Best Filter For New 55 gal?

[Rocco Sieffridi]

Been a while since I had a tank. Always used a couple strong backfilters ( penguins ) and had pretty good success. Friend trying to talk me into a cannister filter which I've never used. Gonna put medium cichlids in w/o overcrowding. So what you say? A couple emperors or a cannister?

 

[Purrbox]

Both are great options. If you go with a HOB I'd suggest looking at AquaClear since they are fairly inexpense, good quality, and have lots of room for media.

 

[davidtcb1]

The Rena XP3 would also be a good choice. Perhaps an XP3 and a Penguin 200....your water should be sparkling.

 

[jrp1588]

I agree, if you go with a HOB filter, the Aquaclear models have never failed me. Cheap and effective, and it allows some flexibility with your media unlike a lot of filters. I replaced my aquaclears with canister filters a few months ago though. An xp3 on my 75gal mbuna tank and an xp2 on my 30g. I like them much better. Much quieter, a lot more room for media, and a better look overall.

 

[An t-iasg]

I like canisters so much over HOBs that I put a canister on a 10 gallon tank. I don't know which particular canister to recommend for a 55 gallon tank, but the other members gave you some good options.

 

[davidtcb1]

The HOBs I've had experience with keep the water a tad bit more clear than canisters, but canisters are easier to mess with long term and quieter.

 

[JoshsReef]

I reccomend looking at the Fluval FX5, it is one heck of a filter imo, about as powerful as you can get when it comes to cannister filters. It keeps my SW tank sparkling clean.

 

[Zagz]

The FX5 is an excellent filter I agree, but too much for a 55 gal. I have it on my 125 gal cichlid tank. With African cichlids either get a fluval or an XP3. On my 55 I have a fluval 404 and a HOB rated for 70 gals. Overfiltering with africans is a good thing IMO. The FX5 has too much turnover for a 55 gal IMO.

 

[Rocco Sieffridi]

Appreciate all the advice. I went with an emperor 400 and a top fin 250. So far, so good. The only other qustion I'll ask is about the emperor. The additional media cartriges they provide to house extra carbon seem useless. When I fill them and rinse off the carbon, I watch not just some, but a lot of carbon fall thru the cracks. I'm sure lose carbon floating everywhere cannot be good for the tank?

 

[davidtcb1]

I wouldn't worry too much about having the carbon in there at all as long as things are going well in the tank. I use those media cartridges to house mechanical media...I buy the bulk media and cut it to fit in there. Haven't bought a "Rite Size E" cartridge for my emperors in a LONG time. This really does a nice job and is MUCH less expensive. The water is crystal clear.

 

[Rocco Sieffridi]

I wouldn't worry too much about having the carbon in there at all as long as things are going well in the tank. I use those media cartridges to house mechanical media...I buy the bulk media and cut it to fit in there. Haven't bought a "Rite Size E" cartridge for my emperors in a LONG time. This really does a nice job and is MUCH less expensive. The water is crystal clear.

What brand and do you have a link to it?

 

[davidtcb1]

I'm at work and can't remember the brand and am having a hard time finding it on the internet. I get it at Petsmart of all places. There's several yards of it in a package. I run it in three XP3 canister filters and two emperors total and one pack lasts me months. It's about four or five dollars I believe. It's a generic brand, so that's probably why it's not on any of the websites, but they should have it at the store.

It's similar to this, but comes in long sheets that you can cut...not all "balled up" like this pic shows...

Aquarium Mechanical Filtration Media: Filter Floss Filer Media