Best Aquarium Filters · head-to-head

Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter vs OASE BioMaster Thermo 850 Canister Filter

A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter is cheaper at —. Every spec and price links to its source.

Full spec sheet

marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.

Spec Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter OASE BioMaster Thermo 850 Canister Filter
US price
BrandPenn-PlaxOASE
Released
Type canister canister
Flow rate gph 265 400
Tank size gal 100 250
Media capacity (L) 8
Media stages 3 4
Wattage 28.5 32
Self priming Yes Yes
Dimensions (in) 11.5 x 10 x 17 9.4 x 9.4 x 21.1

Sources — Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter: eorder.pennplax.com (verified 2026-08-01). OASE BioMaster Thermo 850 Canister Filter: aquaristikshop.com (verified 2026-08-01).

What's the difference between the Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter and OASE BioMaster Thermo 850 Canister Filter?

Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (5 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.

  • Flow rate gph: Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter 265 vs OASE BioMaster Thermo 850 Canister Filter 400
  • Tank size gal: Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter 100 vs OASE BioMaster Thermo 850 Canister Filter 250
  • Media stages: Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter 3 vs OASE BioMaster Thermo 850 Canister Filter 4
  • Wattage: Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter 28.5 vs OASE BioMaster Thermo 850 Canister Filter 32
  • Dimensions (in): Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filter 11.5 x 10 x 17 vs OASE BioMaster Thermo 850 Canister Filter 9.4 x 9.4 x 21.1

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