Who makes the BEST filters for a 55 gallon setup?

I was talking to another local fish supply guy the other day and he was telling me that it's actually better to go with a Hang on the Back filter instead of a canister. He said because the maintenance is much easier (you just pull out the filter cartridges once a month and put new ones in), he said there are no hoses, etc. to deal with, he also said they are better for bacteria growth because they are open to the air on the top and bacternia needs lots of oxygen to form. He said closed systems like canisters are not that great for bacteria and they are a pain to clean because you need to disconnect the hoes, take the canister to the sink, take it apart and clean it all out then put it all back together and usually re-prime it. He also said that canister filters are OLD technology.

He mentioned that the Emperor Hang on the back filters are the best ones.. what do you guys think about all of the above stuff he said.

Up until now most people have recommended canister filters, Eheim especially so I was wondering what if this guy has valid points about the hang on the back filters..

Thanks
 
Depends if you want lots of plants or not. HOB's are for smaller to mid-sized tanks, cannisters are for medium to big.
 
but the pump output is usually more on HOB filters. For instance take the Emperor 400 which does 400gph. Then take the EHeim 2028 that only does about 275gph.

so how can a canister handle a larger tank if the pump output is far less..

besides this, the price is a HUGE difference, so I don't know why people go with canisters.... I will have an UNplanted tank, btw, probably like 72 gallon I am looking at
 
Canister filters generally have more media and allow you more options for media than a HOB filter. More media means more debris and waste is trapped in a single pass than with an HOB. The fish supply guy you talked to takes crappy care of his HOBs if he only chanegs the media once a month. I break one of my two HOB filters down every week (so they are on bi-weekly maintenance) and clean them out, make sure the impeller is clean and spinning freely, wipe out the build up etc. I also, every week on both filters, remove the intakes, brush them out and remove the filter cartidges, shake them under some tank water to clean off the crap and dead leaves. Your local fish guy was not very forthcoming, in my opinion. A canister needs to be broken down about once a month and cleaned thoroughly. Most folks say it takes them 15-30 minutes to clean a canister. Granted, it takes me roughly 5-7 minutes to clean a HOB, I am doing it once a week (wel, once every five days for me, I'm picky) so really, over a month's time the difference in maintenance times is negligible, in my opinion.

Having said that, if you're not going with a planted tank then Hang on Back filters are the way to go in m mind, simply because of the price difference. I do suggest two filters. This is helpful in making sure that when you clean the filter, you don't do something silly to kill off all of your tank's beneficial bacteria. You clean them on an alternating schedule. Also, don;t give in the to LFS pressure and buy lots o cartridges. It's a waste. Activated carbon is not needed al of the time. It's only needed to remove chemicals from the water, like say after you treat with medications.

In your case, I would go with Penguin or Emeror filters. Two of these would be excellent on a 55 gallon. You get the convenience of a bio-wheel and since it is the newer model, you even get an extra media slot, so adding an extra sponge is easy and just helps the filtration a bit. Also, by using this method of replacement cartridges you elimate the activated carbon and have a reuseable filter cartridge, saving you loads of money over the long haul.

Now, as for people saying buy the biggest tank you can afford the logic is quite simple, really. In smaller tanks, water quality issues are deadlier and harder to deal with. The same ammonia spike getting you .5 ppm in a ten gallon tank is barely registered in a 55 gallon tank, for instance. The bigger the tank, the more stable the water, as well as temperature and other things that affect fish. not to mention, many people make some pretty big mistakes starting out, like overfeeding, buying too many fish etc. In a 55 gallon, your problem isn't nearly as compounded as it might be in a ten gallon. Bigger tanks truly are easier for beginners.
 
Last edited:
if you go with something like a EHeim 2026 versus say an Emperor HOB, does the EHeim canister need an additional BioWheel? I have heard that canisters aren't that great from Biological filtration because they are closed systems not open to the air and air is what the bacteria needs to really live and multiply?

The other thing that worries me about a canister is what if the hoses or hose connections start leaking? I could really damage my entire upstairs if this happened as my flooring and everything would be ruined... not to mention the downstairs ceiling would be totally soaked and ruined as well... I am just afraid of these hoses running in and out of the tank..
 
No, the Eheim will not ened an additional biowheel. The bacteria need oxygen, it is true, but they do not necessarily have to be explosed to open air. The oxygen in the water will be enough to support the biomedia in a canister filter. As for hoses leaking, there is always that chance, just as there is a chance a power filter could mafunction in some way. You are more likely to cause water damage by screwing up during a water change than by filter failure, however.
 
squale said:
if you go with something like a EHeim 2026 versus say an Emperor HOB, does the EHeim canister need an additional BioWheel? I have heard that canisters aren't that great from Biological filtration because they are closed systems not open to the air and air is what the bacteria needs to really live and multiply?

The other thing that worries me about a canister is what if the hoses or hose connections start leaking? I could really damage my entire upstairs if this happened as my flooring and everything would be ruined... not to mention the downstairs ceiling would be totally soaked and ruined as well... I am just afraid of these hoses running in and out of the tank..
Click to expand...


Remeber a canisiter will hold far more Bio-media than a HOB and BIO-wheel will. Some people actually make a canister all BIO-media and use a smaller HOB for Mechanical filtration. Also for another point and this is my opinion and what I have read... but canister filters will last much longer than HOB filters.
 
as far as thr prices go, i think thats great for a 55g. at my lfs i was quoted $285 just for the tank and hood w/ lights.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom