# Filter advice - first 55 gallon tank



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

I've decided to get a 55 gallon aquarium, and I'm looking for some advice on filters. I used to have a small 10 gallon aquarium several years ago with gouramis, and I had a lot of success with it. However, I had to get rid of it when I moved, and I'm looking to step up to a Lake Malawi Mbuna tank this time.

I've been researching filters for a couple of weeks now on here, and I think I've narrowed my choices down to just a few options, based on the recommendations on here. Now I just need some advice choosing between them. I like the idea of having two filters so that I have redundancy and so that I can stagger cleaning. For HOB filters, I'm thinking about the Aqua Clear 110 (either the 70 or 110 gallon version). For a canister filter, I like the Aquatop CF400 UV filter with UV 9w (370 gph). There is one other factor I need to consider, and that is that I live in Alabama. We get tornadoes and hurricanes, and we're prone to occasional power outages. For that reason, I'm also considering ATI #4 Pro Sponge filters, because I've read that they can be made to work without power. My question is, which combination of these would be best for me and why? I have no experience with canister filters at all, but I read a lot of good things about them. The Aqua Clear 110 seems very simple though. I'm also worried about power consumption. I'd like to keep my power bill low. Any advice would be appreciated.


----------



## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

i would say go with the sponge filter. i have a few extra with battery operate pumps just incase.


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

Also, what is the cost of operation of a HOB vs. Canister vs. Sponge filter?


----------



## jparker98 (Jun 6, 2012)

I just got my 55 gallon going last week (first tank in 15 years) and I've been really impressed with the Aqua Clear 110 so far. I'm running that and a Whisper 60 (was given to me for free) on my tank and the water is crystal clear. Although down the road I may grab a canister filter to replace the Whisper 60 and I'm leaning towards an AquaTop as I've heard very good things about them so far and they seem pretty inexpensive.

Ideally I'd like to have a AquaTop 500 and my AC 110 on the tank which may be overkill, but I'm probably going to upgrade to a 90 gallon in the next year or so if I continue to stay interested in the hobby.


----------



## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

i would imagine that the sponge would be the cheapest. but the costis barely noticable unless youre running over 20 tanks. with that said with sponge filters alot of the gunk stays in the tank instead of being out of site.


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

What about mixing a sponge filter with either the Aqua Clear 110 or the canister? Will this be enough filtration? Would one sponge filter be sufficient for a power outage? How is the cost of media for a canister?


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

DrTenochtitlan said:


> What about mixing a sponge filter with either the Aqua Clear 110 or the canister? Will this be enough filtration? Would one sponge filter be sufficient for a power outage? How is the cost of media for a canister?


Do you have a canister in mind?


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

Yes, the Aquatop CF400 UV filter with UV 9w (370 gph).


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

DrTenochtitlan said:


> Yes, the Aquatop CF400 UV filter with UV 9w (370 gph).


I have the cf500uv model and really like it.


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

So, how does the ease of use of the canister and the expense of the media compare to the HOB for a 55 gallon aquarium? Does it cost more over time? If I went with the Aquatop CF 400 canister, would it be sufficient on it's own for that size tank? Also, since I'm also considering power outages, would I want to run it alongside one ATI Pro Sponge #4 filter or two? (Would just one be enough for that sized tank if the power went out for an extended period of time?)


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

DrTenochtitlan said:


> So, how does the ease of use of the canister and the expense of the media compare to the HOB for a 55 gallon aquarium? Does it cost more over time? If I went with the Aquatop CF 400 canister, would it be sufficient on it's own for that size tank? Also, since I'm also considering power outages, would I want to run it alongside one ATI Pro Sponge #4 filter or two? (Would just one be enough for that sized tank if the power went out for an extended period of time?)


Personally I would go with the CF500UV if it were going to be the only filter. The media I would purchase would be 4 boxes(500g each) of ceramic rings and the blue/white bonded filter pads from marineland and cut to fit. The filter comes with 5 filter pads total(a coarse blue sponge and 4 fine white filter pads) however the white filter pads are flimsy and will not hold up to too many cleanings so you can just replace those with the aforementioned blue/white bonded pads as a sheet is really cheap($5) and you can make 3 pads per sheet. The ceramic rings are usually between $7-9 for 500g. They will last forever so they will never need to be replaced. The blue/white bonded pads last for a very long time as well. So you are looking at about $190 total media and all.

You could get a AC110 also....very good HOB filter and they are around $60.

As for the sponge...I have used the ATI sponges in the past but have never had to worry about power outages for extended periods of time so I honestly don't know the best route to take. I do know there are several options from battery powered pumps to generators. I am sure someone else will chime in who is more familiar than I.


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

Ok, you've about convinced me on the CF500UV canister (with a sponge filter or two as backup). How will the water flow be on a 55 gallon tank? Will I need anything else, like a powerhead?


----------



## BillD (May 17, 2005)

I would go with one AC110, which would be more than adequate filtration, and is easily cleaned regularly, as with every water change.You can clean them without turning them off. It doesn't get much easier. Sponge filters are very good, and most of my tanks have sponges only, powered by a small air central pump that uses 18 Watts. If you want to know how much electricity a filter will use, check the wattage.


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

Would a single ATI #4 sponge filter be enough filtration for a 55 gallon tank in a power outage?


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

The sponge filters will need something to power them with during a power outage. The recommendation is a battery power air pump for that purpose.


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

This might be a stupid question, but I should have the sponge filter in all the time and just switch to the battery backup in case of a power outage, right? I shouldn't be just putting it in in case of emergency?


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

DrTenochtitlan said:


> This might be a stupid question, but I should have the sponge filter in all the time and just switch to the battery backup in case of a power outage, right? I shouldn't be just putting it in in case of emergency?


How long of a power outage are we talking about? Personally.....if it were me and the power outages are fairly short(not multiple days) I would just buy a airstone and a battery powered air pump. Then when the power is out just throw in the airstone. However if you have a lot of outages then you can just leave the sponge in all the time. You can also buy a cheap generator and just hook up your filters(whether HOB or canister) and heater if you wish depending on time of year.

Do you have a lot of power outages? If so how long and how often does it go out?


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

We have some frequent ones for a couple of hours. HOWEVER, if we get a hurricane or ice storm (or if a tornado happens to destroy your town like it did with mine last year), it could be 2-3 days. I don't think I can swing a generator right now, but that would be ideal.


----------



## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

There is a guy on ebay selling the sunsun 304 for a real good price and free shipping, exact same unit as Aquatop cf500 525 gal/hr with UV
I have the sunsun 302(Aquatop cf300) on my 37 gal Tank, only had it a few weeks but real quiet.
Seems the sunsun, perfect, Grech and Aquatop are all the same filer under different brand names.


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

How do you like the Sunsun otherwise? I read a couple of reviews that didn't care for the thinness of the plastic. I'll check it out though.


----------



## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

As i said, only had it a few weeks but up to now its great, They are exactly the same as the Aquatop so if you think the plastic is thin on the sunsun, it will be the same for the Aquatop.
i just looked it up, the price was $94.49 (sunsun 304)


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

DrTenochtitlan said:


> How do you like the Sunsun otherwise? I read a couple of reviews that didn't care for the thinness of the plastic. I'll check it out though.


Yeah...I am pretty sure they are exactly the same filter except for the plug wire. I know the baskets on mine are built well enough that I didn't notice any problems with it. The build quality between my fx5 and my aquatop is not that far apart.

Also...the main reason I went with the aquatop of the sunsun is for customer service and support. They have good support. I don't know about the ebay seller selling the sunsun filters...


----------



## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

I agree, im betting not much support from an ebay seller, lets hope i dont have to find out 
although he has sold 446 of the 302 units


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

Does the 9w UV have any value on these two canister filters? I notice there's a version of the Sunsun both with and without it.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

DrTenochtitlan said:


> Does the 9w UV have any value on these two canister filters? I notice there's a version of the Sunsun both with and without it.


Honestly....I don't know if it has any affect on free swimming parasites but it does help clear water column of algae spores. I didn't buy the filter for the UV but it sure doesn't hurt to have it. I found a site that claims 8w bulb can kill free swimming parasites at a rate of 642gph in a freshwater tank up to 200g in size. I have also found sites that say it is much much lower. So I don't honestly know. Again....it doesn't hurt. Take that for what its worth.


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

Would a canister filter of this type benefit from a power head?


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

DrTenochtitlan said:


> Would a canister filter of this type benefit from a power head?


I am not sure your question. Do you mean a power head in the tank along with the filter or hooked up to the filter?


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

Hooked up to the filter.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

DrTenochtitlan said:


> Hooked up to the filter.


Nope....

The filter does around 250-300 with media depending on how much media you are using. You can also add a power head in the tank to help with circulation.


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

Is circulation usually an issue in a 55 gallon tank with this type of canister filter?


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

DrTenochtitlan said:


> Is circulation usually an issue in a 55 gallon tank with this type of canister filter?


It depends on what you are looking for, how you have it set up and the amount of rock work, etc....

Personally I didn't like the spray bar that came with the filter as I thought it was too restrictive with the number of elbows it used before it reached the spray bar itself and the way it is designed the only way for it to work is to use all the elbows. It kind of makes a stair stepping path to the spray bar.

With that said you can always make one and they are pretty cheap and easy to make. I just finished making one for my FX5 and finally found the right configuration to get the best flow spread out across the span of my tank. I just use a nozzle I made for my aquatop and it works fine but there would be dead spots just using a nozzle but with a spray bar you could spread the flow out more evenly. I do know that sobrietyrocks707 made a spray bar for his aquatop and I think he is happy with it. You might PM him and get his thoughts.

OR you could just use the spray bar that comes with the filter and see how that works first and then in your spare time make another one.


----------



## major_blunt (Jun 16, 2012)

I got a ehiem 2217 canister from big als online and a roll of filter floss thats lasting me forever it also came with the media and it has great flow my fish love swimming in the current it was well worth the 120 bucks not to mention there easy to maintain. Just my thoughts on the canisters


----------



## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

I'd like to thank everyone for their advice! I think I'm going to go with the Aquatop CF500 UV filter with UV 9w, based on what I've heard here, but it sounds like there's lots of great options out there. I'm also looking for help selecting a hood and lighting, if someone wants to help me on my other thread...

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=246968


----------



## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

fusion said:


> I agree, im betting not much support from an ebay seller, lets hope i dont have to find out
> although he has sold 446 of the 302 units


Well im going to find out i guess 

Noticed a small leak last night, couldnt see anything wrong when i opend it up, cleaned up the seal surface, turned it back on, all was ok for 30 mins then started to leak again, emailed the ebay guy where i bought it.

Today he replied, he thinks its a seal problem, offerd to refund my money or said he would send me a new seal ( O ring), i asked him if he would exchange the item if the new seal didnt fix the problem, he said he would so he has sent me a seal.

I was thinking maby because it was ok for the first 2 weeks, that a build up of debris caused the preasure to build up, but when i took it apart, there wasnt a great deal of debris in there. (still have my HOB on there )

So waiting on the seal, hope that solves the problem.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

fusion said:


> fusion said:
> 
> 
> > I agree, im betting not much support from an ebay seller, lets hope i dont have to find out
> ...


Yeah....hopefully it works out. It is probably a good idea to use some silicone grease or vaseline on the O ring to make sure it stays lubricated and makes a good seal.


----------



## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

That was the first thing the guy told me to do, take out the 0 ring and put vaseline on it, which i did, as i said it leaked again after 30 mins.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

fusion said:


> That was the first thing the guy told me to do, take out the 0 ring and put vaseline on it, which i did, as i said it leaked again after 30 mins.


You may have pinched or otherwise damaged it before or it was just mad to begin with. I know when my aquatop arrived the oring was lubed up quite well. I am going to take it apart in a week to clean and will be lubing the oring back up with vaseline.

Hope it works out for you..... :thumb:


----------

