[livingword26]

HOB
Aqueon (favorite hob)
Aquaclear
Tetra Whisper
Currenty using an Aquatop hob with a uv. I like it

Canister
Eheim ecco 2236
Fluval 204
Fluval 306 (Favorite)

Internal
Hydor Koralia

Reverse flow undergravel filter.

 

[wendyjo]

Rena XP3 in my bigger tank

Hagan Elite mini in tank filter in my nanos

I've tried the Whisper in tank filters and I hate them!

 

[GraphicGr8s]

Second Nature Whisper (Original Models and the Tetra) Probably my favorite HOB
Penguin
Supreme AquaMaster and AquaKing. Still working great after 30 years.
Various Dynaflows still working
And for polishing up the Vortex Diatom Filter. Again, 30 years old and still works great.
A couple of home made trickle filters and sumps.
Various sponge filters and of course box filters of which I am getting ready to order 20 more for the fish room.

 

[Hcancino]

Various AquaClear
Underground filter(can't remember name)
Marineland H.O.T Magnum
Fluval 305

 

[Daximus]

HOB: Aquatech (cheap Walmart specials that last forever, I've probably had 3 in every size)

Canister: Aquatop

 

[Joe.1]

I've used undergravel filters, Aqeon HOB's,and finally canisters. I have an Rena XP2 and a cascade 500. The cascade is rated at 115gph. The Rena xp2 rated for 300gph. So far the cascade is killing the rena.

 

[talontsiawd]

HOB:
AquaClear 20 (good filter after 5 years)
AquaClear 50 (good filter but is getting noisy after almost 5 years)
Aqueon Aquarium Power Filter 50 (Reliable but loud, didn't like the media setup)

Canister:
Zoo Med 501 (Love it, just make sure your tank is small)
Ehiem 2215 (Has not been reliable as I wanted)
Ehiem 2234 (favorite filter I have owned, reliable, quiet, easy to clean)

 

[reignOfFred]

Aquaclears, various sizes - Love these filters, they are the only HOB I will use, though I prefer canister anyway.

Penguin- lousy filter, biowheel would stock, no versitality like the AC

Fluval 2/304 - Ok filters, not great amd not bad

Eheim Classic 2213-17 - Love these filters, very efficient design. My first one lasted forever, the last one I bought lasted little more than a year

Rena XP 2/3 - A very good filter, not the best or worst I've used. I rate it higher than a fluval, lower than an eheim, except that last eheim that did not last.

Sponge filter - don't know the brand, but suffice it to say these filters are highly underrated, and do a fantastic job of fine particulate filtration, and are a great sidekick to any power filter in a non-co2 injected tank.

 

[ktownhero]

I have used Aquaclears on my nano-reef tanks (up to 20g) with tremendous success. I had an Aquaclear 500 (now 110, the biggest model) on a 20L reef tank, where I took all of the media out, glued in a baffle, and used it as a mini refugium with Chaeto algae, live sand and a few pieces of live rock. It was excellent! The flow is great, and they are quiet and reliable.

But, with my current planted tank, i wanted to find out what all of this buzz about Ehiem canisters was all about... So, I'm running an Ehiem 2215 on my 29g presently. Absolutely, hands-down, the best filtration method iIve experienced to-date. Not only because it's a quiet workhorse and requires minimal maintenance, but also because it provides so many other options like an inline heater, inline atomizer, and a wide variety of input/output options that are far more effective and aesthetically pleasing than a HOB, Sponge, UG, etc.

I've also had experience in the past with Penguin Emperors which I liked, though I think I'll be a canister guy forever now. I've also used UG filters, but god do those suck. Cumbersome, inefficient and down-right ugly.

 

[chiefroastbeef]

I have only used Hydors, and some generic internal filters bought here in Hong Kong.

All are running great. I love the Hydor Prime 10, so much so that I bought 2 used ones for backup/future tanks. It runs great, looks good(I am vain), quiet, and easy to clean.

 

[RoyalFizbin]

I've used

Some penguin filter, no longer have it, dont remember what model. Didn't last long

A whisper 30, also didn't last very long.

A fluval 1 interal filter. There was nothing really bad about it but I gave it away bacause it's not very much filtration.

Aquaclear 200. This filter is now known as the aquaclear50 it's well over 25 years old. Have replaced shafts and impellers over the years but the motor unit is still the original one.

Aquaclear 150. This is now known as the aquaclear30. It's also really old, probably 20 years. Aslo replaced shafts and impellers but on the original motor unit.

Aquaclear 20. This one is modern. They used to call it the mini.

Love that fact that aquaclear parts are so easily purchased from most lfs's and the parts for the modern aquaclears are compatible with my ancient filters.

Canisters
Rena filstar xp2
Fluval 304
I like the xp2 more than the fluval. Easier to clean, reasemble and prime when nessesary. The fluval is difficult to attach the aquastop unit and the motor unit is also dificult to latch. Gotta do it just right with the correct force and perfect alignment or you'll break something.

I also had a ghetto home made pickle jar canister.

 

[samamorgan]

...Why?

 

[humblepie]

Well I'm new to this relatively. I had a tank as a kid, but can't remember jack about about what I had. Right now I have a 20gal, 60 gal, and setting up a 125 gal tank. I have the following filters.

HOBs:
Aqueons (20 and a 30). Both on the 20 gal tank.
Emperor 400s are both on the 60 gal tank

Canister:
Aquatop CF 500
Oddysea CFS500
Eheim 2217s (got these with the 125 gal that I'm setting up)


The Emperors are the noisiest of all the filters, but seem to do a good job. The Aqueons are quiet for HOBs, but I run into problems with water bypass on them. Especially the smaller sized one. Once that filter cartridge gets full of gunk, the water goes right over the side instead of through the filter.

The Aquatop so far I like the best. Big, quite, and easy to setup. Plastic parts for the spraybar are a bit weak as the only real con. The oddysea is also great, but the hoses that came with it were lame to say the least. That and it comes with a jet nozzle and not a spray bar. So the output from it is intense enough that fish will get blown back from it.

 

[al4n]

Eheim canister, Aquaclear hob, and ebay canister. All good, no problems


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[psalm18.2]

So many over the last year. Haha
HOB Emperor 400
HOB Tetra
HOB Petco
HOB Aquaclear
Internal Whisper 1i x 2
Canister Aquatop

 

[Zefrik]

It really is interesting that the cheap walmart brand filters seem to work so well. They are simple and quite, and have great flow. If I was ever to have a fish room I would start some tanks of with these! I have 3 of them and they have been running for 6 years now nonstop. One of them has not even been removed from the tank!

 

[exv152]

eheim 2217
eheim 2217
eheim 2213
eheim ecco 2232
eheim pro II 2026
fluval 205
penguin hob
marineland integrated eclipse system

 

[sketch804]

hob:
3 marineland biowheel filters rated for 50gal..one caught on fire, one had issues restarting after tank change (impeller wouldn't rotate), all noisey but decent flow. Worked for 4+ years..

Canister:
2 fluval 305's - love them both, work great, nice flow, EZ to clean, and the best thing of all, they are QUITE! Had for around a year..

Spong filter for 10gal, no name but works great!

Undergravel filter for a 10 gal, also worked great!

 

[prototyp3]

Loooong time ago:

BIOwheel HOB
Aquaclear HOB
Magnum HOT canister
Fluval 2 series canister

More recently:

Eheim Pro 3e 2078
ADA Superjet 1200
Fluval G6
Rena XP1