Best Canister Filter for 55 gal?

I have a 55 gallon tank with 4 very messy axolotls. As of right now I have a Bio-wheel 350, but I was looking to upgrade to canister filter. Not only for more filtration (high nitrates are always a battle even with my siphoning out droppings throughout the week), but to have my chiller attached directly to the pump. I would like to lessen the amount tubes and the extra pump that is in my tank.

I have been doing some research on filters and I was curious of the opinions from the people here on the forum.

So far these seem to be the top rated filters I have found:
Rena Filstar XP
Eheim 2213 or 2215
Marineland C-360
Hydor Professional 250 or 350
Penn Plax Cascade 1000

Anyone have any experience with them or suggestions you could give?

I personally have the marineland on my tank and it is also connected to a chiller and have not had any problems. Come to think about it I have a marineland on my 125 gallon too and have had it for at least 5 to 7 years and haven't had a problem with that one either. You will probably have to muffle the flow a little bit because it does come out a bit strong but outside of that no issues with it.

I've spent weeks trying to make the same decision and finally ordered the Fluval 306 yesterday. It is cheap to run and buy, good actual flow rate, and easy cleaning. My only worry is the customer service is a bit sketchy and this line of filters has mixed reports on reliability.

Fluval 306
Flow Rate: 780LPH
Filter Vol: 6.6L
Power: 15W
Cost: £75
Cost per year: £21.02

I also considered:

Dual Eheim 2213s
Flow Rate: 800LPH
Filter Vol: 6L
Power: 16W
Cost: £150
Cost per year: £22.43
Notes: Very reliable and low power consumption but expensive and not the easiest to clean.

Tetratec ex1200
Flow Rate: 850LPH
Filter Vol: 12L
Power: 21W
Cost: £100
Cost per year: £29.43
Notes: Good flow rate and volume, plus easy to clean but not the cheapest to run and very unreliable even if the customer service is excellent.

Other filters I ruled out:

Eheim Ecco Pro 300
Flow Rate: 600LPH
Filter Vol: 3L
Power: 8W
Cost: £110
Cost per year: £11.21
Notes: Very cheap to run but weak filter for the price and not as reliable as other eheims.

Hydor Prime 20
Flow Rate: 650LPH
Filter Vol: 3L
Power: 18W
Cost: £50
Cost per year: £25.23
Notes: Very cheap filter but a bit power hungry and only just capable of running a tank this size.

Hydor Pro 250
Flow Rate: 700LPH
Filter Vol: 5L
Power: 15W
Cost: £75
Cost per year: £21.02
Notes: Another cost-effective filter from hydor. I think it would have been fine but I was worried about the odd shaped O-ring that would be harder to find replacements and probably wear out faster than others. The baskets are also quite small.

Specifications shown
Flow Rate: The actual flow rate with media and pipework.
Filter Vol: Volume of canister that is available for filtration.
Power: Power consumption in Watts.
Cost: Average cost to purchase new in GBP.
Cost per year: Calculated based on 24/7 run time at an average electricity cost.

Thank you Scorpio for your input. How often do you clean and replace the pads/carbon?

Wow NadeZ, thank you for all the information and your side notes. I was worried about the reliability of the Fluval also. I heard of several people coming home to soaked floors. Do you by chance have any experience with any of the other options, or was the Fluvel the only filter that you have?

I've only had the fluval 406 but it is very easy to setup, clean, and works very well. I hooked it up to a coralife 1/10 hp chiller to keep temperature at a constant low. I would recommend the fluval - I ordered through amazon prime so that I can return it at ease through amazon instead of directly through fluval.

Geckogal said:

Thank you Scorpio for your input. How often do you clean and replace the pads/carbon?

Wow NadeZ, thank you for all the information and your side notes. I was worried about the reliability of the Fluval also. I heard of several people coming home to soaked floors. Do you by chance have any experience with any of the other options, or was the Fluvel the only filter that you have?

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Glad to share the stuff I've read!
I only have personal experience with the Hydor Prime line. I like them because the stated flow rate is the EXACT flow rate that you get, often the flow rate will be higher.Their customer service is also fantastic. But I haven't had it for long enough to validate its reliability.
From the research I did (and I spent far, far too long on it), Fluval filters have no more issues than any other brand. Possibly slightly behind Eheim. There are reports of leaks during power outages, but also Fluvals that have been operational for decades without incident. These problems are in the minority and I'm inclined to believe that with the right maintenance any of these filters will last forever. The customer service is a mixed bag, some people get sent free parts, others are refused. Luckily, all the parts are available online, and you're unlikely to encounter an issue that you can't fix yourself, albeit at a cost.
If you go with a Tetratec, you'll get all your parts sent for free, but will most likely be replacing parts every few months and it just isn't worth the hassle and risk to your aquarium.
If you go with an Eheim Classic, you'll have to replace the parts yourself, and just like the Fluvals, proper replacement of parts will help them last forever. Eheim parts may be slightly longer-lived due to the simplicity of the design.
If you go with an Eheim Ecco Pro, you'll again have to replace the parts yourself and the design is as complicated as many modern filters, making it less reliable than the Eheim line. That priming handle is gonna break at some point.
Not much information on the Hydors.

Thank you Scorpio for your input. How often do you clean and replace the pads/carbon?

It is recommended to replace the carbon every month and I think the pads are on the same timeline, but I normally go about 3 months.

I have had Eheim classics for years and they work well.

One thing I read somewhere is that their flow rating includes taking the media into account, where a lot of them just rate the flow of the pump at free flow.

They aren't the easiest to clean, but never had a drama of any type whatsoever with them. never leaked, stopped, nothing.

I've got a chinese cheapy on my 55 gal and its flow rate is nothing at all like what is claimed...they just write anything on them it seems.

axowattyl said:

I have had Eheim classics for years and they work well.

One thing I read somewhere is that their flow rating includes taking the media into account, where a lot of them just rate the flow of the pump at free flow.

They aren't the easiest to clean, but never had a drama of any type whatsoever with them. never leaked, stopped, nothing.

I've got a chinese cheapy on my 55 gal and its flow rate is nothing at all like what is claimed...they just write anything on them it seems.

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Would you be able to record the flow rate before and after you clean the media, next time you open them up? I've scoured the internet for this information for all filters but have not found it for all the classics. I'm going to compile a buying guide for filters that includes the flow rates with clean and dirty media.
I agree, the chinese models have ludicrous flow rate claims, and are generally around 1/3 what they advertise. Eheim, Fluval, and Hydor all state the flow rate with media and pipework,
Not to mention the power consumption of the chinese models which quickly makes them the more expensive option if you're paying the bills.

NadeZ said:

Would you be able to record the flow rate before and after you clean the media, next time you open them up? I've scoured the internet for this information for all filters but have not found it for all the classics. I'm going to compile a buying guide for filters that includes the flow rates with clean and dirty media.
I agree, the chinese models have ludicrous flow rate claims, and are generally around 1/3 what they advertise. Eheim, Fluval, and Hydor all state the flow rate with media and pipework,
Not to mention the power consumption of the chinese models which quickly makes them the more expensive option if you're paying the bills.

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I've got no way of doing that.

I can only suggest you google eheim classic and look at the hundreds of posts citing reliable long term operation.

If you shop around they're just not that much dearer than the cheap stuff, when you consider the difference in quality is night and day.

Just a little update on the Fluval 306 and it has become a nightmare within a week. One word. LOUD! The filter itself is excellent with more than enough flow and the baskets allow plenty of space for media.
When I first set up the filter, I was surprised by how loud the motor was, you can hear it humming away the moment you walk into the room. Within a few days, the hum was drowned out by a high pitched whine that did not want to go away. Today, I opened the thing up to add some more media (only a small amount of ceramic media is included). When I started it up again, there was a loud rattling sound. I cannot get any more air out of the tank but still it sounds like someone has thrown a bag of pennies into a blender!
I've checked all the internals and everything seems fine, and have contacted Fluval to see if they can send a replacement part. I'm hoping that it will clear up by the morning. If not, I will start looking for some cheap Eheims.

I've had an eheim classic as well and loved it for my 120g but while I was away nobody maintained it and it burnt out completely. To be honest no matter what filter you use your nitrates would still be the same. The few ways to remove nitrates from a tank is water changes, plants (the faster growing the better), or setting up a nitrate reactor. The nitrate reactor is basically a home for another type of bacteria that breaks down nitrate, but buying a reactor is pricey and often unnecessary with proper water changes. Most people who have one, have very large tanks where water changes would be more extreme than a 55g. Plants use them to grow but since axolotls like it cold don't expect plants to be growing fast enough to remove all the nitrates produced. Canister filters are great at mechanical filtration and removing suspended particles. All the different media options allows you to keep the water looking crystal clear and can provide a good home for the bacteria you need but requires cleaning to remove the waste it collects which as you know can be a pain. The water will still contain nitrates though. On top of that axolotls produce heavy turds that stay on the bottom until cleaned. They have great gravel vacuums that allows you to attach directly to a sink to make water changes very easy. I used to do that at home with my 120g. Basically it sucks out the waste and however much water you want, then you turn on the sink (make sure its the same temperature!) to add water. You can add your water treatment directly to the tank without fear of it killing your cycle. Just add a little bit more then the estimated gallons being replaced.

Boomsloth said:

I've had an eheim classic as well and loved it for my 120g but while I was away nobody maintained it and it burnt out completely. To be honest no matter what filter you use your nitrates would still be the same. The few ways to remove nitrates from a tank is water changes, plants (the faster growing the better), or setting up a nitrate reactor. The nitrate reactor is basically a home for another type of bacteria that breaks down nitrate, but buying a reactor is pricey and often unnecessary with proper water changes. Most people who have one, have very large tanks where water changes would be more extreme than a 55g. Plants use them to grow but since axolotls like it cold don't expect plants to be growing fast enough to remove all the nitrates produced. Canister filters are great at mechanical filtration and removing suspended particles. All the different media options allows you to keep the water looking crystal clear and can provide a good home for the bacteria you need but requires cleaning to remove the waste it collects which as you know can be a pain. The water will still contain nitrates though. On top of that axolotls produce heavy turds that stay on the bottom until cleaned. They have great gravel vacuums that allows you to attach directly to a sink to make water changes very easy. I used to do that at home with my 120g. Basically it sucks out the waste and however much water you want, then you turn on the sink (make sure its the same temperature!) to add water. You can add your water treatment directly to the tank without fear of it killing your cycle. Just add a little bit more then the estimated gallons being replaced.

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I'm thinking of turning my Hydor Prime 10 into a 'nitrate reactor'. All you need to do is get some appropriate media (Seachem Denitrate) and create an anaerobic environment, such as by using a very low flow rate filter (Hydor Prime 10). I'm still using it to filter my 3ft tank, but if I do convert it into a reactor then I'll post the results as I'm sure people would be interested in permanently reducing nitrates to 0 for £40 (Hydor Prime 10 + Seachem DeNitrate).

I already have an adapter that connects a hose to a bathroom tap so I used some more hose adapters to make a venturi that will initiate the syphon from my tank to the sink. Now all my water changes are automatic and I just sit back and watch the tank drain, before removing the venture to fill it up again. Whole think cost me about £5. I can post the details on how to make it if people are interested.

I'm curious, how do people manage to filter the bigger tanks, while keeping the water movement low enough for axolotls? My tank is filled to 185L so I need a 740LPH circulation rate to filter the water. But with the Fluval 306 (which had a circulation rate of 780LPH), I had to turn it down to half the output (even with a spray bar) to stop the axolotls gills from blustering about, and they haven't emerged from their hides much since moving in.


I also chose to order a Hydor Prime 30 as it was going cheap as hell on amazon. I never realised how important the self-priming feature of the Hydor Prime range is, until I used a filter without it.
I'll see how the Hydor Prime 30 is on the noise front, since it's a pretty heft 25W motor. The only other canister I was considering was the Hydor Professional 250, it's the same media volume as the Hydor Prime 30 but with baskets, zero bypass, and a more efficient (and possibly quieter) motor.
I don't know why Hydor are not as popular as they should be; they're one of the only companies to give you a completely honest figure for the flow rate, filters are very reasonably priced, quiet and well engineered, and their customer service is fantastic. You get an actual person responding to your questions and not just a drone reading off the FAQ list.
Based on my experience, I'd recommend that anyone in the market for a external filter go for the Hydor Prime range. Right now the Prime 10, and 30 are £32 and £44 on amazon. Way cheaper than any comparable filter and the self-priming means you'll never have to suffer a rattling impeller.

My two final choices were the Rena Filstar and the Marineland C-360.
In the end I chose the Marineland due to how it was built and consumer reports.

I was going to choose the Rena Filstar, but apparently in the last few years they changed there manufacturing facility over to someplace in China and the build quality has gone down immensely. You can look at the consumer ratings, most were great until about a year ago. Now all you hear of is problems. In fact I have come to find that most of the companies that used to be made in Europe have switched over there facilities to China to make more money on cheaper products. Resulting in unreliable products that consumers no longer want to buy. The only issue people say about the one I choose was that the O ring sometimes leaks. But if you keep it well lubricated it should eliminate the problem.

My Marineland C-360 should be arriving in the next few days. So I will let you know how it goes.

I have never heard of a nitrate eliminator, besides plants or water changes. Interesting.

The tap where I live is pretty extreme, Ph is over 9, so I have an RO filter for my water.
I do partial water changes about twice a week, about 6 gallons. When I do a full tank cleaning, about every other week, I fill two buckets, which combined is about 10 gallons.

I have a wide mouthed gravel vacuum I use on my sand along with a large bucket. It works well enough, even though I do lose a tiny bit of sand each time. Though getting it started is always a bit tricky. In between it is the good old fashioned turkey baster. Truthfully, an axie keepers best friend.

I will definitely look into a nitrate reactor. I'm curious of what is actually in it.

Geckogal said:

I have never heard of a nitrate eliminator, besides plants or water changes. Interesting.

The tap where I live is pretty extreme, Ph is over 9, so I have an RO filter for my water.
I do partial water changes about twice a week, about 6 gallons. When I do a full tank cleaning, about every other week, I fill two buckets, which combined is about 10 gallons.

I have a wide mouthed gravel vacuum I use on my sand along with a large bucket. It works well enough, even though I do lose a tiny bit of sand each time. Though getting it started is always a bit tricky. In between it is the good old fashioned turkey baster. Truthfully, an axie keepers best friend.

I will definitely look into a nitrate reactor. I'm curious of what is actually in it.

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The biological nitrate reactors are another filter that contains a type of anaerobic bacteria that basically completes the nitrogen cycle. So the two types of aerobic bacteria we have break down ammonia into nitrate which either builds up or is taken up by plants. If there is an anaerobic area within the tank, this other type of bacteria will colonize and begin converting nitrate into nitrogen gas which then leaves the water. But most tanks are not anaerobic otherwise the aerobic bacteria necessary for the first part would not survive. Now sometimes tanks will form "dead spots" where poor water circulation allows a low oxygen spot to build, or the substrate is too thick which can allowing nitrogen gas and other stuff to build up. That other stuff can be hydrogen sulfide which forms when anaerobic bacteria start breaking down sulfur. This can be deadly if the substrate suddenly released a bunch at once. However once in contact with oxygen it becomes harmless. So that's why having an external nitrate reactor is safer than trying to create an anaerobic environment within the tank. It allows you to maintain a colony of anaerobic bacteria while still maintaining oxygen within the tank.