Canister filter recommendation

[mrsjoannh13]

I will be setting up a new tank soon (20 gallons). I'll be moving over my fish from another tank which is pretty heavily stocked (same size tank).  It's got a betta, 4 amano shrimp, 2 nerite snails, and 7 sterbai corys.  I have seen mixed reviews on Oase filters so I've been looking at UNS canister filters as well.   Does anyone have any recommendations for either of these brands or others for a heavily stocked 20 gallon planted tank?    Thanks in advance!

[BuzzDaddy21]

HI, is this a filter system that sits outside the tank on the floor??  

[mrsjoannh13]

On 11/30/2021 at 10:45 AM, BuzzDaddy21 said:

HI, is this a filter system that sits outside the tank on the floor??  

It will be an external canister filter inside the cabinet underneath the aquarium.

[Colu]

Fluval 207 is great filter I have a 307 on my 60 gallon does a great job 

Edited November 30, 2021 by Colu

[BuzzDaddy21]

I had a canister filter years ago on a 30gallon, had trouble with it leaking, and also thought it was an overkill. Got rid of it and went under gravel filter really didn`t like that either.

Now I`m using only sponge filters. So far, I like how simple they are, and how easy to clean. 

Good luck whatever way you go.

[meadeam]

I'm by no means an expert having only been running canister filters for several months, but I really like the Oase Filtosmart 200 Thermo for mid-size tanks.  It does a great job, has been easy to service (hoses don't drain on the floor when you disconnect them) and I really like the internal heater for minimizing the amount of gear in the tank.  I use bagged Seachem Matrix in the heater compartment rather than the loose bio rings it came with, and I cut down one of the sponges to make room for more bagged Matrix as well as carbon, purigen, or whatever else I choose to use at any given time.  Recenetly I added a bag of Phosguard to deal with a diatom issue.  The filter is virtually silent in the cabinet.  I wish they shipped it with longer hoses for more placement options, and I think the intake and return pipes could be more attractive.  Other than that, not a single issue so far.  It isn't cheap, but not the most expensive filter either.  

I think a couple sponge filters could do the same job of biological filtration, but I like the options and extra mechanical filtration it offers.  Were I running several thanks, I wouldn't have this filter on each one.  In that case I would be using sponges. 

[Minanora]

I don't think I'd drop dollar bucks on a canister for a heavily planted 20G that was for tropicals. But that's just me. Oase are nice from what I have seen. I've only had hands on a larger one for upwards of 100G-200G tanks though.

I would save the cabinet space and go with a HOB like the Aquaclear and hotrod it with bio-rings and sponge.

My sons 20G tall was heavily stocked at one point with 7 guppies, 2 swordtails, 3 corydoras, 7 neon/glowlight tetras, 1 oto, 1 clown pleco, and one ramshorn snail and a batch of baby guppies until they were 3 weeks old. That tank is planted and I never had issues with Nitrate. I only changed the water once a month. And only 25% to suck up swordtail poos and other detritus/mulm that got under the dense plant cover in the back of the tank. That tank has a marineland penguin 150 that I hot-rodded with sponge and a bag of bio-rings.

[Liam]

I have the Oase Filtosmart 100 for a 10 gallon. I love it. I am sure a Filtosmart 200 would do just the job for you.

[Mr Gumby]

I run 2 of the oase biomaster canisters and love them. I did mod the prefilter with extra holes to extend maintenance tho.

Too much flow for the tank in question but I really rate them (don't tell Cory tho, he'll kick me from the forum for saying that) 😂

[Hoi Polloi]

KGTropicals on youtube just released a video on "What's The Best Aquarium Filter?" by asking various youtuber's. 
Might be worth checking out and see what best fits your needs.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Hoi Polloi

[charl22]

I personally recommend Eheim's Canister Filters. You can order through Petsmart.com or they are available at some aquarium supplies stores. I use them and they require miminal maintenance, and you can put a variety of media in them to support any kind of filtration you desire. The filter itself is about $140 I believe. There are varying size models at different costs. The filter comes with carbon and some other media (it's been awhile since I purchased mine). Replacement parts and media are readily available online or you can find them at your local aquarium shop. There are many threads on this forum discussing what kind of substrate is recommended for a heavily planted tank. For my planted tanks I do a layer of moss used for gardening (not sure the name of the moss), then a layer of sand, and on top of all that, a layer of small gravel. Go deep with your substrate, it seems the deeper, the better.

[BuzzDaddy21]

On 11/30/2021 at 12:14 PM, BuzzDaddy21 said:

Now I`m using only sponge filters.

It seems that I have evolved. I like the Fluval 107/207 canister filters (Guppysnail put me on to these.) they are easy and simple but limited on media types. I`m not a fan of Eheim`s cans but like the spray bar/intake items.    

I really really like the Fzone 10L stainless steel canister, and holds a crap load of media, your only limited by your imagination (Have one on a 40B and will get another when back in stock.) 

I also like HOB filters, but they require more maintenance IMO.

I`m only using one sponge filter now and it's on a 20T along with a HOB filter.

[Brandon p]

Undergravel! Sorry I have 30 year marineland canister. Is dois it’s job and is surprisingly quiet but I’m guessing they are not made like that any more.  I do love undergravel and promote them as much as I can. I do believe there is a place for most filters and if @Guppysnail recommends something I tend to trust her. She has not sent down the wrong path yet.

[Guppysnail]

On 6/27/2022 at 10:13 AM, Brandon p said:

Undergravel! Sorry I have 30 year marineland canister. Is dois it’s job and is surprisingly quiet but I’m guessing they are not made like that any more.  I do love undergravel and promote them as much as I can. I do believe there is a place for most filters and if @Guppysnail recommends something I tend to trust her. She has not sent down the wrong path yet.

Thank you for the kindness.  Please know that often my recommendations are just a product I have used that serves me well.  Quite often I’ve just never used others to even make a solid comparison and there may be tons better out. I will never recommend a product I have not personally used and had success with though. If there are things about that product I do not care for I always make certain to share that as well. 

[Brandon p]

On 6/27/2022 at 10:17 AM, Guppysnail said:

Thank you for the kindness.  Please know that often my recommendations are just a product I have used that serves me well.  Quite often I’ve just never used others to even make a solid comparison and there may be tons better out. I will never recommend a product I have not personally used and had success with though. If there are things about that product I do not care for I always make certain to share that as well. 

I think that is the way most of recommended products. I normally do that I rarely would tell someone to use a product I never used. I there are a few people one here that I trust there recommendations. Normal say I trust there opinion. I think I did this time. I like my Marineland but I know they are different and I could not recommend that. I felt that they wanted a canister as I didn’t push the undergravel, why I do think is the best way for 40-100 gallon aquariums. Of course that just my opinion. 100 and over I think sumps are the way to go but that is my experience.  I have been clear that I value your opinion so far you have helped improve my skills in some areas and you have build that trust. There are others too and I hope the also know that. If I disagree With someone I try to do it in a manner fitting friends. Just because we do not agree or sometimes(for me understand) differ in opinions does means that I lose trust. @Guppysnailthank was a more general answer to several people I trust here. I think many of us have a limited use of products like cansisters with new ones on the market all the time. I used the example my canister, I have never needed a different one I have replaced the magnet. I have experience with the sun sun because my son gone one.I don’t change to much unless it breaks. So I think as a group our knowledge is greater than that of a few.

[IanB]

I think there is no "best" canister filter. It depends a ton on what you want it for and why you want a canister. If you want a canister because you don't like the appearance of sponge filters in the aquarium or the noise from running a lot of air, I think a Fluval 207 would be great. They are among the most reliable canister filters, widely available, easy to service, and easy to customize the media loadout. If you want a canister because you don't want to see equipment in your aquarium and you need a heater, I would go with an Oase Biomaster Thermo 250 if you have the budget (or a Filtosmart 200 Thermo if you need to keep costs lower). The Biomaster series, to me, is better designed, much more flexible because it has a prefilter that is easy to clean and uses trays, whereas the Filtosmart just has you dump your media directly into a chamber. If you are going full aquascape (high tech, equipment visible, lily pipes, low-ish temp without a heater), I would look into the F Zone knockoffs of the ADA Superjet filters (or a Superjet 900 if you won the Powerball recently). They are gorgeous stainless steel aquariums with powerful external adjustable pumps. Oh, and if you run a canister with a lily pipe or other outflow that doesn't create significant surface agitation you will want an airstone and/or surface skimmer.

If you just want an affordable filter that can handle the fish load, an Aquaclear or Tidal HOB or Coop medium sponge will do the job without an issue, for less money and with less risk of water leakage/spillage and easier servicing than a canister. I personally use canisters because I go pretty full aquascape, but I think generally they aren't needed on smaller (say sub 100 gallon) aquariums unless you need to crank flow or get equipment out of the way for aesthetic purposes.