tank is very low to the ground. Also, is the spray bar supposes to be under water or above water?
no cutting the tubing wont do much as this one is not gravity fed. The propeller does all the work there. The spray bay should be should be adjusted so it is breaking the plain of the water. So above or at least even with it where it breaks the water surface. You want to bare in mind what type of fish you have too...do they like current? Generally speaking long thin fish like current...fat round fish do not. Im not sure on your setup but if you have fish that dont like much current then you can also spray the bar to the back of the glass this will cause the water to fall down the wall and across the tank at a reduced rate of flow. Either way make sure it is agitating the surface for oxygen exchange, and equally disperse water through out the tank for good circulation without creating too much velocity. Kind of like those air stones...yes they are pretty but what it is really doing is releasing the bubbles up to agitate the surface of the water for oxygen exchange. You can even put it under the water and place it shooting up...OK if you have a lid. As the water evaporates though it will spray harder and you could end up with a mess. I just place mine just above the water surface and shoot it slightly down.
if the spray bar was below the surface of the water would that be okay ? as far as the filter and how it operates...
Yes as far as what the filter does itself ....it will work.
I just had to get rid of 2 sun sun 304B's...I absolutely did not know that you were NOT supposed to leave the inside uv light on all of the time..so I could not find out after changing the orings and tried all kinds of different fixes that people swear to online ..well I just couldnt get the water from pouring out on the sides of the filter..I just had enough so I really want to buy another HYDOR canister filter because I already have one that worked pretty well for about 2 years now..with absolutely ZERO problems...but I keep hearing about these cascades. also cheaper .They seem ok but they do not have but 3 trays? That seems like not enough media carbon and pads..I usually use 2 trays for media only...also my concern are leaks ..so how would u compare this filter to others? I mean I didnt catch that part in your video..what u think for real?
I can say that I recorded this in 2014 and I am on the same one..no issues..I mean literally none. This one does have 3 trays and there is a bigger one with 4 trays for only a few bucks more. I clean this out every time I do a water change. My top tray is my fine filter I purchased from ebay in a roll and just cut it to fit and a small sack of seachem neutral regulator, middle tray is mesh bag of bio balls and bottom tray is course and medium filter stacked. I purchased the course filter from amazon Uni Filter BF-2 12" X 24" X 3/8" 30-PPI Black Coarse Foam its a great 30 ppi filter with no oils in it and I do the same, cut to fit. Going on 5 years and crystal clear water with this set up in the 55 gallon. If this thing every takes a crap ill buy it again..the price has even came down since i purchased it. I payed 99.99 for it and today its 69.99... I dont know about the UV light canisters but I run a sunsun JUP-23 drop in UV light and it always stays on...been on for 5 years. I had to change the bulb twice though. I run a larger inline UV light on my koi pond for crystal clear water all summer. Doesn't seem to effect my fish any running it full time. It just sterilizes the bad algae so it cant reproduce then your filters clean it up.
Hi Steven, since you have had this canister for about 4 years, (hopefully) would you still recommend this? I've been searching online for filters for my 60 gallon tank for a couple of weeks now and I saw good reviews on this but would like your input. :)
absolutely....i still have this one under my tank right now and have zero issues with it. Once a month or so I take it out and clean it up. I think the price has actually dropped since I got mine. If I ever had to buy it again I might consider getting the bigger one since the price has dropped...cant really have too much filtration. If you click the link in my description it is actually Price: $69.24 right now....insane...I payed 100 for it lol
@@sikbaggers oh okay, thank you so much!
k thank you so much you have been very helpful. 😊😆
What do.you mean priming it after cleaning it ??
How does it handle the “leavings” of a 12” pleco (sucker fish)?
Never had one that big but Some of the larger stuff will not get sucked up...if the fish stir it up it will clean it..its pretty powerful but to actually suck it from over across the tank I just dont know if any would be that strong.
would you recommend this item for a 55 gallon fish tank to keep it crystal clear? I would love a respond haha
+Alex Morrell Productions Yes...This has been on my 55 for over a year now...I love it. Easy to clean and its quite. Way better than 2 HOB filters. I have had no issues with this at all. Keeping your tank crystal clear depends on a lot more than just your filter system though. No overfeeding, to much light etc etc....but this filter system works great on a 55.
+Steven Housden I appreciate the response, I'm going to cut down on my feeding with only 2 times a day haha or three tops. I just have one more question, how many gallons per hour would you recommend For the 55 gallon tank? haha
i am looking into getting this same one for my fifty five gallon and i was just wondering how this one is preforming today? do you wish you had sent it back? and would you choose to purchase one again?
This thing is still working great...no issues at all. No noises, no leaking, nothing,...still performs as the day it was purchased. I only pull it out once a month and clean it. I make sure to clean all hoses too. I would buy it again today if I had to.
well thanks for the info man!
Hello, I ordered the cascade 1500. I would appreciate if you can link me (the ebay links) to where you get your filter medias? Thanks so much in advance!
I just checked my ebay and the seller is no longer there but all you need to order from there is a 30 ppi filter...I just searched and there is a bunch. Mine came in folded in half...maybe 1 foot by 3 foot. I cut mine out of that and made a few. The other is a high lofted air filter...its blue and white...kinda double sided. But you can use pillow stuffing as well..its for the fine media filtration.
It's so loud
i have one and its no louder then my wisper air pump so his probably needs cleaned
How often do you have to replace the carbon filters?
It is recommended to change the carbon filters once a month.
How do you keep your sand so clean
I do a normal cleaning with a gravel vacuum ...skim the top and try not to suck up sand....most of the junk stays right on top of the sand. With the sand you have to do them more often than with gravel because it all does stay on top.
Do you still have this same filter?
Yes..this was purchased in 2014 and I am still using this exact same one...the only thing I had to replace and it was about 2 years ago was the rubber gasket under the lid...that cost about 12 bucks on amazon and changes out in seconds..so id say thats a pretty good filter. Also I am still using the same media inside too...just clean them when I clean the tank and no issues.
@@sikbaggers wowww that's amazing you are really enjoying this filter....
I guess it's really worth the price huh?
I'm going to buy this one and hopefully I can have mines long like you. That's a big money saver to me...I just put my 2y RES TUrtle inside a hdx 55 gollon bin tub and Im looking to purchase a canister filter now instead of the internal regular ones.TYSM for responding back so quickly I'm a new subbie just for that along..
I have one of these on my 60 gallon freshwater (to replace my 700); However, since I installed it about a month ago, my tank has been clouding up (likely due to bacterial imbalance) FASTER than before. It has been just under two weeks since I changed 40% of the water, and already, you can't see the other end when you view it from the side. Here is the order (from bottom to top) of my tray media: Carbon pack, ceramic rings, coarse sponge pad. Am I doing something wrong?
+TrollDestroyer86 Hey ...the way this works is that your dirty water goes down the inside tube to the bottom and then comes back up through your filters and media...so your setup is backwards. Mine is set up from bottom to top; BOTTOM TRAY- Coarse filter, 30ppi filter, MIDDLE TRAY- Bio Balls in bag, TOP TRAY - Carbon, Floss pad.
That system seems to work the best for me. You want all the large and medium stuff out first (the bottom) then good bacteria that can pass through that filter can reach your bio filtration, then finish with the carbon and floss pad to clean everything else up. Here is an excellent video you can watch ..this dude doesn't even use carbon...and he adds all of his mech filtration to the bottom..but it explains everything a bit better. ua-cam.com/video/szrUlHTW5Zo/v-deo.html Set your filter up this way. Do another water change about 25 - 30 % no more than that, then give it a few weeks to settle down. White usually just means the tank hasnt matured yet. I just did a revamp of the tank and did a deep cleaning on it 2 weeks ago. Mine clouded for about 4 days..then overnight it went clear. Just let it be and don't start tossing in tons of chemicals. Let me know how this turns out for you. I hope this helps you and good luck.
+Steven Housden Thanks! First of all, what is a 30ppi filter? Second, in the bottom tray and middle tray, should there be no floss pads at all? Third, in the top tray, are you saying the floss pad should go on top of the carbon and not below it? Can you specify?
Furthermore, the cloudiness in my tank is more greenish in color, not white. Could that be due more to a bacterial imbalance, or something else?
+Steven Housden To further elaborate, I looked up 30ppi foam on Amazon.com, and the only ones they have available are those for the Rena Filstar xP Filters. Would those suffice, and if so, how many?
+TrollDestroyer86 you can put the floss pad anywhere after the heavy pads. I prefer mine to be right on top. Like a final buffing of the water before it goes back in the tank just to catch anything left. Yeah green water is a floating algae...that can be caused by a million things. Toomuch light, the wrong light, phosphates are too high etc.I have another video of the UV light I used to kill my green algae growth. Mine were caused by phosphates being high due to using a product called Seachem neutral regulator. It is phosphate based and the algae was feeding on it. I countered that with Seachem phosgaurd ran in this canister too. But your problem could be something else.
This is the exact filter I got from amazon. www.amazon.com/Uni-Filter-BF-2-30-PPI-Coarse/dp/B000ONZT5Y/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1442339942&sr=8-4&keywords=30+ppi
That filter is perfect. No oils in it and its thin. If you pack too much stuff in this canister it have the same turnover rate..the water just cant get through all of that stuff. So I run this on top of my heavy in the bottom. Cut it to fit the canister. Then cut a few more from the leftovers. Just clean it out when you clean your tank. I am still using the same one I got last year...I just keep cleaning it.
+Steven Housden I just ordered that product you sent in the link; I should be getting it tomorrow. If it somehow gets delayed, would the following be an okay sequence?
BOTTOM - Floss pad on top of coarse sponge
MIDDLE - Ceramic bio rings by themselves
TOP - Floss pad on top of carbon
Please let me know. Thank you!
The samething on the base happened on mine.
yeah ..im quite sure its the way its packed...crappy! Im still using this thing ..uploaded the video in 2014 and im still rocking this same filter with zero issues!
Quick question: how often do you change the filters and bio balls? We have a 75 gallon tank so I am sure we would probably be changing it more often. Just trying to get an idea of how much the maintenance will be. Thank you!
I only add new filters once a year..I clean my filters once a month on this 55. Never change out the bio balls. That's where the good stuff grows...The good algae takes time to build up in those balls..so never wash them out with tap water...If you need to clean them out then swish them around in the water you have left from your water change. When I do a 25% water change once a month its the first thing I do is take out the filters, clean everything and put it back together...do your water change while the filter is out so its not spraying all over and churning up your water..I can go a lot longer with this set up then with 2 huge HOB filters...This has been a blessing in time saving honestly. Well worth the few extra bucks.
I've had this unit for nearly a year. The flow has gradually dropped to what is laughable. I'm using it on a 29 gallon tank! Tiny debris floats past the uptake filter like it's not even on. Can't figure out what's wrong since it seemed to have a lot of power when I first bought it. I'm very disappointed!
take it all out...clean the tubing as best you can and check the propeller. if it sloppy replace it. they are about 8 bucks on ebay. also turn the head upside down in the sink and fill with bleach water. rinse it really good after. the bleach will disolve any algae build up. you can let the tubing soak in bleach water also.
how often do you have to clean the filter
+Jesus Gonzalez On my setup I clean it once every 2 weeks. Your setup could be different though. Depending on how many fish, what kind, your feeding habits etc etc. It has a semi clear blue case so you can see the muck building up in there. Once you see the flow rate start to drop off on the return just look at the side of the canister and see how it looks in there. It will all depend on how much waste your tank makes...Just have to keep an eye on it.
+Steven Housden thanks
how often do we clean, maintenance tips?
I have this in a well stocked 55 gallon tank. I have went 3 weeks without cleaning. Now I have been cleaning it every 2 weeks when I do my water changes. It is suggested to change the Carbon filter every 2 weeks so you have to have to have it open anyway. Just remember that if you use any kind of BIO filtration such as bio balls do not ever rinse those with tap water. Thats where all of your good algae is living. If you have to rinse them, rinse them in the old water you take out during a water change. I keep my BIO in the middle tray, so I just remove it and set it to the side until i'm done. Also...clean the tube and the wand that goes back in the tank from the filter. If you don't clean it for awhile and then clean your filter and re prime it, it will bow little white bits of junk all in your water. Its just buildup inside the pipes. But its nasty. I hope that helps you...any other questions please let me know. Im no expert but I can go from personal experience.
Gr8 Thanks!....where can we get the carbon filters do you have a link for amazon?
here is where I get them from Amazon but watch the price. It goes up and down a lot. Its 8.74 with prime shipping now but I have got them for 8.05 PRIME twice now and I just order 2 packs when they get that cheap. I have seen them go for as much as 11.25 a pack on there,. So add them to your wishlist and just check them every now and again. smile.amazon.com/dp/B0002DJD62/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1KWTEDGDRP2IX&coliid=I2E8NF5GJCK9W4&psc=1
Thanks! Steve appreciate your work!
sujit mani No problem, my friend.
I am trying to decide on a canister filter for my 75 gallon freshwater tank i am setting up. Do you think the cascade 1000 would be sufficient or to go ahead and spend the extra $25 and get the Cascade 1500?
+Niterunner77 I think when I was shopping for this it said it could do up to 100 gallons...I thought that the more the better when it comes to a filter though. My buddy has this on his 120 tall actually and it works just fine..I would have opted for the bigger one in his case. You're only talking 25 gallons though between mine and yours..I would say this one will do the trick for you...I guess it's a matter of funds really. The price has dropped on these since I got mine. Bigger certainly won't hurt anything though.
+Steven Housden ok awesome! I'm gonna go ahead and get the 1500. Not too big of a price difference between the two.
+Niterunner77 No not at all...I just looked it up on amazon...way cheaper than my local pet store...wow. The only thing I buy for this that is cascade is the carbon bags...other than that you can buy your own filter media in rolls from ebay...take one of the filters from the canister that comes with it and draw out a bunch on the roll and cut them out. Cheap...and it works...I buy my floss pad and 30ppi foam from there or amazon. I have enough to last me 5 years in just one roll of each. This filter doesn't come with a 30ppi (medium filter) only the course and the floss. For the additional tray I added in some bio balls. Those may have been cascade...cant remember but they work and they are cheap too.
Reviews are pretty mixed on this filter. Does it still work well?
Ive had it for 4 years now...No issues. Never replaced anything...still works the same as the day I got it. Its running in the living room right now. Still quite too. Kinda surprising for a 100 dollar filter to be honest but if I have to buy another one I wouldnt hesitate to buy this one again.
Steven Housden Thanks. I've been contemplating for weeks what I should get
Youre welcome James. The biggest things with these is if you have sand substrate in your tank....when you are cleaning your tank turn this off...if the sand is floating around in your tank and being sucked up into the propeller that can damage the area around the magnets on the propeller ....its like sand blasting it if you will....this is with any brand filter you choose.
Thanks. That's how I do with my hob filters.
Do you think this would be much for a 20 gallon?
How often do you have to do water changes?
In this 55 gallon I do a 20 to 25% water change about every 40 days or so.... I will top it off after one month...some evaporation occurs. Specially in the winter with out heat running.
Steven Housden thank you!
You're very welcome. Hope you had a great Christmas!
is anybody had a problem with this filter? i bought it and its been filtering my 55 gallon aquarium for my turtle. every 20 seconds or so it hits air bubbles and it makes a loud noise, similar to a sump pump. I have this filter in my room and it's becoming a nuisance since it is very loud sometimes. thank you
+Whitewine12 If the inlet is completely submersed in water then there should be no air getting in...it sounds like you have a seal bad. When the pump is running it is completing a vacuum...I would take your top off, clean it real good and check for any damage on the seal or surrounding plastic. My old bubble curtain was putting air into mine and I was getting the gurgle noise as the air passed through the filter. I took that out...annoying. So just make sure you have your inlet completely submerged in water and make sure your seal is good and tight. It has to have a good vacuum to work properly. If you have a good seal and the outlet is under water there should be no air getting in at all.
Yeah, I have the inlet completely submerged. but you know I didn't think about checking the seal. When I have some time I will open that up. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks bud
no problem...yeah let me know how it works...there has to be something letting air in, somewhere.
Do u have it in 24/7
yes..for 3 years now.
I was going to buy this filter until I saw this video..It sounds to loud to be my second filter in my bedroom
Ive had several filters over the years and they are make some ambient noise.
any updates
I shot this video back in 2014 and im still using this same one...I just had to replace the rubber seal at the top because it developed a small drip ...not bad for almost 6 years. The seal was like 4 bucks on ebay. I would buy this again in a heartbeat if it ever decided to fail on me.
thanks for the update,I need to replace a fluval that has developed a fatal leak that can't be fixed.
Salt water decor with freshwater fish....:>( oh well.