# Best Aquarium Filters (2026) — ranked by value, every figure sourced and dated

14 aquarium filters on the record, median price $189. Each price links to the page it came from and the day we captured it — no guesses, no affiliate spin. Current as of 2026-08-01.

Lowest-priced: AquaClear 70 Power Filter — $79.99.

Full comparison: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/aquarium-filters/

| # | Product | Brand | Price (US) | Deskmark | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [AquaClear 70 Power Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/aquaclear-70/) | AquaClear | $79.99 | Bronze Deskmark 2/100 | fluvalaquatics.com |
| 2 | [AquaClear 110 Power Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/aquaclear-110/) | AquaClear | $99.99 | Silver Deskmark 41/100 | fluvalaquatics.com |
| 3 | [SunSun HW-304B Canister Filter with UV Sterilizer](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/sunsun-hw-304b/) | SunSun | $178.99 | Gold Deskmark 49/100 | mingllc.com |
| 4 | [Fluval 307 Performance Canister Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/fluval-307/) | Fluval | $199.99 | Bronze Deskmark 1/100 | fluvalaquatics.com |
| 5 | [Fluval FX4 Canister Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/fluval-fx4/) | Fluval | $333.04 | Silver Deskmark 45/100 | fluvalaquatics.com |
| 6 | [Fluval FX6 Canister Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/fluval-fx6/) | Fluval | $369.99 | Platinum Deskmark 90/100 | fluvalaquatics.com |
| 7 | [EHEIM Classic 2213 (250) External Canister Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/eheim-classic-2213/) | EHEIM | Not published | Bronze Deskmark 0/100 | eheim.com |
| 8 | [EHEIM Classic 2217 (600) External Canister Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/eheim-classic-2217/) | EHEIM | Not published | Silver Deskmark 44/100 | eheim.com |
| 9 | [Fluval 407 Performance Canister Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/fluval-407/) | Fluval | Not published | Silver Deskmark 17/100 | fluvalaquatics.com |
| 10 | [Marineland Magniflow 360 Canister Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/marineland-magniflow-360/) | Marineland | Not published | Bronze Deskmark 10/100 | marineland.com |
| 11 | [Marineland Penguin 350 (BIO-Wheel) Power Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/marineland-penguin-350/) | Marineland | Not published | Bronze Deskmark 3/100 | marineland.com |
| 12 | [OASE BioMaster Thermo 850 Canister Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/oase-biomaster-thermo-850/) | OASE | Not published | Gold Deskmark 75/100 | aquaristikshop.com |
| 13 | [Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/penn-plax-cascade-1000/) | Penn-Plax | Not published | Bronze Deskmark 10/100 | eorder.pennplax.com |
| 14 | [Seachem Tidal 110 Power Filter](https://frontdeskreview.com/product/aquarium-filters/seachem-tidal-110/) | Seachem | Not published | Bronze Deskmark 9/100 | seachem.com |

Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the best-value aquarium filters ranked by sourced, dated price — https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/aquarium-filters/

Method: Covers external canister filters and hang-on-back (HOB) power filters for freshwater aquariums that a buyer comparison-shops in 2026, spanning budget (SunSun) to premium (Fluval FX6, OASE BioMaster Thermo) tiers. type is an enum: canister (fully sealed external unit, gravity/siphon fed) or hang-on-back (HOB; clips onto the tank rim, impeller-driven intake tube). tank_size_gal is the manufacturer's maximum rated aquarium size in US gallons; when the manufacturer publishes a min-max range, this is the top of that range. flow_rate_gph is the manufacturer's rated pump output in US gallons per hour — the raw pump figure, not a derated "in-tank filter circulation" number, when a source publishes both. media_capacity_l is the media basket/tray/canister filter-volume in liters as explicitly stated by the manufacturer; null when no liter figure is disclosed (common for HOB filters, which are usually specified by included cartridge/insert count instead). media_stages counts the manufacturer's own explicitly stated filtration-stage number (e.g. "4 STAGE FILTRATION" printed on AquaClear/Magniflow packaging, "5-stage" for the SunSun HW-304B) or, when no explicit stage count is published but the manufacturer names discrete filtration categories (mechanical/chemical/biological), the count of those named categories; null when neither is stated. wattage is the filter pump's rated power draw in watts at the 120V/60Hz US spec (or the single spec given, where regional variants exist); for the OASE BioMaster Thermo 850 — the one model here with a built-in heater — this is the pump only, the separate 400W heater element is called out in the product's provenance/priceNote instead of blended into wattage. self_priming is true only where the manufacturer explicitly describes an automatic/self-starting pump that needs no manual siphon step (e.g. Fluval's "Smart Pump" auto-start, a stated "self-priming pump", or a push-button primer described as self-priming); it is false where the manufacturer instead describes a manual hand-operated primer bulb/handle (Fluval's 07-series "Redesigned Primer" requires the user to hand-pump it); null where the manufacturer's page does not address priming at all. dimensions_in is length x width x height in inches as published, converted from mm/cm where the manufacturer only gives metric; cylindrical canisters are given as diameter x diameter x height. priceUsd is a representative current US street price (a named US retailer or the manufacturer's own USD listing) since most of these manufacturers' own product pages do not publish MSRP; null when no verbatim US-dollar figure could be sourced from a fetched page — several long-running EU-market products (OASE, both EHEIM Classic sizes) and two Fluval 07-series filters had no fetchable USD price and are left null rather than guessed. releaseDate is left null across the board: none of the fetched manufacturer or retailer pages stated a verbatim launch year/month for these long-running, frequently-restocked product lines, and none was fabricated.

License: CC BY 4.0. Every row is dated and links to its source. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl