View Full Version : which canister filter would you recomend
fishman1979
10-14-2006, 4:42 PM
i have been thinking about changing up the filtration on my 55G tank. i was plannin on keeping the aquaclear 70 that i have and going with an external canister filter. what kind does everyone use and would recomend to use?
fishman1979
10-14-2006, 4:44 PM
sorry forgot this part. if i do go this route, i would be getting rid of the current top fin 60 thats on there.
liv2padl
10-14-2006, 4:47 PM
an Aquaclear 110 (previously the 500) can easily run a 55 gallon tank without the need for any additional filtration. if you decide you've just got to go the cannister route, the Eheim is far and away the best out there.
Marinemom
10-14-2006, 5:17 PM
Eheim! Eheim! Eheim! Did I mention that I love Eheims! I have two eheims running on my 125 gallon cichlid tank in addition to an aquaclear 110. I also have an eheim going on my 46 gallon discus tank in addition to an emperor 280. They are wonderful filters and super super quiet. And I mean silent. Thier performance is outstanding and cannot be beat. I love eheims! So my vote is for an eheim.
Marinemom
gemman
10-15-2006, 1:29 AM
If you have the money go Eheim, I read the forums for weeks and went with the Eheims, now I understand what they were talking about, quite, easy to clean and take apart, only clean once every three months, well worth the few extra bucks. Buy it online from Dr Fosters or Big Als.
Ghost_knife
10-15-2006, 2:40 AM
Mags are good, Fluval I dont care for, Pennplax Cascade is a nice series...Etc
fishman1979
10-15-2006, 12:55 PM
i found a Penn Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter on big als for $64.99, they say that can handle up to 100G tanks. was thinking about that one.
justintoxicated
10-16-2006, 4:18 AM
I have a Fluval 204 I got on sale and It's the best filter I own. Not sure why someone would not like their cansiters unless they don't have any experience with the recent models. They are silent and work VERY well, I hardly have to prime mine, when I release the valve for the disconnect the water stars flowing into it and it pushes out the air. After I stop hearing the air bubbles I push the primer knob a few times, and 1/2 the time it is not even necessary.
Easy as pie.
My first choice would be a to add a fluval 405. If you have the money though I'd try the eheim first. APs rena canister filters seem fine also. So far I've been staying away from the penn plax cascade series, but to be honest I've never tried one so I can't say I wouldn't like one. So far the only cannister filter I would tell people not to buy would be the odysea / jebo ones. Quality seems to be hit or miss and their power consumption ratings I have seen are higher than other brands.
Cheech
10-17-2006, 9:54 AM
I only ever tried Eheim and Fluvals... And imo Eheim is definately worth spending the extra buck!!
Raydee
10-26-2006, 9:19 PM
Hmmm nobody likes the Filstar Xp's? I have two XP3's on my 90 gallon tank and really like them. I used to use Magnum's and Fluvals but I had major leaking problems with the last two Fluvals I owned so I switched to the XP's and they work great.
nking
11-18-2006, 11:49 AM
Save your money, go with an XP3 dollar for dollar the best canister bar none:bowing:
Shelby_Tempo_GT
11-21-2006, 1:37 PM
Hmmm nobody likes the Filstar Xp's? I have two XP3's on my 90 gallon tank and really like them. I used to use Magnum's and Fluvals but I had major leaking problems with the last two Fluvals I owned so I switched to the XP's and they work great.
I have Renas.
An XP3 and XP2 on a 70 gal
Grundy
11-21-2006, 3:15 PM
I have had no problems with my Fluvals and I am very happy with their flow and minimal noise level. I have never tried an Eheim but have heard only good things. Wish Petsmart would stock these so I could try them out more easily...
If you have the money go Eheim, I read the forums for weeks and went with the Eheims, now I understand what they were talking about, quite, easy to clean and take apart, only clean once every three months, well worth the few extra bucks. Buy it online from Dr Fosters or Big Als.
you could of did the same thing with a Rena and saved a hundred :bowing:
kjf91004
11-22-2006, 3:16 PM
I know that Eheim is more expensive, but not outrageously more money. Granted, the "upper" models with all of the options are more, but my Eheim 2217 was only $110. That is definitely in the same ball park as the others. And, I love it... I have had no regrets in purchasing it.
djblac
11-25-2006, 3:26 AM
whats wrong with jebos?
melonie
11-25-2006, 6:12 AM
whats wrong with jebos?
nothing really, other than the fact that they are Chinese knock-offs and have reportedly had some quality problems. Jebo's definitely have maximum bang for the buck ...
In my own experience, Rena Filstar performs very well over time and has a very good cost vs performance ratio.
If you're looking for the absolute best filtration though with cost as no object, there's no substitute for a Pentair modular system.
Shelby_Tempo_GT
11-26-2006, 8:04 AM
there's no substitute for a Pentair modular system.
do you have one? I have been looking at them in the Big Al's catalogue (from the physical store, not the site). I was wondering how they work. They seem to have a high flow rate, but I'd like to know how they filter.
dough041
11-26-2006, 9:28 AM
I am new to this, but very glad I took the advice on eheim. I have a 55g and got an eheim 2026 for it. The water is nice and clear, the filter is quiet and very easy to setup and use. :)
jocko007
12-04-2006, 3:26 PM
100 Gal Tank, 2 Reno XP3's, they work great and you can't beat the money!
Squawkbert
12-04-2006, 3:31 PM
Rena & Fluval & Mag are all decent, but Eheim is on my xmas list.
DiscusKeeper
12-07-2006, 3:53 PM
I hadn't been involved with aquariums for more than 20 years and caught the bug again about 4 months ago. I wanted a good canister so I when I was shopping at the LFS I picked up an Eheim. I was asking one of the guys there about some other stuff and he noticed what I had in the cart. He then steered me to the Rena XPs. It was a lot cheaper. I don't know how well the Eheim filters work, but I sure love the XP that I have.
Easy setup, easy priming, quiet, does a great job.