# Best Aquarium Filter



## TBA (Sep 30, 2011)

Hello Everyone.

I am interested in buying new filter for my 30 Gallon freshwater planted fish tank.

I have jungle Vals, Water Westeria, Penny Wort, Christmas Moss, Star Grass, Luwagia Repens, Anubas nana. (Hope I spell them all correct )

I have 6 clestial pearl danios, 10-15 cherry shirmps, 3-4 amano shrimps, some assassin snails and 3-4 otto fish

which one would suite my needs best, here are the filters I am interested in

1. Aquaclear 50

2. External 120 Mini Filter from (Aqua Inspiration)

3. Ehiem

Please also guide me where to buy I am interested in the shops where I can find deals .

Looking forward to have your kind advise and thanks in advance.


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## HOWsMom (Jan 3, 2012)

Which Eheim ?

At any rate - those would all be sufficient for a 30g tank.

The canister filter (which is what I'm going to guess you mean by the Eheim) will be the most versatile in terms of how you can customize the filtration. The HOB Aquaclear is probably the easiest for regular maintenance. I'm not really familiar with the other one - but I really like the look of it in the link, and I'm a big fan of spray bars, so I'm a bit bias


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## TBA (Sep 30, 2011)

I never used Ehiem so I really don't have any idea which one to choose.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Personally, I think filters are overrated, especially in a planted tank.

All you really need is water movement, for even distribution of nutrients and gas exchange.

Freshwater filtration relies on porous filter media to create large surface areas on which nitrifying bacteria can colonize. Both plants and substrates also offer surface areas.

Increasing the surface area will increase nitrifying bacteria, but it will never decrease nitrates.

You have a very low bioload for a 30 gallon tank. Are you planning to get a lot more fish?


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## TBA (Sep 30, 2011)

solarz said:


> Personally, I think filters are overrated, especially in a planted tank.
> 
> All you really need is water movement, for even distribution of nutrients and gas exchange.
> 
> ...


I might add a Trio of Fancy Guppy but I am afraid they are gonna Breed Crazy which will mess up the levels....


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## AquaticPulse (Jun 19, 2011)

do you use a power head for circulation?


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## TBA (Sep 30, 2011)

thinkshane said:


> do you use a power head for circulation?


I have 2 small Elite mini Filter for circulation purpose.


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## brucemcl777 (Nov 16, 2011)

*Deals*

In general I find the best pricing at

Pets and Ponds followed closely by MOPS


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

I think there is only Eheim that is realistic for your tank.
- Aquaclear is out because it runs counter to your CO2 injection (should you need to go that route in the future). Not to mention the splash that will give you more work cleaning your light every week.
- External 120, it's OK, but I have issues with hanging an entire filter right of the glass. The extra weight contantly pulling on one side of the glass is just not my beef.
- Eheim will offer the best option because you can still go CO2 injection but not have to worry about the extra weight on one side of the glass pannel.

I would also loose the output spray hose for both canister filter as well.

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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Zebrapl3co said:


> I think there is only Eheim that is realistic for your tank.
> - Aquaclear is out because it runs counter to your CO2 injection (should you need to go that route in the future). Not to mention the splash that will give you more work cleaning your light every week.


I haven't used Aquaclear, but with most HOB filters, you can simply raise the water level to remove the splashing.


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## TBA (Sep 30, 2011)

solarz said:


> I haven't used Aquaclear, but with most HOB filters, you can simply raise the water level to remove the splashing.


That's interesting.
I like canister filters too but when it comes to cost I find HOB more interesting.....
I raising the water solves the problem I would definately pick HOB due to the cheaper price.

@Zebrapl3co : Please advise.


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## fyns (Dec 22, 2011)

if you can afford it, get a canister filter. i have an aqua clear on my 29 g. it works great. but as other people have said, it does tend to splash and coat your light in calcium. it's also nice to have options later for different equipment, which you get with a canister filter. i will be putting a canister filter on my 29g once i am done spending money on my new set up, but the ac has done me well for 3 year (low tech tank)


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## Viki (Aug 1, 2011)

TBA said:


> That's interesting.
> I like canister filters too but when it comes to cost I find HOB more interesting.....
> I raising the water solves the problem I would definately pick HOB due to the cheaper price.
> 
> @Zebrapl3co : Please advise.


I also want to know if raising the water solves the problem.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Yes it does, raising the water kind of solve your problem. It depends on how the filter is made. Some of the improved version of the HOB have a longer drop that helps prevent splashing. But there will still be splashing and unless you constantly add water back into the tank every 2 days. In 5 days, your water level will have fallen enough that it will produce the splashing again. This is more so in the winter months when the air is dry.
This is why there is a market for lily pipes. It solves this problem and keep the splashing to 0. Provided that you do your water change every week or add water every 7 days. If you don't, you will still get splashing even with a lily pipe.

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## HOWsMom (Jan 3, 2012)

What's a "Lily Pipe" ?


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Lily pipes are the glass intake and outflow for canister filters. It's specially designed as to keep the water disturbance to a minimun while still making a good circulation in your planted tanks. This is a plus when you are injecting CO2 in to the water as you don't what them to fizzle into the air from the splashing.
It's orginally created by ADA: http://www.adgshop.com/Lily_Pipes_s/48.htm
But there are lots of coppied products:
http://www.aquainspiration.com/productdetail.asp?PIN=FS&PNAME=NAG&PSIZE=YINOUTM&PTYPE=Filter Accessories

Just one note, stay away from the plastic made ones, because at one point or another, you will need to clean it. And the plastic scratches easily making it an eye sore once it's scratched. Glass doesn't scratch as easily and metal are kind of ok if you are willing to put up with the metal sticking out on the sides.

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## adrenaline (Jan 17, 2011)

I've run aqua clears for years. they work great. splasing isn't usually an issue unless your water drops. It does become a bit of a pain doing top ups every few days in winter though. keep in mind if you have a covered tank evaporation is far less than an open system.

On the other hand i have a few ehims running. most of them are on cichlid tanks, some of which are pretty heavily planted. I can't say anything bad about them. I've neglected my eheims (mainly classic series) and the amount of sludge coming out of them makes you wonder how they still function...

what i love about the eheims is they really are whisper quiet. and they have large media capacities. It'll come down to your personal preference here. and AC 50 should be more than sufficient for a 30 gallon tank. HOB's are much easier to clean, however you replace media more often. with my eheims i don't really replace media. I rinse my media, and rinse my sponge. if the sponge gets to the point where it needs replaceing, so be it. but it's been 2 years or more for most of them with nothing being replaced aside from some carbon i place in media bags inside the eheims.

I'm slowly switching all my tanks to canisters. But that's what i find easier


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

There isn't much that is easier to clean than an AC. The sponges last for many years and don't need to be replaced until they start to actually deteriorate. I have some inserts that are more than 10 years old. In the case of a AC 50, it can be run with 2 sponge inserts and the bio media. They can easily be cleaned with every water change, aiding in keeping nitrates low ( or not so often if you want the nitrates in a planted tank)


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## 20GallonPirate (Nov 1, 2010)

Ive got a 20G tank that is newly planted. Ive been running 2 AC (AC30 and AC50) for over a year since I first got in to aquariums. Iv had no problems with the AC, they are extremely easy to maintain,all you really have to replace is the carbon filter ( should you choose to have it) or other filter bags such as ammonia remover. The biomax can stay there for ever same with the sponge. I just rinse out my sponge and bio slightly every few months and its fine. As for the splashing, i have 2 T5HO bulbs and had have them running about 8 hours a day every day with the 2 AC at LOW setting. Splashing does occur occasionally but raising the water levels does help. Plus i moved my light fixture more in the middle, which is away from the spouts of the ACs.


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

If you are bad at keeping the water level up, growing moss on the AC spout works wonders to make a nice gentle slipstream into the tankwater.


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## 20GallonPirate (Nov 1, 2010)

Will said:


> If you are bad at keeping the water level up, growing moss on the AC spout works wonders to make a nice gentle slipstream into the tankwater.


ohh man, my algae problems have created a nice layer of long green algae on my ACs


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

20GallonPirate said:


> ohh man, my algae problems have created a nice layer of long green algae on my ACs


works also!


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## TBA (Sep 30, 2011)

I must say this Forum is SUPER AWESOME.....

Thanks all for your kind opinions and advise. If you have some more please do not hesitate to add it to the thread.

If I remember right once on Youtube I saw someone added a sponge on the outflow of the HOB filter would that work too to minimize the disturbance on the surface of water?


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

honnestly, you dont look like you have much of a bioload at all.... the shrimps dont count for much. If you are a beginer, i would get an aquaclear 50 or 70, and leave it at that. Remove the carbon filter, replace it with another sponge. You can also get it used, i have gotten most of my aquaclear filters used. Now, if you are more advanced, and have the right amount of plants, you can get away maybe with a smaller filter AC or sponge filter, of even maybe no filters at all due to plants and your apparently low bioload (to be confirmed though, i havent put this in aqadvisor.com to be sure). 

The Aquaclear is cheaper and you have to probably do cleaning once a week so it doesnt get clogged up. You have small shrimps so you need a prefilter for either the AC or Eherim, or maybe just put a bit of sponge at the inlet (i dont like that though). John sells these, they are called Filter Max, and fit the AC or Eheim pretty well. For the water disturbances that others are mentioning, you can cut out a water bottle and put the piece at the discharge so water doesnt splash. I cant find the video for that, but i had seen it and tried it. Raising water level also fixes this.

The Eheim is very nice, and the cleaning is less often, though learning how to use it / cleaning it / priming it / time spent to install it, is much more difficult. Once you learn it, its great though. 

Someone mentioned having 2 filters, honestly, i find this to be the best. So either 2 x AC 50 (or maybe even ac30) on both sides of the aquarium, and if even one fails, you still got the other to work!!! People sell these in the forums for cheap sometimes, but if you need it quickly, big al has ok prices.

you can always try one way, and if you are not happy (or have improved your knowledge), sell the filter in these forums, and get something else, or keep them as spares.

Again, i feel there is a chance your bioload is low, and if that is the case, you might be able to get away with even lower filters (but if you are new, better more than few). Dont consider the other filter manufacturers, only Aquaclear and Eheim . Let the blasting begin.


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## Kooka (Feb 8, 2011)

I'd pretty much agree with what everyone has been saying; aquaclear filters are the way to go if your tank is 40 gallons or less. Anything above that I'd recommend getting a good canister filter (eheim or fluval). My first ever aquarium filter was an aquaclear mini my parents bought me more than 10 years ago and after non-stop usage the thing still works flawlessly.


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## getochkn (Jul 10, 2011)

I have An aquaclear 70, 30, and 4 20's running on my tanks and love them. I use Fluval prefilter sponges on all the intakes since most of them are shrimp tanks, and usually never clean the filter since the sponge stops any big debris from even getting in to the filter so I don't clean them that often. I just put a net under the sponge, remove the sponge and intake tubing, leave it running, rinse out the sponge and put it back together.


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## TBA (Sep 30, 2011)

zfarsh said:


> honnestly, you dont look like you have much of a bioload at all.... the shrimps dont count for much. If you are a beginer, i would get an aquaclear 50 or 70, and leave it at that. Remove the carbon filter, replace it with another sponge. You can also get it used, i have gotten most of my aquaclear filters used. Now, if you are more advanced, and have the right amount of plants, you can get away maybe with a smaller filter AC or sponge filter, of even maybe no filters at all due to plants and your apparently low bioload (to be confirmed though, i havent put this in aqadvisor.com to be sure).
> 
> The Aquaclear is cheaper and you have to probably do cleaning once a week so it doesnt get clogged up. You have small shrimps so you need a prefilter for either the AC or Eherim, or maybe just put a bit of sponge at the inlet (i dont like that though). John sells these, they are called Filter Max, and fit the AC or Eheim pretty well. *For the water disturbances that others are mentioning, you can cut out a water bottle and put the piece at the discharge so water doesnt splash.* I cant find the video for that, but i had seen it and tried it. Raising water level also fixes this.
> 
> ...


This sounds like an interesting idea. If anyone knows about it or have a tutorial video please do share....


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## TBA (Sep 30, 2011)

getochkn said:


> I have An aquaclear 70, 30, and 4 20's running on my tanks and love them. I use Fluval prefilter sponges on all the intakes since most of them are shrimp tanks, and usually never clean the filter since the sponge stops any big debris from even getting in to the filter so I don't clean them that often. I just put a net under the sponge, remove the sponge and intake tubing, leave it running, rinse out the sponge and put it back together.


That's a great idea and lot less work too 
would you mind sharing the pictures or video of your setup?


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

similar to this:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Awesome-ize-Your-HOB-Power-Filter-with-Just/


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## TBA (Sep 30, 2011)

zfarsh said:


> similar to this:
> 
> http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Awesome-ize-Your-HOB-Power-Filter-with-Just/


Thanks for sharing zfarsh.


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## gem (Oct 19, 2010)

If you put a window mesh (plastic) / a piece of filter floss hanging over the discharge of the filter the splashing can be avoided.


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