Equipment Review and Discussion :: which canister filter is the "best"?

[the_littlest_weasley]

right now i have about 30 or so gallons in with my two little guys and my zoo meds 501 canister filter just isn't cutting it. i've used the fluval internal filters in the past but i just hate the hassel of having to stick my hand in the water everytime i need to clean it. i like having the canister filter but i just need something stronger.
i was considering going with a fluval 305 but it's a lot of money to invest so i just wanted to know what your opinions were on the different canister filters.
which one (in your opinion) is the best one out there? keep in mind this would be something for two RES in about 30 gal. who will be upgraded as soon as i save up enough money.

[N4784N R4613]

What size tank are you upgrading to? You could just buy a filter for your upgrade, and use it in your tank, until you upgrade. You know what i mean?

[jenaero]

I use the fluval 404 on my 125gal and it works great. I bet it'd kick butt on a 30gal tank! They're expensive but so worth the money

[rocketright]

I would say an FX5 is the best... It's for 400 gallon aquariums though...

[marisa]

For canisters, the XP3 is really user-friendly. How big a tank are you going to upgrade to? Is there any chance you could upgrade the tank before getting a better filter? That way, if you did get a canister meant for larger tanks than the 30-gallon you have now, you wouldn't have any possible issues over it's being too powerful for the tank in terms of current produced. (If you're thinking of the Fluval 304, it would be better just to pay a little more and get the 404 (or whatever the next largest model is).

[the_littlest_weasley]

well, i would like to move them up to a 100 gal tank, but i don't think that will be happening any time soon. however, if i do upgrade soon a new filter won't go to waste because my little sister has two baby RES and she gets all my hammie-downs as far a tanks and equipment goes. so i guess what i need is something that would be good for something good for 30 gallons of water for two growing RES.

[Muirner]

My vote goes for the XP3 as well. If your planning an upgrade you wont regret it. 3 Baskets, with plenty of room for any media you may need/want. Maintence every 3 weeks or so (assuming your turts are messy). You can always use the inline regulator on the output side to help slow down the water flow on the tank for now until you go bigger with the tank.