Been Offered Some Filters - Which To Choose?

[HappyGeorge]

Would be very glad of some help guys

I have just purchased an exdisplay Rena Aqualife 450 plus cabinet.

As I am sure most of you probably know the tank is approx 450l and is going to house Malawi Cichlids.

I had originally ordered another tank but it was double sold and I am being offered what I consider a very good deal
the tank along with its internal Fluval 305 plus a choice of either 2 Aqua One CF1000 or 2 Fluval 4+ filters. Whichever of these
packages I chose would cost me £399.

BUT

For £468 I can have the tank and a single Fluval FX5 unit.

Any thoughts most welcome and appreciated need to make a quick decision.

 

[HappyGeorge]

Ok going to have to be an uninformed guess by me I suppose.

 

[Rooster]

External - every time when poss !

 

[rabbut]

I had originally ordered another tank but it was double sold and I am being offered what I consider a very good deal
the tank along with its internal Fluval 305 plus a choice of either 2 Aqua One CF1000 or 2 Fluval 4+ filters.

If it were me, the Fluval 3+ (Not 305, if internal, as that is an exturnal modle range number ) and the two Aqua One C1000's

I have read many good reports of the Aqua One range, but I don't realy know much about them. This said, they cannot possibly be worse than the smaller fluval exturnals, with which I and a few friends have had a realy bad exprience with...

Second choise would be the FX5 and tank combo, but with some reporting reliability issues with the FX5 now, I'd rather have some redundancy. The twin C1000's with the 3+ internal would give this redundancy and hence why I have a preferance for that option personally.

Better still would be to negotiate a pair of Tetratec EX1200's, or a larger Eheim. You could puch for a 2080, but I doubt they'll do it at that price, so the next one down might be a good viable option...

With malawis in that size tank, Internals will not be possible IMO, as they simply won't cope with the waste load

HTH
Rabbut

 

[HappyGeorge]

Thanks for that guys but had to make the decision this afternoon so my set up looks like it is the FX5. I was looking at the tank size rating for the fillters and the CF 1000's are rated for a 250 litre tank where as the FX5 can reportedly handle a 1500 litre and with 2300lph was more than the other 2 combined.

I made a mistake when listing before and the other one included would have been the 305 external but was already thinking that 3 externals would be hard to house and annoying to clean.

The option of using the FX5 to pump water out at a water change appealed also as did the huge options for media in them (water polishers? sound great - wonder what they are).

I did express concern when I spoke to the guy about only having one filter and he is going to let me have one of the internal Fluval 4+ at no extra cost. The performance on these isnt too different to the externals on paper suitable for up to 215 litre tank giving 1000 lph and having a maintenence indicator and could put it behind my rock pile and point the outlet up to give me some nice extra surface movement. Just wondering about the possibility for using this solely for biological and using the fx5 to handle chemical and mechanical?

So my final deal was an ex display Rena Aqualife 450 in Calvados cherry and cabinet with heating and I think t5 lighting - a Fluva fx5 and a Fluval 4+ filter - a starter kit conditioner/net/additives/magnetic cleaner/scheduling computer and a master test kit containing all the water quality tests I will need for £557.

This is my first set up so madly excited but am determined to get set up and tank design right before I add anything living (except bacteria). Aiming at mid January to start the tank stocking.

Now I have been offered some Juwel 60x60 rock background at £10 a throw so maybe I should abort my DIY background project (currently in experimental phase)

 

[rabbut]

I'd use the FX5 for bio media, increased volume, as the Fluval internal won't cope alone. It will be clogged by half way through the week, with the shear ammount of waste going in, and regular cleans will de-stabilise the bacteria colony to a point where it dies back after most cleans, putting you into a mini-cycle most of the time...

Pack the FX5's baskets with Biomax or similar bio media, with the foams round the outside for mechanical, and use the 4+ for floss, to polish the water

Chemical media is never essential, and it is expencive to run. Leave it out and save the damage on your wallet. Many chemical medias will make you reliant on them also, forcing you to buy regular replacements

All the best
Rabbut