Beginner Filters.

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
http://hiq-usa.com/HiQ_Complete_Cycle_Review.asp

Thats a review of the filter. Here's a snip from the reults.

...and in the fifth week nitrates peaked at 120 ppm; many hobbyists would find this reading for nitrates alarming, but the fish never showed the slightest distress, and the tank was always crystal clear with the plants thriving. The tank has been set up for a little more than three months, and the fish and plants are doing fine. After the first week or so there has never been any measurable ammonia or nitrite, and the nitrates have settled down in the 50 to 60 ppm range.
Click to expand...

Those numbers are really high. I wouldnt want my fish in such high nitrate water.
 
The good beginner ones are aquaclear and penguins/emperrors (they are both made by marineland).

Don't go with whispers or tetras. Both are crap.

Do not start with an ungerdgravel. Personally, never used one. And I do not want to use one ever.

Whatever filter you do get. The one rule to keeping fish healthy is overfiltration. If you have a 10 gallon tank go with a filter meant for 30 gallons. If you have a 20 gallon tank go with a filter meant for 55 gallons. If you have a 55 gallon tank, go with a filter that's rated for 80 gallons. And so on. This is the most important thing to keep in mind when getting a new filter.
 
Aquaclears and Marineland are popular for HOB filtration. People can debate which is better to their blue in the face, but they both have good offerings that offer fair chemical, mechanical, and biological filtration.

I will say this, Aquaclears do allow for more custom media. Marineland is as accomadating, you just have to be a little more creative (Marineland filtration can be pricey, but Imagine makes compatible ones that are better and much, much cheaper).

The best bet: Go bigger than you think and double it! I run two HOBs on my Cichlid tank and do weekly 20% water changes. In the future, I would like to get a canister for biological/mechanical and use the HOBs for chemical/mechanical.

I don't care what kind of tank you have or how superb your filtration is, unless you make good habit with water changes all the filtration in the world won't matter.
 
I think for ease of maintenance and set up on a tank that size you would be better off going with a big or 2 mid size canisters. Wet/Dry's are efficient, no doubt, but can be a pain to set up for new comers.

Eheims are expensive, but for a reason. They are the best: great reliability, awesomely efficient, and low power draw. As much as I hate to say it, you could also get an FX5 (then again, how many threads do you see popping up with eheims failing... none. Can't say the same for FX5's).

I like the Rena Filstar brand myself, have had an XP 1, XP 2, and an XP3 set up for quite some time now and never had a problem with any of them. Haven't heard such great reviews about the XP4 though.

Just think of it this way, it you buy small now and have to upgrade later you will be paying for both sets of filters. If you buy the biggest filter you want now, you won't have to upgrade again.

worth .02 cents at most
 
As said, go with bigger than you need, I keep at least 2 filters that can handle the stock on every tank. Just in case. I perfer canisters, but there is a HOB or 2 on every tank. Spend your money wisely the first time. and second and......
 
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