MM - I am hoping for your answer :) What is the best filter available for a 55 gallon?

Question

Others feel free to reply too! What would you recommend as a filter for a 55 gallon tank with 16 Green Tiger Barbs and 2 Flying Foxes?

aquaria_care - please add to your answer - I am curious why you think this is a heavy load. Do you know something about these guys that I don't? (I admit to not knowing more than 5 months experience and what I read online told me which was nothing abnormal). The barbs are all 1 inch, and I have never had raised ammonia, nitrate or nitrites. That's even with them shredding my plants and me having to clean out the decomposing plants. I set this tank up in January - stocked over a month and have never had a death.

Answer 1

So much of that is personal preference really that it's impossible to say what is the best filter for you and your tank. A few things to consider:

Do several stores in your area carry this brand of filter, replacement parts and filter media for the filter?

What is the flow rate like and is it adjustable? Consider the fish you will be keeping. Do they need a high flow rate or do they need calm waters? For your tank a reasonable flow rate isn't a bad thing at all.

If you are looking at hang on the back filters, will the pick up tube in the tank reach near the bottom of the tank or will you have to pay extra for an extension.

Is the filter easy to clean? If not you won't clean it as often as you should.

Personally, I like Whisper power filters for most tanks because parts and filter media is available in all the stores in my area and the filters are a quite fair price here. Rena also makes good filters, but only one store in my area carries them and if that store closed I would have to order everything and wait on a replacement part to come in.

Aquaclears are good as are Magnum power and canister filters.

I'm sure I'm leaving a few brands out as well.

MM

Answer 2

Hi Katie: I'm no MM, of course, but the fish you are keeping are not high bioload creatures (like the fat cichlids, plecos and goldies). A filter rated for a 55 gallon is perfect and I do agree with MM that, again, for what you're stocking the tank with? I'd go with a hang on the back filter.
MM likes Whispers...I prefer the AquaClears. They both have strengths and drawbacks. The impellers like to die on the Whispers....AquaClears tend to need "rebooting" if off for even a short period of time (power outage, cleaning, etc)
Another idea for great coverage in a 48" tank like that is to use 2 filters meant for 30 gallons a piece on either side of your tank. Tends to draw up a larger area of debris and detritus.

Answer 3

That's a pretty heavy load on a 55 gallon. Right to the limit...
I'd look at a good canister filter such as Rena XP2. I'd also consider a good Hagen AquaClear 70 power filter, which I like for the optional skimmer feature.
I just installed my first Rena Smart 55 which is very much like a canister filter, but technically a power filter (under pressure) and I suspect to see good results from it as well.
I have a bias towards Rena and API products because I use them in my business.

Answer 4

AquaClears are a pretty good filter. For a 55 gallon tank, you probably want to get the 300/70 model. Here's the link from Petsmart-http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441817505&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030112&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1179884920963&itemNo=2&Ntt=hagen+filter&In=All&previousText=hagen+filter&N=2
Canister filters also work pretty well, such as this one-http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441808255&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030549&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1179885007804&itemNo=1&Ntt=canister+filter&In=All&previousText=canister+filter&N=2

~ZTM

Answer 5

fluval. but i have 2 whisper 60 filter for my 40 gallon tank...it is great.

Answer 6

Get Eheim, Magnum or Fluval.

They are very good filters, and are very quiet.


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Answer 7

overhead filter is always the best for it really cleanse the tank

Answer 8

I personally liek aquaclears. If I was you I would get at least the ac70

Answer 9

biowheels are good they add biological filtration