HOB or Fluval?

[Glasstapper]

I'm looking to get my 45 another filter. I currently have a whisper 60, but more filtration is desired. Should I get another whisper 60 or the Fluval 4 Plus? They're both the same price and rated for up to 57-60 gallon tanks.

[Fishguy2727]

What kind of/how many fish? What water change schedule? What are the dimensions on that tank? Without this info I would say Fluval 4plus.

[Glasstapper]

oh sorry. d'oh! :)

It's a 45 gallon, 48"x12"x19". It will be for the fish currently listed in my sig (tiger barbs, salvini, corys - except the EBJD - he's getting moved to his own tank). I may add a convict in a week or two (if my salvini allows it), but that would be all the fish totalling in there. I perform two 30% water changes in a week totalling 60% weekly.

does that change the fluval suggestion?

[Fishguy2727]

No, just beware that the Fluval 4plus is an internal canister filter, so that means going into the aquarium to clean it. The nice thing about it is that it has a low flow indicator that pops up (or drops down, can't remember which, I think it drops down) when the water flow slows because there is so much crap in the media. I would do just the two mechanical media pads that come with it, and keep rinsing and re-using them until you have to get new ones. Skip the carbon and polisher pads. Very powerful flow, very good mechanical filtration, and the mechanical will double as biological. I usually just use a jet sprayer (like on a garden hose, hopefully you have one inside on a shower head) to rinse them out so you can keep using them and preserve some of the nitrifying bacteria that colonize the pads.

[Lady Hobbs]

You could get an additional HOB as well and use both. I like using two myself as it clears up both ends of the tank.

[Glasstapper]

the whisper 60 is a HOB. I do really like them, I and am familiar with them. I was considering the Fluval because I don't know if an internal filter would be more beneficial than a second HOB or do the same job as a HOB.

Thank y'all for the suggestions. I'll decide on one soon, I'm sure.

[NorthernBoy]

neither...get an eheim.

[Fishguy2727]

Not exactly in the Fluval 4plus/Whisper price range. I know Eheim is hands down the best but I have never felt it necessary to go above Fluval, which has always been what I needed.

[Nautilus29]

You could get a marineland penguin bio wheel filter. I have 2 of them and I'm very satisfied by them.