Are Canister Filters Worth the Cost if Your Prime Goal is Quiet

[Uberhoust]

I have used HOB filters for almost every aquarium I have ever setup. I started with the Dynaflows then moved to the Aquaclears. Functionally I really like the Aquaclears because they are essentially a large box that I put whatever media I want in them. I am sure that other manufactures have good HOB filters as well.

I do though have a couple of issues with the Aquaclears. First they do tend to become noisy from time to time requiring multiple adjustments to the top cover and or the impeller, and they do have a tendency to stop working after the power comes on after a power outage, common in my neighborhood, and require re-starting.

The biggest issue is with the noise, which my wife finds very irritating. I am thinking of a Fluvial 407 canister for my 75 gallon tank but they are about three times the cost of the equivalent Aquaclear. The other reason I am considering a canister(s) is that I may want to lower the water level to allow for plant grow above the water level.

I am trying to get a sense as to whether the canister is worth the extra cost, what would be the gotcha's or benefits that one wouldn't normally consider with a canister filter? Alternatively has anyone found a filter that is extremely quiet of any type (no air or foam filters, I have a number of air pumps that don't pass the noise test).

 

[FishHobby99]

I switched to simple sponge filters for everything except the big tank with a sump

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yes I would say they are worth it. You generally have more space for media and normally they are more quite. It is also one less bit of kit in or attached to the tank.

Personally I always use external's because I like minimal equipment in the tank, especially with the canisters with built in heaters. That being said though at the end of the day they all do the same job and an external filter is not necessarily going to give you a "cleaner" tank or better water quality.

I have always used ehiem and fluval canister filters. Both are good quality and easy to get spare parts for. I recently dug a 15+ year old Ehiem filter out of storage that has been used on multiple tanks for years. All I had to do was replace the seals and its as good as the day I first bought it.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Short answer: Yes, they're worth it.

I used sunsun canister filters on both my bigger home tanks (had great luck with them; others' experiences vary), and a huge Eheim canister on the 150. Both are dead quiet, hold way more media than I could possibly need, and easy to adjust flow to do pretty much anything you want. My big gripe with HOBs, besides the noise, is that they churn half the tank while leaving the other side dead. With a canister, you can set them up to have a steady flow that reaches the entire tank. And yeah, they do free up a lot of space inside.

Completely worth it, in my experience.

 

[Byron]

I purchased three Eheim Pro II canisters in the late 1990's and I never heard any of them running. The longest one I owned (knowing a move to a smaller residence was in the works I began downsizing) was acquired in 1998 and ran non-stop 24/7 until I tore this tank down in early 2019. Never an issue, and silent as the grave (assuming graves to be silent...I wonder). It had a heating unit as well, and though expensive, if I ever need to get a canister without any question I would try to get an Eheim with heating element. No heaters in the tank, and the water temperature never varied from the set temp by more than 2/10ths of one degree in all that time.

 

[Uberhoust]

I switched to simple sponge filters for everything except the big tank with a sump

I totally love the idea of a foam filter, I have a number of them. If I could quiet down the pumps that would be great. Used to have a Silent Giant which was very quiet but it stopped working a number of years ago and haven't found an equivalent. The pump was originally my father's. I would have to say though that in the back of my mind I don't want to reduce the media amount.

It is also one less bit of kit in or attached to the tank.

Yes that is a point. Effectively 2 1/2" id hoses and the cable for the heater. That would really clean up the back of the tank and I could move the tanks closer to the wall.

Both are dead quiet, hold way more media than I could possibly need, and easy to adjust flow to do pretty much anything you want

That is what I want to hear. My life partner is very intolerant of noise, I cannot even have the HOBs spill water into the tank they have to have the water level even with the outflow so we don't hear the water. Not familiar with the Sunsun brand, I will have to take a look. I have 3 functioning tanks in our main living area so it might be a bit pricy but if I can keep the fish there instead of moving them downstairs that would be great.

Thanks all.

 

[Obsessed with fish]

I'm sure a lot of people would disagree with me, but I think that if a tank is above 55 gallons it should have a canister filter. Canister filters are always a better option for a large tank, but if you rally don't want one then 3 or 4 sponge filters would work.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Never an issue, and silent as the grave (assuming graves to be silent...I wonder).

I've already put it in my will that I want a tail-kickin' sound system installed in mine.

 

[Avel1896]

Hi,
Not necessarily. I use Eheim internal "classic 150" in bedroom, so quiet I could sleep on it.

 

[Playsander]

I run a fluval 307 external filter. Canister filters are great. You can pack them with an amazing amount if media and mine us extremely quiet.

 

[Angrybeaver]

Depending on how you tank setup a fluval 407 might not have enough oomph. I was eyeing one for my 75g tank to replace an undersized eheim that I inherited with it. The problem was that they suggest you turn your tank water over 3+ times an hour and the flowrate of the fluval just wasn't high enough for that.

 

[itiwhetu]

I only ever run internal filters. I love the fact that everything is contained in the tank. I have never had a noise issue with internal filters.

 

[Linkandnavi]

If the noise issue is with the impeller, try a Seachem Tidal hob. The impeller unit is in the tank rather than outside as with most hobs and I have never once heard mine operating. The impeller being inside the tank means they automatically restart if the power goes off and on too, rather than needing priming. If the noise issue is the water flow then that's a different issue of course.

I personally love canister filters. They're on all my tanks barring one (with the Tidal) and I'm thinking of switching that over at some point.

I hate internal filters but that's just me.

 

[anewbie]

I have a fluval fx6 and i would not call it quiet; i also have an eheim 2217 which is very quiet but i'm unhappy with the flow from it; i have matten filters in 4 of my tanks (large sponges) and they can be quiet depending on jet stream rate and alignment of the jet stream with the water top (jet stream is just an efficient air tube that is a bit more efficient than what you find on most sponge filters); of course quiet is always relative - sometime my fishes are noisy. I find canister filters (esp the eheim) can be a bit of a pia to clean and if you are the clumsy sort you don't want to mess with a canister filter (disconnect from aquarium for cleaning); I've never had a leak but i've heard horror stories where someone reconnects it wrong or (in the case of eheim) breaks the quiet disconnect valve and flood the room (how someone breaks the quick disconnect valve I have no clue they seem robust but this person had a newer pro series and rumor they are not as nice as the ones made 20 years ago). Anyway generally speaking i think a hob is more robust for someone new; and canister filters have their places - though in my next tank I will put the sump in the basement below the tank and that should address the noise issue (i don't really care if the crawl space floods though i'm sure my fishes might object).

 

[FishHobby99]

I have used HOB filters for almost every aquarium I have ever setup. I started with the Dynaflows then moved to the Aquaclears. Functionally I really like the Aquaclears because they are essentially a large box that I put whatever media I want in them. I am sure that other manufactures have good HOB filters as well.

I do though have a couple of issues with the Aquaclears. First they do tend to become noisy from time to time requiring multiple adjustments to the top cover and or the impeller, and they do have a tendency to stop working after the power comes on after a power outage, common in my neighborhood, and require re-starting.

The biggest issue is with the noise, which my wife finds very irritating. I am thinking of a Fluvial 407 canister for my 75 gallon tank but they are about three times the cost of the equivalent Aquaclear. The other reason I am considering a canister(s) is that I may want to lower the water level to allow for plant grow above the water level.

I am trying to get a sense as to whether the canister is worth the extra cost, what would be the gotcha's or benefits that one wouldn't normally consider with a canister filter? Alternatively has anyone found a filter that is extremely quiet of any type (no air or foam filters, I have a number of air pumps that don't pass the noise test).

I am on my stationary bike right now. An AC 110 is ~8 inches from my ear. I am sensitive to noise & can’t hear anything whatsoever.
My apologies if I made the same comment to you before. I don’t hear anything from the other AC 110 currently cycling in the cichlid sump when I clean the sump filters. Some filters do make noise if the water level isn’t high enough.

I too like the AC 110 HOB due to the design simplicity