OASE BioMaster External Filter for Aquariums Up to 160 Gallons, Multi-Stage Filtration, Easy Maintenance Prefilter, Quiet Canister Filter, German Engineering

I received the OASE BioMaster 600 a few weeks ago and have been running it on my 55-gallon planted tank since. I’ve used a few different canisters in the past (including Fluval and Marineland models), and this one easily stands out in terms of build quality and thoughtful design.Setup & Installation:Unboxing was straightforward, and everything arrived well-packed. The included media trays were preloaded, which saved time, and the filter came with an adapter for adding an inline heater — a huge plus if you want to keep equipment out of the tank. Installation took under an hour. The Quick Release prefilter module is clever and genuinely helpful for maintenance. Hoses are a bit stiff out of the box, but they relaxed with some warm water.Performance:Running this on a moderately stocked tank with CO₂ injection and high plant load, the flow rate has been consistent, and water clarity is excellent. The integrated prefilter does a solid job catching debris before it reaches the biomedia, and it only takes a few minutes to pop it out and rinse. Compared to my previous Fluval 407, the OASE runs noticeably quieter — a soft hum that’s barely audible under the stand.Build & Design:Feels sturdy and well-engineered. The primer is one of the best I’ve used — took about three pushes to get it going. The tray system is intuitive and seals well, with no leaks or bypass issues. I also appreciate that it doesn’t take up a lot of space in the tank itself; everything’s external, and the footprint under my stand is compact considering the capacity.Pros:Excellent build quality and modular designQuiet operationEasy-to-access prefilter reduces full cleaningsHeater integration optionStrong, consistent flow even with media fully loadedCons:Hoses are rigid and take time to adjustA bit pricey, especially if you're not planning to use the heater moduleOverall:This filter feels like a long-term investment, especially for high-tech or heavily planted tanks. Maintenance is easier than most, and the performance has been reliable so far. If you're willing to spend a bit more for convenience and quiet, it's worth every dollar. I’ll update if anything changes over time, but so far it’s been a rock-solid addition to my setup.

I’m pretty happy with this canister filter so far. It’s very quiet, easy to set up and prime. Mine came with the better pre-filter tube. It’s easy to clean the pre-filter, but from what I see online, it has to be cleaned more often (every one or two weeks) especially if you’re overstocked and have a lot of plants. The good thing is, the rest of the filter stays very clean and doesn’t have to be cleaned for all really long time. I purchased the heater separately to get a cleaner look in my tank. This replaced an older canister that I over tightened and broke one of the plastic screws on. I may stay with this brand if all goes well long term.

I bought my first Oase Biomaster 350 for my overcrowded 60 gallon N. Brichardi tank to replace a SunSun that sounded like haybailer I could hear on the other side of the house. The Biomaster had many reviews touting how quiet it was, so I was a buyer. Later, I started a 29 gallon planted tank so of course I went with another Oase Biomaster 350 Thermal this time. When the other SunSun type filter crapped out on the 60 gallon I went with the Biomaster 600.I’ve never been happier with my purchases. I have NO problems with purging or bubbling. The 600 will gas off for maybe ½ an hour after a pre filter cleaning…the two 350’s never purge. All of them just sit there and quietly do their job.I believe that the purging that some others complain about are either operating error such as not getting tight connections on the hoses, not running a coat of Vaseline or silicone grease on the tank o-ring…or a warranty issue (warped lid or bad o-ring IDK?)that Oase should take care of.I also believe aquarist who listen to that foolish Irishman hacking over priced clay or any of the other snake oil biological filters on the market produced to filter the money from your pocket. I am a firm believer that the 30 or 40 ppi sponge that come with the Oase filters is the ultimate biological filter medium. The sponge allows the oxygenated water to flow throughout thus supporting huge amounts of beautiful brown biological mass. Save your money and set the filter up just the way it comes from the factory.The only “pimp” I do to my filters is drill in more holes in the pre-filter tube. I use the fine black Oase pre-filters but have added the big ugly Eheim pre-filters on the intake tubes. The Eheim filters are pretty coarse and do a great job of collecting the big nasty stuff. I clean those out about one every 7 to 10 days and only need to clean the fine Oase pre-filter about once a month. I only crack open the main filters maybe once a year (usually not necessary even that often) for a light swish around in a bucket of tank water and back to work. The biological filtration is beyond belief. Water tests show no ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates. I could really use more nitrates to help the plants but no complaints about that.I’ve had many different aquariums since 1971, running every type of filter from under gravel and the old Metaframe hang on back to now what I consider the ultimate; Oase Biomaster.

Bed. After 43 days stop working.