Via Aqua Modular Canister Filters

Via Aqua 230 Canister Filter 600 Liters per Hour (160 gph) Via Aqua 300 Canister Filter 800 Liters per Hour (210 gph) Via Aqua 650 Canister Filter 1000 Liters per Hour (270 gph) Via Aqua 750 Canister Filter 1200 Liters per Hour (315 gph)

Via Aqua Modular Canister Filters

I have the Via Aqua Canister filter 650, two of them in fact, for my 200 litre marine tank. One of them is inline with a fluidized bed filter, and the other full of bioballs. They are very quiet, and any noise is from an improperly primed pump. There are two ways to do this, One is to remove the screw top cap, and fill this with water, and close it again. That does not actually work. The other is to fill the inlet tube, and the canister, and let the outlet tube drain into a bucket to wash out the air in the canister and the tubes. This is a hassle, but effective, and you may want to buy a T connection with a shut off valve at a convenient place of the outlet tube without disconnecting everything. Disconnecting the tubes does cause some small water spills, so you will still need a towel. The newer Eheim models (this Aqua One is a budget Eheim clone), are supposed to deal with this better. I have talked to two aquarium retailers, and one of them was impressed with their reliability and cost. Another shop stated their output falls over time, and they have not noted this with the Eheims. One problem I did have with one of the Aqua One canisters is that I could not get it to have any reasonable output, and the problem was a round piece of plastic was blocking the tube. I had to cut the tube to get rid of this. I have no idea why or how this got in there. I would check the tubing if you get one. I would still recommend this product if budget restraints are an issue, but you still want something reliable.

I just have to say that I have had a Via Aqua filter 300 for over 6 months now I love it! I have been told that they are junk plastic filters, that will only last 6 months at the most. Well mine is quiet, reliable, efficient, very cost effective, etc. I have been told that you can't get parts for them as well. Well here is I believe the importer site with parts. I can't say enough how happy I am with them. I'm looking into getting 2 more of them. One other thing I keep hearing is the amount of bypass that happens in the filters, well even if there is 20% (I'm guessing more like 10%) I can get 3 of these for the price of 1 Eheim and filter better than 2x the water and have back up filters. Having 2 would allow you to customise things much more...

I just got a CF1000 as part of a complete Aqua One acquarium. The biggest comment I would make is that the instructions for Aqua One kit are pretty awful - very little information. After some trouble with the connectors - the hose connection to the tap/filter is not secure so needed jubilee clips to secure it. The filter runs well and has very good flow, but there is a fair amount of noise. The hum from the filter has increased significantly after the first 24 hours and the balls in the bottom of the filter are not rattling around. Hopefully these noises will die down.

I have used a VA 750 for four years filtering a 380 liter turtle tank with six critters. It's still going strong; the only minor complaint is an occasional buzz/rattle after cleaning. I think it has to do with back pressure, and/or how well I seat the impeller. When it's set up correctly, it is virtually silent. I am well-pleased with it. I see that they can be ordered online for under $80, which makes them top of the value line IMHO.

I have had a Via Aqua 750 for about 2 years, and have had little problems with it. It filters quite well. The only problem I seem to have with it, is when I shut it off for maintenance, is getting it started up again. But, once it starts, it is very reliable. The instructions for mine were on the side of the box, and were very difficult to read (very tiny). Other than that, for two years, it has kept my 380 liter tank crystal clear (that's what it was originally rated for, on the box). I found this site, looking to buy another, since it was so reliable, and decided to add my 2 cents!

I have had a Via Aqua 300 running my 120 cm tank for almost eight years. I bought it when I was at university and didn't have a lot of spare cash lying around to throw at expensive filtration. This filter is probably the most quiet I have ever owned, however it was not without it's problems. Initially I had a lot of problems with priming the lines and the canister. In recent years I discovered that the outlet of some powerheads fit the bore of the tubing and hence I now use a power head to flush out the air in the tubes and prime the filter. This method can often be a little messy, however it is very effective. I also had problems with the valve connection seats. After about six years the inlet valve began to leak through the seat so I had to use some selleys to patch it up. I rarely (every couple of months) have to clean the unit out, but when I do it really is a chore. After looking over a couple of Berkal disk filters I am attempting to fit a PVC tap fitting to the sump in an effort to self clean the filter via closing the inlet valve, opening the exit valve and siphoning water from the base of the sump. Overall this is a cheap, hardy and effective filter unit in comparison to some similar canister and external filtration units.

Got some experience to share? No registration necessary to contribute. Your privacy is respected: your e-mail is published only if you wish so. All submissions are reviewed before addition. Write based on your personal experiences, with no abbreviations, no chat lingo, and using proper punctuation and capitalization. Ready? Then send your comments!