Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok - so I checked out the Fluval 404 and the Filstar XP3. Here are my questions:

1. In anyone's opinion is there a better canister filter than either of these? If so, what is the brand and model? If not, which of these two is the better and why?

2. Is a pond filter better in the tank (better = more powerful and filters better) than a canister filter? If so, which brand and model do you recommend?

3. For the two models listed above, how often do I have to replace sponges and gadgets inside? (I was overwhelmed when I saw the list of replacement items for these filters).

I thought narrowing it down would make it simple but I feel more overwhelmed than ever. I am perusing this website to purchase the filter: http://petsolutions.com so if anyone can highly recommend anything for filtering that they sell please let me know. I want to make sure my money is well spent and the filter I get really filters great!

I think that the Eheim is a better canister filter than the XP3 and the 404, but it's way more expensive. It's on that web page that you want to buy from. Just put Eheim into the search on that page.
I don't want to answer any more of your questions until you research the Eheim as well. LOL now you have 3 choices!