A 55-gallon aquarium is a popular choice for those who want to choose an average size for their aquarium. 55 gallons is a medium size, neither too small nor too large, enabling you to manage the aquarium more easily.
But for any aquarium, hygiene is always a problem that everyone faces. Once you start releasing fish into the tank, the waste and dirt will appear immediately. And they need to be cleaned regularly to quickly prevent pollution from happening.
That’s why the best filter for 55-gallon aquariums is important equipment for your tank. This device can effectively remove debris, waste, and odors. You will not need to manually clean the aquarium.
Currently, there are many best filters for 55-gallon fish tanks on the market so you may have trouble choosing the best one. You need to choose a product with good quality, high performance, and a good life expectancy. The reason is that this is not an easy investment and you should definitely save.
Fortunately, we have put together a buying guide to show you how to choose the best 55-gallon fish tank. And along with that is a list of best filter for 55-gallon aquarium review 2021, including the best products that we objectively evaluated.
Top 5 Best filter for 55 gallon aquarium Review 2021
#1 MarineLand Penguin 350 BIO – [Best Rated]
It can be said that MarineLand Penguin 350 BIO is the most comprehensive overall filter we can find today for a 55-gallon tank. This filter can be used for both saltwater and freshwater tanks and has good filtration quality for an affordable price.
When it comes to MarineLand, people think of a manufacturer of filters for quality aquariums. This product is also one of the best-selling products and received much appreciation from users. You can absolutely love the quality of this product.
It has three filtration stages that have absolute cleaning capabilities, you can also replace and clean these filtration stages easily. In particular, one of the filtration stages is Black Diamond activated carbon – a high grade activated carbon.
This filter can cleanly remove the dirt, debris as well as the waste of the residents in the tank. It is also capable of breaking down the structure of ammonia, nitrates and other impurities caused by fish waste and aquatic plants.
This filter has a compact design, so it can be easily set up and doesn’t take up a lot of space in the aquarium. You also will not have much difficulty maintaining this filter on a regular basis and it is extremely suitable for beginners.
Although good in quality and reasonably priced, this filter is sometimes quite noisy. But overall this occasional noise does not affect too much the overall quality of the product.
#2 MarineLand Magnum Polishing Internal Canister Filter – [Best Flexibility]
Another product from MarineLand that we think should appear on this list. This product offers the flexibility and longevity that is rare among the best filters for 55 gallon aquariums available today. You might be surprised at the outstanding quality of this filter.
The outstanding versatility of the product is that it can be used in aquariums up to 97 gallons in size. This means that it’s not only great for 55 gallons tanks but also larger for the limit of 97 gallons.
The dual filter chamber design is also a flexibility of this filter, you can check which filter media works best, thereby making a reasonable change. This is a special design that not many products own.
The three filter stages of this filter are nearly identical to the # 1 filter we introduced you, Black Diamond also included. Perhaps we do not need to mention the filtering capability of these filtration stages.
It can be said that this is one of the best internal aquarium filters currently on the market. It does not take up much space in an aquarium because it is quite compact in size. If you combine it well with accessories inside the aquarium then maybe no difference will occur.
This filter is fixed to the aquarium by suction cups and it works really well. You also do not need to worry about the life of this product because the shell has a long life and is quite sturdy. If you accidentally dropped it, there’s no need to worry.
The only downside to this filter is the noise and it’s actually quite annoying for quiet spaces. If this problem is overcome, this product is truly one of the most comprehensive filters available today.
#3 AquaClear – Fish Tank Filter – [Best Design]
AquaClear is also one of the famous brands in the field of producing aquatic equipment that is widely trusted. And this filter is also one of the best-selling products, with a great capacity for your 55-gallons aquarium.
This filter has a compact size but the quality of its operation will surprise you. The hang-on-back design helps you save more space for your tank, it will only take a little space on the surface to contact the tank. A small and long tube will do the job of drawing water into the filter, but the filter does not need to be submerged in water.
This filter also has a transparent design so it hardly causes too much attention in the aquarium. It also does not affect too much the sight or aesthetic appearance of the aquarium compared to other materials. It can be said that this is a great product for those who love to decorate the aquarium.
You also do not need to spend much effort and time to install and maintain it. This is really suitable for those who do not have much experience in the hobby aquarium. To start the filter, you just need to plug in the power socket and everything will then be done automatically.
Users can change the flow rate of the filter to suit the residents in the tank as well as make the oxygen in the tank become more abundant. The water after filtering from the filter will come out in the shape of a waterfall, not only beautiful but also create a necessary movement for the habitat of the fish.
However, this filter is quite vibrating, you can easily notice this vibration at night. It can affect your sleep, but overall this is still a good filter for a 55 gallons aquarium.
#4 Tetra Whisper EX Silent Multi-Stage Power Filter – [Best Performance]
This filter from Tetra is compact in size but its powerful performance is sure to leave an impression on you. Although not as big as other filters, it can filter significant volumes of water for tanks up to 70 gallons. And certainly, the 55-gallon aquarium will also be impressively cleaned.
This filter also has three stages of mechanical, chemical and biological filtration. In particular, the bacteria plates of this filter are able to improve the health of living things in aquariums. So not only can this filter effectively filter water and waste, but it also contributes to the health of fish and plants.
It has a simple design, easy to use, you do not need any intervention or complex assembly after receiving goods. All you need to do is take the product out of the box, plug it in, and you’re done. It also does not require much effort for maintenance.
The special thing about this product is that it comes with two filters, so the water filtration performance becomes stronger than ever. You may have difficulty with other small size filters, but not this one.
Its engine works quite smoothly, however, there are still unexpected vibrations, which may be startling and frightening aquarium creatures. But this is only a small minus point compared to its powerful performance.
#5 Polar Aurora 3-Stage External Aquarium Filter – [Best Quality]
If you are a fan of an external aquarium filter then surely you should never ignore this filter from Polar Aurora. This is one of the best external filter for 55 gallon aquariums we can find on the market today. And you can count on the quality and performance of this product.
With the compact size of this product, you can fully utilize the space under the aquarium. It also works very quietly, not making any noise that affects your living space. This filter is lightweight so you can place it on thin surfaces without a thick one.
This product has a very good filtering ability and also allows you to adjust the flow rate. As the flow rate decreases, it becomes easier for the fish to feed, and the smaller fish will not be caught in the filter. And as the flow rate increases, so does the amount of oxygen.
This filter has a long life because it is made of good material. You can also easily clean and clean the filter without worrying about reducing its life span.
Despite its good quality, this product still has a shortcoming. Many people think that the pipes of this filter are not flexible and quite rigid. They can hardly move its location or remove it for maintenance. The rigidity also makes them fear that pipes may break after a period of use.
What to look for when buying the best filter for 55 gallon aquarium?
As we mentioned above, choosing a filter for a 55-gallon aquarium is a straightforward task and requires experience to choose the best one. But if you are a beginner, you will need a buying guide to choose the most suitable product.
Before buying the best filter for 55 gallon aquarium, you need to consider some factors before jumping in. And here is what you need to consider.
#1 Filter size
First, consider the size of the filter before deciding to buy. A 55-gallon tank is not yet able to provide a large swimming space for tank residents after adding other accessories. If you choose a large size filter, that space will be much narrower.
Once they are not allowed to swim comfortably, residents of the tanks will be able to adversely affect their health. Besides the large capacity filter (usually large size) will suck the small fish into the filter when they come too close.
A compact designed filter will help you solve these problems. Usually, canister filters or external filters will have a compact design, not taking up a lot of space in the aquarium.
#2 Filter quality
When choosing any filter, you must pay attention to the quality of its water filtration. Usually, a filter for a 55-gallon tank will have three filtration stages: mechanical, chemical and biological filtration.
These are the three most basic filtration stages, which help remove dirt, debris, impurities, and waste from the aquarium. Some filters come with other filters, so you should also check how they work and how they work.
Filter bags should be easily replaceable and easily cleaned to ensure filtration quality.
#3 Maintenance and replacement
Not only the filter bag but the entire filter needs to be maintained and cleaned regularly to remove dirt and harmful bacteria. If you choose a filter that does not have complete access to cleaning, it will have adverse effects on the health of the fish.
Instead, filters that can be removed and assembled easily will be a top priority. Filter bags also need to be replaced and cleaned in a snap to continue their work.
Selecting like this will also save you time and effort on filter maintenance.
Conclusion
Never be subjective in choosing any filter for your 55-gallon aquarium. If you have difficulty selecting the best filter for 55-gallon aquarium, don’t hesitate to ask for help from experienced people, or read reviews from previous customers. You can also trust us and we will be happy to help you. We hope the above information is helpful for you and thank you for reading!