Not all canisters are made alike, that's for sure. Eheims, Fluvals, Renas and Marinelands all have good reps. My Rena is super-easy to clean, almost as easy as my HOB.
You could add another HOB if you'd like. I'm personally totally sold on AquaClears- they don't develop that annoying rattle over time that Emperors and Penguins tend to.
I'd say 2-3" would probably be a better substrate depth. I'd also recommend pea gravel over large gravel- smaller grain size will help encourage the plants to grow roots. You could mix the two sizes if you'd like.
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