good filter/s for 55 gallon

[katiebug]

upgrading from a 20 gallon. only have a goldfish at the moment, no plans for live plants or anything. I'm pretty lazy with water changes. what's a good brand?

 

[Beengirl]

I have a 54 Gal and I run a Fluval 406, rated for 100Gal. I also have an AquaC Remora S skimmer. My water is very clear. That's on my SW tank. I started recently with this 54 Gal and was told to double the size of tank to figure out the capacity of the filter you need. Mines not quite double my 54Gal, but the skimmer is running 24/7 too. I also have about 60# LR. With freshwater you won't need the skimmer, Though.

 

[BillD]

If you are lazy with water changes, no filter will make up for that. However, if you are looking for a filter that is easy to maintain, and economical to run, an AC70 or AC110 would work on that tank, is easy to clean regularly and does not require the purchase of replacement elements on a regular basis. The foam inserts last for many years with periodic cleanings, and the bio rings will last virtually forever.

 

[hpiguy]

I use two Penguin 200 models on mine. $23 for each filter on sale. They are the ones with the Biowheels in front and they hang on the tank. Replacement cartridge filters are about $19 for 24 of them online.

As BillD said, nothing is going to fix not doing partial water changes on a regular basis. The only thing you'd want to do if you are lazy about that is keep a very low stocking level in the tank.

 

[katiebug]

thanks for all the info guys! I'm only planning on housing my one goldfish. I might add another fish over time. he has never had a problem with cloudy water or algae so I've never been adamant on the changes. I had a professor that used to breed goldfish for a living and he said the greener the better lol.
anyways, thanks again for the recommendations!

 

[KatyKat]

im a fan of the penguin also!

 

[revchristinejday]

Dear Katybug,

Goldfish thrive best with about 1gallon/hour. They also like the action of HOB filters. In my 125 gallon I achieve this with 2 Aquaclear 110, 1 Aquaclear 70 and a Cascade 1000.
Chris

 

[revchristinejday]

Dear Katybug,
That's 10 times # of gallons per hour filtration for goldfish
Chris