PONDFORSE 172GPH Canister Filter, External Aquarium Filter Ultra-Quiet Water Circulation Cleaning Machine with Media for Fish Tanks and Aquariums Up to 30 Gallons (172GPH)

How did I not know about external canister filters until now? For years I’ve been using those filters that hang on the side of the tank — the ones that sound like a mini waterfall the second the water level drops a hair. I’ve dealt with slimy filter pads that constantly need replacing, and when the filter inevitably failed after a year, I’d end up replacing the whole pricey unit. I was actually shopping for yet another one of those when I stumbled across the PONDFORSE 265GPH Canister Filter. I was skeptical at first, but the reviews were glowing. The price was a bit higher than what I wanted to spend — but once I mentally added up what I was already paying for pads, replacements, and frustration, I decided to give it a shot. I’m so glad I did. The canister was easy to assemble, and after following the directions, it started working perfectly right away. It’s completely silent — the only sound is the gentle flow of water returning to the tank, which is actually relaxing instead of annoying. My only complaint? The hoses. They’re thick, stiff, and require some effort (and precision cutting) to position correctly. It’s definitely not a “bend and go” situation. The product could really benefit from better tubing. But even with that flaw, I liked it so much that I bought two more for my other tanks. I haven’t needed to break one down for cleaning yet, but after watching someone else do it, it looks straightforward. Overall, this filter has been a total upgrade from the noisy hang-on-tank style — and I wish I had discovered canister filters years ago.

Was a bit worried after reading reviews saying that the pump didn't work but I'm happy to say my husband's Oscar tank is running smoothly. The added water flow has even got our fishy showing mating behavior 🤞😆. The pump is super simple to put together and to clean. We've been running it as the main filtration pump on our Oscar tank for about six months now and it runs the tank clear. We've taken it apart once to clean after a full tank reset and had no issues getting it running again. Well worth the price.

For this review I'm going to cover some quick facts. 1. Not easy to set up. 2. Randomly stops pumping. 3. VERY cheap quality materials used. 4. Doesn't clean effectively as mentioned. Now just to highlight these more. Set up is mentioned to be easy but there are no instructions given. I ended up following the video on here but they don't yell you a VERY important detail first which is you have to cut the tubing to make it straight. I didn't see that part until we already had it hooked up. We actually did cut the tubing prior but it wasn't enough when I thought it would be. This thing is very finicky when it comes to that. So about fifteen days in the water looked terrible and that's when I realized it had stopped pumping. I luckily still had both filters running. Now fast forward to this week..we lost power for four days. I had a battery backup so it's fine. We get power back on it takes forever to get it going again (see other notes about this) but we get it going. Now I thought we were fine so I turned off the battery pump. Woke up this morning and one of my 5yo cichlids is dead the other two are at the top of the tank struggling to breathe. Somehow in that time the pump stopped again. This time I hadn't had my additional pump because this one we thought was good but apparently not. Got it started again but this doesn't take away the issues. Tubing is clear and no clogs because I checked. When we looked inside we did discover how terrible the quality is on the motor and all that. So honestly I get wanting to save money .but I really can't stop crying over this because my saving money killed my fish. And sadly this happened before too with another product. We are out of the return window too so just overall terrible

I purchased this canister filter because I was fed up with all of the filters that we had tried before. There were internal filters which clogged quickly and were a pain to remove for cleaning, poor quality hang on back filters which broke the first time I cleaned them, and giant hand on back filters which filtered great but were an eyesore. This filter is the bomb. It has worked very well to improve the water quality in our 10 gallon tank. It wasn't the easiest to set up because we wanted lilly tubes rather than using the provided inlet/outflow tubes. It was worth the trouble though because the tank looks amazing. There hasn't been any trouble with leaking. Setup took a bit of planning to find tubing and connectors that would connect the lilly tube to the canister connectors. Of course they weren't the same size... The pump is pretty quiet once air worked out of the canister. The flow is adjustable to a level that works with the shrimp. We used the UV light for the first few days to clear up the water, but now we don't use it every day. This aquarium canister filter has worked great for us. It cost far less than some of the more well known brands, but has performed very well. We are happy with the result and the aquarium looks great.

This is my first canister filter and I chose this because of the price point just to get my feet wet on canister filter. I have kept fish for more than 40 years. Overall, everything which is advertised worked as they should. It is very quiet. If yours is not quite enough, stop it and open it up. May sure that all of your trays are correctly installed. If you still feel that the impeller is making too much noise, get a small can of Trident Silicone food-grade grease and apply some on the surface of the impeller be unscrewing the plastic holder. It should cut down the sound by more than 70%. If everything is running correctly (trays seated right), you should wondering if it's ON because it's that quiet. If yours is noisy, something is not seated right or your connection are not securely installed. Applying some silicone on all of the connection point is also a good thing to create a good seal. How effective is the filter? I added SeaChem Purigen and Matrix to the tray. By the second day, the clarity is 90% there. By 4th day, the water is crystal clear like a new swimming pool. If there is one thing which they can improve on, it will be the blue pilot light to indicate the ON status of the UV light. That light could be brighter. The current one used in their product (as of March 2025) is very dim. You cannot see it during day time. Overall, I think this is a good product considering the price. As for durability, I will report back after a few months to see how it stood up in time.

This is a good quality filter system. It's whisper quiet and absolutely no leaks. It was very easy to set up. The water in my tank is crystal clear. Definitely well worth the money.

I’m still using this 6-8 months later and it’s working great. TBH I haven’t changed the filter media in about 4 months but it’s still working great. Doesn’t leak, and moves some serious water. Very good design, very quiet, and filters great.

I purchased this 265 GPH 3-stage external canister filter for my 75-gallon aquarium, and it has exceeded my expectations. It’s incredibly efficient at keeping the water clean and crystal clear, even with a high bio-load. The multi-stage filtration system handles mechanical, chemical, and biological media, which makes a noticeable difference in water quality. What I love most is how ultra-quiet it is. You can barely hear it running, which is a huge plus if your aquarium is in a living room or bedroom. The setup was straightforward, and the included media made it easy to get started right away. The hoses and connectors are sturdy, and the flow rate is strong without being disruptive to the fish. Maintenance is simple—just open the canister, rinse the media, and reassemble. It’s designed for both freshwater and saltwater tanks, and I’ve found it to be very consistent in performance. My fish are healthier, the tank looks better, and I spend less time worrying about water changes. If you’re looking for a dependable, quiet, and high-capacity filter for a medium to large aquarium, this one is a fantastic choice. It’s well-built, easy to use, and delivers professional-level filtration at a great price.