no name canister filter on ebay... for a 55 gallon cichlid tank!

mamatoulouse

hello everyone i have a 55 gallon tank that is currently empty but i want to put African cichlids in it and i was told that since its gonna be a bit crowded i should over filter with like 800+gph so i was originally thinking 2 marineland emperor 400s but now i am thinking just one marineland emperor400 and a canister filter.. cause i hear that they tend to do the best job...

well i was just looking on ebay cause i love a good deal... and i found some no name canister filters 5 stages for like 85 bucks and a Max Flow Rate: 520 GP.... i am not really sure what the best combos would be..any suggestions?

Also i am wondering about leaks, i heard canister filter can leak,how to fix if possible... i am kind of afraid of coming home to water to a half empty tank... and crazy water damage..sigh..anxiety

please let me know if you have any experience with canister filters.. especially no name ones..lol!!

lipadj46

The sunsun/perfect canisters are good.

mamatoulouse

anyways i am just trying to figure out what will keep my tank clean and healthy and also be some what economical... i will look up sunsun for sure.. i just need some suggestions..

DKRST

Before you decide on a filter, look through various posts here. Folks feel strongly about their filters! A good canister that lasts 3x as long, even if it costs 2x as much, is still a better deal. Also price any media if it does not come with the filter - that can add up if you have to purchase media in addition to a canister.

Personally, I'm using an Eheim 2215 on my 55 gallon, and have been very pleased, but I don't want/need a lot of water flow. I purchased the Eheim 2215 because it had a good reputation for not having problems and replacement parts are easy to find. It was certainly not the cheapest (or most $$). It is very quiet.

mcb5522

Cant go wrong with a penn plax cascade 1000 canister filter. Is more then enough for your tank. Not too pricey, has three stages, comes with media, makes very little noise and has yet to leak. Now if you have money to spend, I recommend the eheim. People talk about how theyve had theres for 20 years on this forum.

jaysee

I have a few of the sunsuns - one of each size. They use more power than other filters though. But I really like them. I also have XPs and Fluvals. I really like the XP filters too, but they can get expensive.

I have an XP2 and a 265 gph sunsun on my 55. I prefer two smaller canisters versus one big one.

mamatoulouse

Food for thought! Oh and it does come with media... I have read only 4 reviews for the filter but I will keep my mind open to suggestions... And your right in the long run a filter that lasts for 10ish years will save me money..
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AbbeysDad

For what it's worth, I recently setup a 60g. I'm going to use two HOB power filters. One will be a dedicated bio-filter and the other a cartridge type filter. The bio-filter is an AquaClear 70 and has two sponge pads and bio-ceramic. The other, right now is a small Aqua-Tech 5-15. Using the cartridge filter, I can easily clean/replace the cartridge and the bio-filter will pretty much run w/o much routine maintenance. I think this is very cost effective compared to many canister filters and HOB has no potential leak issues like canisters.

jaysee

You will have to maintain the aquaclear as regularly as any other filter if you have the sponges in it.

And IME aquaclear filters will leak all over the floor if you don't maintain them regularly. The threat of a canister leaking should not prohibit anyone from getting one. Working with water, things are bound to get wet. Thats just part of the hobby. The threat of a canister leaking is on par with the threat of the tank leaking....

AbbeysDad

I have nylon covering the inlet tube holes so that no solids (waste/food) will get in - the sponges will be home to bacteria only.

There is no way my AquaClear can leak as the tank side outlet is significantly lower than the back/sides. The canister has connections and seals that can potentially fail far easier than silicone sealed glass. I wouldn't be 'afraid' of a canister for leakage, but many seem to be. My resistance is more cost and maintenance - each to his/her own.