External Filter

[Tw3lv3]

Hey guys im buying a new tank thursday and i want to update the filter to a fluval external filter but im unsure on which 1 to buy...

I am getting a 125 litre tank dimensions are 81cm x 36cm x 50cm

Here is a link to the website ill be buying the filter from can oy guys help me get the right 1 please? Fluval

cheers

 

[JenCliBee]

If your gonna go for a fluval then the 205 should be sufficient, other model would be a tetratec ex700 or the equivilent eheim but someone else will have to help with which model


jen

 

[Tw3lv3]

cheers jen if i get a fluval 305 instead of the 205 will it lighten to work load of the filter and be more efficiant?

 

[OldMan47]

For a tank that size you also have the option of a Rena Filstar XP1. They cost about the same as the Fluval 05 series around here but I find them more reliable than the reports that I have read on the Fluvals. I have no personal experience because I read the reviews first and just never tried one. I am sure that Eheim also makes a filter the right size for that tank but have never been tempted to spend enough to buy one.

 

[JenCliBee]

cheers jen if i get a fluval 305 instead of the 205 will it lighten to work load of the filter and be more efficiant?

The 305 would work well, i have one on my rio 180 and it keeps it crystal and very well filtered, as oldman says the rena are supposidly good but i have no experience whatsoever... eheim is recommended for build quality but stay away from the ECCO range...... back to the fluval though, ive had various models old and new and never had a single issue, i have had problems with a TT ex 600 but that was just down to bad maintenance more than anythink.


Fluval gets my vote either way and the 305 would work well on the rio125

 

[gaz gun man]

I use the Fluval 205 on my tank and its fine

 

[Tw3lv3]

great a 305 it is then hehe i saw on a review that to replace the sponges with cheap filter wool get biomax rings for the 2nd compartment and take out the carbon and keep it for when i need it to remove medication from the water do's that sound about right?

 

[Tw3lv3]

I was also thinking about getting a hydor external heater what are your thoughts on these? are they any good or just a waste of money?

 

[arobinson1984]

Yes a 305 or even 405 would be great for a higher turnover and better filtered tank.

The 205 would also be efficent for that size tank so its really up to you how much you wish to spend.

Any model from 205 upwards would be fine except the fx5, that would prob blow your fish into next week

I currently have on my tank an eheim 2075 pro 3 external filter and I also have a hydor external heater! they are Mine seems to do the job fine and its good to save the space in the aquarium.

Andy

 

[Tw3lv3]

great thanks for the info arobinson i was just wondering do you know which size heater would fit the fluval 305 i ask because on the website they are selling 200watt and a 300watt and it says they fit different size hosing

ETH 200 with a heating power of 200W is recommended for aquariums with a maximum capacity of 200 litres (53 gal). ETH 200 can be connected to hoses with a diameter of 12 mm (1/2”).

ETH 300 with a heating power of 300W is recommended for aquariums with a maximum capacity of 300 litres (80 gal). ETH 300 can be connected to hoses with a diameter of 16 mm (5/8”).

any ideas?

 

[rabbut]

In-line heaters do not fit the Fluvals without modification, not securely enough for the hose to stay attached if knocked anyway... Fluvals use ribbed hoses, that will not stretch out-wards to go over the hose connection, so you have to fit one that's too small for the hose, and make up the gap with tape/silicone e.t.c and then pray it does not slip off. You could also use decent hoses on the Fluval, rather than the s?#@ they give you... (i.e switch to smooth filter hose instead of pond hose)

Having used Eheim Ecco's, Fluval 04's and 05's, Tetratecs EX1200's and EX600's and Rena XP2's, I'd say avoid Fluvals and Eheim Ecco's like the plague. Both were very un-reliable IME and the first is very difficult to work even when the priming pump isn't broken, and they break after a few uses... I personally favour Tetratec's ATM, but the Rena's weren't too far off and would draw with Tetratec's in my eyes if the seals were more easily accessible for maintenance

All the best
Rabbut

 

[arobinson1984]

I'm not sure what size piping the fluvals use. My eheim is 16mm piping so I got the 300w version. You can actually get a 200w 16mm version but it is harder to get hold of in the UK.

If the pipes are a loose fit you could always use one of them metal bands that tighten as you tighten the screw which would be available at most DIY stores. Just becareful not to overtighten as you may damaged the filters inlet and outlet pipes.

Andy

 

[Tw3lv3]

yeah very good idea andy ill deffinatly give it a go

 

[waterdrop]

I can second Andy's info there, the Hydor 200w comes in both hose sizes.

Also, to comment on your original question about Hydor inlines, whether they are any good or a waste of money, my opinion, having had one for a year and a half now, is that not only are they for real, they are the best heater I've ever had in that they can maintain a very tight temp range, can raise the temp of new cold water very, very fast and distribute the heat very evenly because of being incorporated with the filter flow. All that and they are essentially invisible, by not being in the tank at all!

~~waterdrop~~
edit: ps. One thing I always try to remember about the hydor is that it is glass and should be treated carefully and gently just like a normal tube heater, its just that the glass is inside the unit and hidden, which I suspect could make people less careful.

 

[Tw3lv3]

Cheers waterdrop i would of probably been less than careful with it if you hadnt of let me know the glass was inside