Which cannister filter to get???????????????

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Which cannister filter would be best for a 55 gal tank that will have heavy fish load??

I am shopping at PetSmart, choices are,,

EHEIM Wet/dry 180 bucks
" " classic 70 bucks
" " ecco
RENA XP1, XP2, XP3
Marineland Mag 350 with BIO- Wheel

Any and suggestions please.
 
Rena Filstar XP3....

Best cannister I've ever worked with, simple design, maintenance is a breeze. And a good amount of room for your media.
 
STOP! Do not pay retail. Order your canister filter from a reputable online fish store like Bigalsonline or petsolutions. Even if they charge shipping, you are likely to come out way ahead. Petsmart has an online store too, that is ofter cheaper than the in store prices.

Eheims have a great reputation. The higher cost often causes people to choose a Rena, Cascade or Fluval. I am satisfied with my Fluval's. I use two on my 55 gal.
 
If you print out the Petsmart page with the filter you want to purchase on it, your local Petsmart should honor the online price. Thats how I've bought a couple of my Rena filters.
 
I'm going to order an XP3 for my 55g this week. Seems like a great filter for the money. I agree...order online. BigAl'sOnline.com and ThatPetPlace.com have much better prices. Or print out the PetSmart online ad. Save yourself some money. Chain stores are way over priced (in the store).
 
Today when I got my tank and XP3 there was an 80 dollar in price, 104.00 on the web site and 180+ in the store and the manager did say he would even rebate my $$ if I bought today and brought a print copy of the web site page. Found 2 other items cheaper on there web site than on the shelf that I got today so I printed those also.
 
I am putting in a vote here for Eheim - Classic only the higher models are not much better and cost alot more. The Eheim filters are very simple and very very effective. The Substrat that comes with them is amazing. I moved my tank about two years ago (Am doing so again very soon), But had some unexpected delays (Family related - Not tank related) I ended up having to set the tank up cold, brand new water, freshly cleaned filter, fully stocked with fish.

I was paranoid about having a full bioload during the cycle and had called the lfs to see if he could house my fish for a few weeks, he told me he'd be happy to but because I had an Eheim I wouldn't have to worry but to keep my eye on nitrite/ammonia just to be sure. At no time (or anytime since) was ammonia / nitrite detectable.

It's the subsrat that makes it so great (among other things) It has a surface area of 450sqm/litre. I tried to find this out for the rena filters for comparison but wasn't able to.

Go the Eheim. IMHO. That being said I have no experience with the Rena canisters at all.
 
Is there a reason that no one recommends the Magnum 350? I had that in my last tank and loved the thing. The water polisher was fantastic. It always kept my tank crystal clear. Have there been bad reports on that filter that I've not heard about?

Or are the other ones just better?
 
JRagg said:
Is there a reason that no one recommends the Magnum 350? I had that in my last tank and loved the thing. The water polisher was fantastic. It always kept my tank crystal clear. Have there been bad reports on that filter that I've not heard about?

Or are the other ones just better?

If you have live plants and want to inject CO2 then the bio-wheel isn't good. What is the point of getting a canister if it has an HOB attachment anyway?
 
I have an XP3, but it's on a 90 gallon. There might be quite a bit of current with the XP3. Maybe the XP2 might be a better fit for a 55G. I get a nice left to right current with the XP3, and with a 55G he might just get a whirlpool :) Hmmm, I suppose you could put the wand above the waterline, which would prevent too much current and really give some nice surface agitation for maxiumum oxigenation.

Heck, I'm even thinking of splurging for an XP1 for my 30G. I moved it to the bedroom and would appreciate less noise than what I get from the HOB.
 
penpitt said:
If you print out the Petsmart page with the filter you want to purchase on it, your local Petsmart should honor the online price. Thats how I've bought a couple of my Rena filters.

I've tried that, mine wont honor the website price.
 
Jaybird said:
I have an XP3, but it's on a 90 gallon. There might be quite a bit of current with the XP3. Maybe the XP2 might be a better fit for a 55G. I get a nice left to right current with the XP3, and with a 55G he might just get a whirlpool :) Hmmm, I suppose you could put the wand above the waterline, which would prevent too much current and really give some nice surface agitation for maxiumum oxigenation.

Heck, I'm even thinking of splurging for an XP1 for my 30G. I moved it to the bedroom and would appreciate less noise than what I get from the HOB.

I had my XP3 on my 55G before moving it to my new 75G. With the spraybar, it was perfect. And I didn't even reduce the flow.
 
Alshain said:
If you have live plants and want to inject CO2 then the bio-wheel isn't good. What is the point of getting a canister if it has an HOB attachment anyway?

The Magnum 350 isn't a HOB filter. It hides under the tank and doesn't have a biowheel either. Just a long suction line and a directable discharge. It is also clear so you can see how nasty the filter is without opening it up.

There is a Magnum HOB with a biowheel, and I completely agree that that would negate the point of the canister.

**EDIT**
Here is a link to the 350. There is an option for the biowheel, but that's only in the "premium" package, which is a waste of money imo.
http://www.marineland.com/products/consumer/con_magnum.asp

I guess maybe it just moves too much water for a planted. 350gpm would require a 72 gallon for the 5x rule.
 
JRagg said:
Is there a reason that no one recommends the Magnum 350? I had that in my last tank and loved the thing. The water polisher was fantastic. It always kept my tank crystal clear. Have there been bad reports on that filter that I've not heard about?

Or are the other ones just better?

I have the magnum 250 pro with bio-wheel. I have been completely satisifed. This is the HOB canister. I like haveing a HOB because for me (who can't get behind his tank) its easier to access from over the top for maintance.

I do have a planted tank with the bio-wheel. Im guessing that it is possible that i outgas some CO2, but I like knowing I have a constant bacteria source. This allows me to completely clean my filter with out worrying about a mini-cycle

To answer your question, I don't think marineland is the one of choice on this board, but I have been satisified and Ill buy another one.
 
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