External Filter For 300 Ltr (80 Us Gallon) Tank

[Graymo]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and very much looking forward to hearing the advice from all of you seasoned fish keepers.

I have a Juwel Rio 300 and am looking to replace the internal black box filter with an external one. My tank is a heavily stocked planted tank. I currently have....

10 Cardinal Tetra
6 Rummynose Tetra
5 Harlequin Rasbora
6 Platys
4 White Cloud Mountain
2 Bosemani Rainbow
2 Banded Rainbow
4 Khuli Loach
1 Celestial Pearl Danio
1 Pearl Gourami
3 Clown Loach
1 Gold Nugget Pleco

1 Mountain Shrimp
8 Nerite Snails
5+ Malaysian Trumpet Snails

I obviously need one that can manage the above. However, one of the key criteria that may impact my final decision is noise levels. I sleep exactly 90 CM from the tank so the external filter must run silently and I mean silently.

I have done research and the following four are the ones I have shortlisted.....

TetraTech EX1200 (£90)
Fluvel 405 (£105)
Fluval FX5 (£150)
Eheim Pro 3 2075 (£170)

I would really appreciate some help choosing, especially from those who own one or more of these. To overcome the noise problem would it be better to get two less powerful filters instead of one bigger one? Another thing is that I don't really want to break the £200 mark so a lot of the higher end models are beyond my budget.

I hope to be able to base my decision on the advice I get from this so please help me decide.

Many thanks in advance

 

[curlyriff]

Im not sure out of them as I haven't owned any but I know you can get the FX5 for under £140 posted new.

My friend also uses this on his 575ltr corner tank with no problems and worries about noice with it either.

 

[mattlee]

i used to have an FX5 on a tank in the conservatory and didnt hear it unless i stuck my head in the cabinet. but when a filter is in the bedroom it would be a totally different situation in the silence of the night....
i also have a tank with 2 x rena xp3's on it and they are very quiet and cost about £90 each so in your budget and would be good enough for a 300L

 

[Convoypa]

I have an Aquis 1200 (by AquaOne) for my 300L tank and it does a great job, can hardly hear the thing either which is a bonus. These are cheaper than the fluval ones in the UK and are just as highly rated but not sure about the US.