The E-X-T canister filter from Cobalt Aquatics isn’t exactly new to the aquarium scene, but it’s so unique that it is certainly worth a mention. While it does push water through a series of contained media packets, as with any other canister filter, it is different in that it uses an externally located inline pump. Instead of using a pump built into a big, gaudy canister body, the E-X-T uses a tiny little pump that is plumbed inline with the tubing. Locating the pump externally allows for two things, more room for media and the ability to remove/replace the pump without tearing into the equipment and breaking a bunch of stuff. And it doesn’t even matter where in the plumbing you place the pump. It can stay near the body of the filter, or you can move up near the top where water is sucked in. Either way works just as well. Like with most canister filters and media reactors, water is brought to the bottom of the chamber and allowed to flow upward through the media

MORE: Cobalt Aquatics Shows Off E-X-T Canister Filter