ZooMed Nano 30 Canister

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Lamental Jester
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Post  bronzefighter 2013-11-11, 22:20

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The ZooMed Nano 30 is a reboxed ZooMed Turtle Clean 511 canister and yet another contestant in the relatively new nano-styled canister filter market. From the ZooMed site:


  • Great for filtering nano tanks or aquariums from 10-30 gallons.
  • 160 Gallons per Hour.
  • Comes complete with spray bar system, mechanical filter sponge, bio ceramic media and carbon.
  • Easy priming feature.
  • For freshwater or marine aquariums.
  • High Quality- Made in Europe.

Comparable filters include the Hagen ExoTerra, Finnex PX-360, ZooMed 501, and the TOM Rapid C-80.




After having a complete filter failure in my 20g needed a new filter. I thought about putting another but AquaClear HOB on the back, but due to the unusually tall dimensions I found there to be too much debris buildup at the bottom of the tank.
I did like the Finnex, though I thought it might have been a bit too small for my tank. I headed over the the PetSmart by my house and they happened to have one Nano 30 on a bottom shelf in a beatup box. After getting a discount for the opened box I walked out with brand new ZooMed Nano30 for about $60.


At first glance, the ZooMed appears to be a solidly built filter. It's entirely plastic, but it's not cheap feeling at all. The only 'flimsy' piece I've noticed are the plastic clips on the top of the filter, so I tend to be a little more gentle with them. However, the actual hinges are well-built and durable. A nice feature is that the bottom of the canister has vibration isolating rubber feet. Included with the actual filter is hosing, sponges, ceramic rings, and carbon. Intake strainer is fairly standard, and included is both a spraybar and scoop-shaped flow diverter.

Setting up the filter was fairly easy. The intake and outflow have flow restrictors built into them, which I have mixed feelings about. They work well enough, but I have no need for them and I feel like they unnecessarily rob some flow. The hoses are extremely long, so long that I actually cut one in  2 halves and just use those. Unfortunately the filter is not self-priming. It has to be filled with a good amount of water before it will start drawing any from the tank. However, it does have a small opening in the top to add water into, which makes this process a bit easier. After a few minutes of gurgling and spitting bubbles into the tank it started flowing nicely.

The filtration works nicely for my tank. Water flows down onto a course sponge, then up through a finer sponge. It then is split- some water is diverted back down into the bio/chem chem chamber. Here is a diagram so you can see what I mean:
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Once this thing is running it is damn quiet. The loudest sound coming from my tank is the timer for the lights. The only issue I've had is the flow output slipping off in the tank, so I put a little bead of silicone on it to hold it in place. Maintenance is a breeze, as I clean it out once every few weeks, though I could go longer if I wanted.

Over all, fish are healthy, tank is clean, and I'm happy with this purchase. I've been running it for a few months now, so feel free to ask any questions.
bronzefighter
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Post  Lamental Jester 2013-11-12, 14:13

Thanks for this, I've been curious about the zoo med canisters, possibly want one for a 15 tall I'm gonna set up soon
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Post  fishNAbowl 2013-11-12, 22:50

Mine likes to pee water all over during maintenance, *blat!
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Post  cichlid-gal 2013-11-13, 09:58

Nice review...thank you very much Smile 
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Post  MRTom 2013-11-13, 12:38

Does this filter have clips to hang on the back of the tank like a HOB? And, during maintenance, do you have any tricks on how to drain the lines before opening the lid to avoid spilling water everywhere?

Thanks for the great review Smile
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Post  bronzefighter 2013-11-13, 18:18

MRTom wrote:Does this filter have clips to hang on the back of the tank like a HOB? And, during maintenance, do you have any tricks on how to drain the lines before opening the lid to avoid spilling water everywhere?

Thanks for the great review Smile
No clips. This canister is a little bit on the big side of a nano-canister, unlike the 501. The hoses clamp onto a disc that is attached to the canister, and that disc has some sort of valve that prevents backflow out of the tank. I just detach the hoses and carry it over to the sink. My Cascade spills more water from the shutoff valves then the ZooMed does.
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Post  MRTom 2013-12-01, 00:41

So this review made me pick up a zoomed 501 when I saw them at petco in Lynnwood for 27 bucks! It has only been on there a few minutes and I already love it!
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Post  MRTom 2013-12-17, 08:50

A few weeks ago I chatted with fishnabowl about an idea to maintain these canisters with 0 leakage... Today I got to test it out on my 501 (near the end of a 13 hour tank maintenance session!) The trick is simply to break one of the two siphons and use the hoses to drain water out first. For example

1. turn off power to canister
2. While keeping the in/out hoses in the water, lift the canister somewhat above water level (I held it entirely above the water)
3. Break one of the two siphons by lifting either the in or out line out of the water (or slowly open the priming lid on the top of the canister)
4. watch the water drain out of the line that's still underwater (or both lines if you opened the priming lid)
5. you're ready for maintenance.

I also tried this with a finnex nano canister and had the same results (though it happened so fast I didn't realize it was ready!)
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Post  fishNAbowl 2013-12-17, 10:26

Thanks MRTom, its my turn to try it out , my 501 is about due for a check up.
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Post  Ewb46 2013-12-17, 14:57

MRTom wrote:So this review made me pick up a zoomed 501 when I saw them at petco in Lynnwood for 27 bucks! It has only been on there a few minutes and I already love it!

What is the normal price of the canister?
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Post  fishNAbowl 2013-12-17, 17:07

Ewb46 wrote:
MRTom wrote:So this review made me pick up a zoomed 501 when I saw them at petco in Lynnwood for 27 bucks! It has only been on there a few minutes and I already love it!

What is the normal price of the canister?
Crap, dont remember exactly. Think I picked up mine for about $30
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Post  MRTom 2013-12-17, 20:22

Try dis: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The 501 (nano 10) seems like a good deal at 41 bucks on special, but I just saw lynnwood petco had another one for 27 still.
The nano 30 seems good at 60 bucks... but for that price, I'd rather go to the coop and buy a finnex px-360 (even though it is only rated to 20gal). I feel like it has the best construction out of the three I've seen, and I prefer the media container setup and water flow pattern on it.
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