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best type of filter for 55 gallon tank

45K views 34 replies 16 participants last post by  mamatoulouse 
#1 ·
Hello all. I am new to the forum and have a question. I have a 55 gallon tank that i purchased in 2009 from petsmart and have been running a top fin 60 filter system. I was wondering if there was a better and quieter filtration system i could use.
 
#3 ·
Welcome to the forum!

There are better filtration systems, sure. I would either get a second filter like you have, or replace it with either an AC110 or a canister.
 
#4 ·
I personally think that Aquaclears are the best HOB filter on the market. I would go with an Aquaclear 110 on a 55 gallon tank. If you would are looking for a canister filter and don't want to shell out a ton of cash I would go with Cascade 700 or 1000. I have a cascade 1000 on my turtle tank and it does a great job. I think I paid $100 for it, which is very reasonable for a 265gph canister.
 
#6 ·
hi I have a rena xp2 and i can barely here it while i watch my fish... I'd recommend the xp3 for a 55 gallon. they are on the more spendy wise but the quality is good... I heard that rena moved there factories to mexico from germany and their quality dropped, mine is from mexico and it is still great but ,y aints is from gergmany and is silent, I cant hear it from a foot a way
 
#7 ·
also, Ehiem I hear is good
 
#11 ·
I'd recommend a cascade canister. I'm running the 1000 on my 100 gallon and it's crystal clear. Check amazon.com. I got mine for $85 including shipping
 
#12 ·
I am a complete idiot. I can book learn with the best, but I can't "do" anything right the first time. I went with a Eheim 2215. Except for getting a mouthful of water on the siphon to prime the pump, the filter had been great. Even with instructions which I considered a littel bizarre, I got it together in moments and the filter has operated perfectly.
 
#13 ·
I will look into those canisters. Cost isn't a huge issue as long as it works well. I'm just tired of the noise and constant battle with my tank. I have seen canisters that have a uv light on them. Is that a good thing? I know that uv light kills germs ad what not, just not sure of the impact on the tank
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#15 ·
I will look into those canisters. Cost isn't a huge issue as long as it works well. I'm just tired of the noise and constant battle with my tank. I have seen canisters that have a uv light on them. Is that a good thing? I know that uv light kills germs ad what not, just not sure of the impact on the tank
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UV works best with a longer exposure time. i have a 530 gph canister with a built in UV. To be effective, the flow rate would need to be closer to 100 gph. IMO the UV built in to a canister is a waste.

I have had terrific success with neutralizing algae with UV. I've run UV on tanks for pathogen control and not noticed any difference as far as incidents of sickness or whatnot when compared to the tanks without UV. It's more anecdotal evidence than scientific, as there were LOTS of differences between tanks.
 
#14 ·
If you ever want to use plants, then a canister is the way to go... They can be built if you're a Do-it-yourself-er....

You won't save much money, but it's kinda fun. :)

Eheim is the best from my limited knowledge- if price isn't a factor, I'd go with Eheim.
 
#19 ·
I hope this is relevant to the thread. Im also trying to figure out filteration as well. I don't see as many trickle filters as canister filters, is one better than the other for larger tanks? Or is it just another way to "skin a cat"? Is one better than the other for planted tanks?
 
#20 ·
The filter is so quite. The air pump I have makes more noise then the filter. The only problem is that the water is a bit couldy and hasn't gotten any better. It's been running for about 5 days. It's a fluval 405. Any ideas why it's staying cloudy?
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#21 ·
Cloudy water can be caused by any number of things. Did you wash the media before putting it in the filter?
 
#23 ·
Cloudy water could also be a bacterial bloom, which would indicate a problem with the cycle.
 
#25 ·
I'm glad it's getting better, though that's never happened to me from switching filters. Is the old filter still running on the tank?
 
#28 ·
If you didn't transfer the filter media from the old filter to the new one, then you've lost your cycle and what you are experiencing is a bacterial bloom. Unfortunately, it's looking like you have to go through the cycle process all over again.
 
#27 ·
Does it look like particles in the water causing the cloudiness or is it tiny water bubbles rising to the surface which means you have great flow!?
I have used both the Fluval and the Eheim. The Eheim primes and starts easier as the output comes out the bottom so you can create the syphon effect to remove any trapped air by laying the output hose down and then locking it shut till you connect it to the pipes hanging on the tank. ( I fill mine in the bathtub so there is room to lay the hose down. Then I finish filling the canister and put the top on. Forcing the water up the input tube in this process and then lock that tube shut also.) My Fluval had the in and out on the top... have they changed that set up?? ... which meant priming, or starting the flow was hard and meant sucking on the end of the tube to start it. yuck. If they are both on the top, then after putting on the lid and locking it shut, trickle water down both tubes to fill them. Air in the canister or tubes will prevent the syphon/priming process. You are basically setting up a rotation using a motor to syphon water out, thru and back in. Makes sense?
Both canisters clean the water fabs!! JMO. The shut off valves in the in/out tubes allow you to leave those in place on the tank and take only the filter to the sink/tub. Worth every penny!!! Hope this helps those struggling with cannister priming.
 
#30 ·
cool
 
#32 ·
I have Rena filstars on all my tanks. (This makes swapping around filters, if needed, easy as many of the parts are interchangeable. I just went through a bout of leaking with the XP2, but that is fixed now.
Like Christople said, I can barely hear them running. I do not know if there is such a thing as over filtration but, the more baskets (the number of the filstar correlates to the number of individual media baskets) the more flexibility you have to modify the filter media to suit your individual needs.
 
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