35 gallon fish tank canister filter recommendations

Hey everyone,

Sorry for making another one of these threads.

But I need help deciding on a canister filter for my 3ft (35 gallon fish tank).

The current stocking is: 3 fancy goldfish (small) and 6 white clouds (very small)

Currently I have 1 AquaClear 30 HOB and 1 Aqua One 400 HOB and 1 sponge filter (AC/DC air pump). The tank is not that clean and the filter is not doing a good job now.

So based on this info what filter could work for my system??

My choices are:

1. Eheim 2217 with my sponge filter (no HOB)
2. Eheim 2215 and use 1 HOB filter and sponge filter
3. Eheim 2213 and use both HOB filters and sponge filter
4. SunSun/aqua top/perfect (ebay canister) with sponge filter (no HOB)
5. ?? any other recommendations??

I'm leaning towards the SunSun but are there any other choices out there that is good for my size tank??

Thanks for any help.

 

Eheims are the standard in aquariums. They are usually very highly rated but they are rather expensive. I have also been looking at the SunSun's and they seem very good especially for the price. Here in the US they are $50 including shipping which is about half price of most Eheims. I have done some research on them, and most really like them and recommend them. The one complaint I have read is that the basket handles for the media are a bit flimsy and tend to break. This doesn't effect the performance of the filter, just makes it a little tricky to remove baskets during maintenance. If I were you, I would go with the SunSun and sponge filter combo. I have a 40 gallon tank, and run with a Marineland Emperor 280 and a sponge filter. The combo does great for me.

On another note, goldfish are known to be messy. They will also grow to be very large. They ideally need a large tank 50 gallons or more for 2. For 3 most would recommend 75 gallons or more. You may consider rehoming these fish back to the fish store or to someone locally that has a larger tank. This would give you more room for other fish better suited to your tank size. A larger school of white clouds would look great or perhaps some tetras. Would also help the filters work easier without the dirty goldfish around.

 

I have the cheapy canisters from eBay and love them. They're actually Gretch, not SunSun. But all they are are AquaTops cheapest models, just rebranded and sold out of china. Very good filters, especially for the price you pay.

 

Thanks for the replies and sorry for my late reply.

Yes. I will go with the ebay cheapie.

I am in Australia and over here it is a bit more expensive at $69 (free postage)... also no media.

I will probably chuck in 2L of Seachem matrix and use a coarse sponge and fine foam.

Also, do I need a form of water polishing as the top layer?? Like purigen or chemi-pure?? Or can I go without using one. I don't have it in my HOB filters.

Thanks for any help.

 

Seachem Matrix is a good choice, works well. I don't think you "need" to use Purigen or Chemi-pure. I have heard good things about Purigen. But the main things you need is some sponges or mesh to filter out large debris, and then bio-filtration like matrix, bioballs, ceramic rings, more sponges etc.

If you do decide on using Purigen, buy twice as much as you need. This way, you can switch them out when needed. This will give you time to recharge the old Purigen and get it ready for the next switch out. Works well in filter bags.

 

Seachem Matrix is a good choice, works well. I don't think you "need" to use Purigen or Chemi-pure. I have heard good things about Purigen. But the main things you need is some sponges or mesh to filter out large debris, and then bio-filtration like matrix, bioballs, ceramic rings, more sponges etc.

If you do decide on using Purigen, buy twice as much as you need. This way, you can switch them out when needed. This will give you time to recharge the old Purigen and get it ready for the next switch out. Works well in filter bags.

Cheers for the reply.

Well I ordered the SunSun 302 canister at $69 and ordered 2L seachem matrix, 100ml purigen and a coarse sponge ($100 total). I decided to get the purigen just in case I ever needed it.

Here in Australia the SunSun canisters are a bit more expensive than other countries .. but they are still a lot cheaper than the brand name canisters. The eheim 2217 with media is around $250 here

Can't wait to finally get it and install it