Looking to go from HOB to cannister. Can anyone recommend me an affordable one for an overstocked 55 gallon with large messy fish?
Best cannister filter for 55?
- Thread starter Tahn
- Start date
Turn your 55 into a sump for a 125 and don't be overstocked 
. Sun sun 304b.
. Sun sun 304b.
I agree with Chockful O Phail.
I don't believe a pressurized can, is any better than a HOB.
In fact in some ways I believe they are worse, because they sometimes give the illusion because water may be clear, its better, but to me true water quality has nothing to do with clear. Its about the invisible components, like nitrate. And if a filter is not user friendly to clean (like all canisters I've tried), it will not be done, hence my aversion.
I don't believe a pressurized can, is any better than a HOB.
In fact in some ways I believe they are worse, because they sometimes give the illusion because water may be clear, its better, but to me true water quality has nothing to do with clear. Its about the invisible components, like nitrate. And if a filter is not user friendly to clean (like all canisters I've tried), it will not be done, hence my aversion.
You service HOB regularly, so its only natural that canisters need maintenance as well. People often adopt this "out of sight, out of mind" mentality that comes back to bite them.
To answer OP, I'm a firm believer that Eheim produces the best canisters on the market, period. Their classic lineup (2215, 2217, 2252, 2262...) are work horses. They last forever, run quiet, move a lot of water, and pack a ton of media in a relatively small package. The Fluval FX series are decent, but have a laundry list of short comings that I don't like.
To answer OP, I'm a firm believer that Eheim produces the best canisters on the market, period. Their classic lineup (2215, 2217, 2252, 2262...) are work horses. They last forever, run quiet, move a lot of water, and pack a ton of media in a relatively small package. The Fluval FX series are decent, but have a laundry list of short comings that I don't like.
For affordable, SunSun 304B is probably your best option.
This is the main problem with canisters, they aren't easy to tell if dirty, and maintenance is a pain. When maintenance is a pain, especially in a hobby that we do for fun or relaxation, it tends to bring out the lazy human and we either push it off to too late or just stop the hobby. Same with doing water changes with buckets, at some point it gets old carrying enough buckets to keep clean water, so it's either python or some other way to easily drain and fill like
duanes
old setup or an autodrip. IMO if you can't filter a tank with a good HOB like the AC series and sponges you should look into a sump. I haven't used HMFs yet so I can't speak to them but I want to try it.
duanes
old setup or an autodrip. IMO if you can't filter a tank with a good HOB like the AC series and sponges you should look into a sump. I haven't used HMFs yet so I can't speak to them but I want to try it.
There are probably a lot more options out there for a 55gal than a 90gal or larger. 125 & up I would use at least 2. My 90gal (with an FX6) even has an additional intank aerator/filter, and I'm thinking of adding another one - saw a clear 6"x3" cylindrical air powered one on Amazon today. No such thing as too much filtration, imho.
I like the Rena/api filstars. They're priced good, easy to clean and I've had on running around 15 years without replacing any parts.
Im a big fan of fluval just due to the hose shut offs, so you dont have to empty your hoses into a bucket lile some of the cheaper canisters