Best Canister Filter ?

[joshv155]

I currently have a 75 gallon tank that is occupied by a BGK, Red Tailed shark, Gold Severum, 2 rope fish (1 that seems like he has been ready to kick the bucket ever since I got him at the LFS 3 weeks ago but hasn't) and a Blue Crayfish.

I have a aquatop 400 that I have been running for the past 3 months. I clean it once ever 4 weeks. The problem is that it does not pick up much fish waste. There is fish waste all over ...and it sticks out cause I have white sand as my substrate. So I am looking for advice on a filter that has better suction or more power at cleaning the waste off the bottom of the tank.

I have a decoration that sits kind of in front of the input area of the filter...I don't think this is causing the problem though as there are at least 2-3 inches of room around the input.

I was looking at reviews for the Rena XP4 on Amazon and seems like folks with turtles (who from what I gather are messy) like these filters...anyone have experience with these or other filters that may assist me ?

 

[darkmatter_3500]

It will help but not with the waste in the bottom of your tank unless you can circulate your water a little more, I would rather the filters not pick that up because it makes your filters dirtier and clog faster , its better just to do a quick vacum or net it out. I really like my XP4 it is a great bio filter with all the space for media and keeps the water really clean. The flow does not seem as strong as advertised but none of the filters really are.

 

[darkmatter_3500]

Fx5 would be a better filter for sucking that up but it still will not get all of it.

 

[joshv155]

Okay thanks. I have been netting it..its just time consuming. I was thinking it was the filter....

I have 1 powerhead in the the back corner that I point toward the opposite corner...is it best to get another in the other back corner so that the 2 powerhead flows meet in the center of the tank ? A guy at work was telling me that....and with powerheads is it best to have them at the top of the tank, middle or bottom ?

 

[darkmatter_3500]

Im not sure , I never used a powerhead but thinking of getting one.

 

[joshv155]

The more I think about it I am thinking I should get a power head closer to the middle of the tank to maybe agitate the waste off the sand and get it moving so it can get sucked up by the filter. Just reading over the FX5 specks...looks awesome...crazy expensive...

 

[Readingexcalibur]

Have two xP3's on my 75 gallon. Two were still cheaper than the fluval, and IMO, allot more effective. Just saying...