Please Help Me Choose A Canister Filter!

[Ruskull]

I wish they had the filters set up at a local pet store so I could see the durability & quality for myself.

 

[FishFanatic04]

My petsmart had a penguin 350 on their 46g bowfront which made me buy the 350. It is a fine filter, but I have learned that externals are nicer. I am keeping the 350 just in case, and replaced it with the Xp2.

 

[nmonks]

Uh, no. That's not what I said at all. My key point was that you can get a wider variety of Eheim spares than for the other brands. So over the long term, it's easier to deal with things like perished rubber seals or leaky taps.

Cheers, Neale

If money isn't a crucial issue, Eheim filters are well worth buying. Apart from being reliable, it's easy to get parts for them as/when something fails. Do remember that rubber seals for example have a definite lifespan, and even in the best situation won't last forever. Because Eheim don't change their filter designs much, you can still get spares for things like the Classic series despite their designs being well over 20 years old! This is a real plus not to be ignored, given how long external canister filters can last if properly maintained.

On the other hand, Fluval filters can be good, and I've used many of them over the years. Spares are fairly easy to get.

The other two brands are less widely sold and I have no idea how easy it is to get spares for them.

Cheers, Neale

So basically you're saying it's based on reputation, which is fine. It's just that the Eheim model I was looking at is one of their newer models and it's also one of their cheapest. Any idea why the Eheim ECCO 2236 is only rated for 185 gallons per hour while the others are around 200 to 300? Is is true that they rate theirs with media while the others just show pump flow rate without vthe added resistance of the media?

 

[minnnt]

Hi ruskull, the eheim looks good. I do fancy running one one day. The ecco appeals to me very much.

A lot of people swear by the rena's also. Never owned one though. They are fugly!

99% of the members here know my feelings about tetratec filters. They really are the bees knees!

My fluval 305 is powerful, but noisy. Probably could fix it with replacement bits, but I'm not sure what is causing it. Nothing appears to be broke so don't fancy spending money on it incase it doesn't improve it.

Unsure if that helps or not though, lol.

 

[Ruskull]

Hi ruskull, the eheim looks good. I do fancy running one one day. The ecco appeals to me very much.

A lot of people swear by the rena's also. Never owned one though. They are fugly!

99% of the members here know my feelings about tetratec filters. They really are the bees knees!

My fluval 305 is powerful, but noisy. Probably could fix it with replacement bits, but I'm not sure what is causing it. Nothing appears to be broke so don't fancy spending money on it incase it doesn't improve it.

Unsure if that helps or not though, lol.

That helps a lot. The Fluval being noisy would be a big turnoff for me. The wife is already complaining about the noise of the hang on backs that I have on all the tanks.

Any idea why the Eheim is rated for up to 80 gallon tanks yet they show the lowest gallons per hour? Any truth to the Eheims being rated with loaded media? I saw a chart that showed 2 different values for the Fluval, I wish I could find it now. One showed pump flow rate which is listed at 303 gph while it showed some other much lower value for actual tank turnaround.

Uh, no. That's not what I said at all. My key point was that you can get a wider variety of Eheim spares than for the other brands. So over the long term, it's easier to deal with things like perished rubber seals or leaky taps.

Cheers, Neale

If money isn't a crucial issue, Eheim filters are well worth buying. Apart from being reliable, it's easy to get parts for them as/when something fails. Do remember that rubber seals for example have a definite lifespan, and even in the best situation won't last forever. Because Eheim don't change their filter designs much, you can still get spares for things like the Classic series despite their designs being well over 20 years old! This is a real plus not to be ignored, given how long external canister filters can last if properly maintained.

On the other hand, Fluval filters can be good, and I've used many of them over the years. Spares are fairly easy to get.

The other two brands are less widely sold and I have no idea how easy it is to get spares for them.

Cheers, Neale

So basically you're saying it's based on reputation, which is fine. It's just that the Eheim model I was looking at is one of their newer models and it's also one of their cheapest. Any idea why the Eheim ECCO 2236 is only rated for 185 gallons per hour while the others are around 200 to 300? Is is true that they rate theirs with media while the others just show pump flow rate without vthe added resistance of the media?

Sorry if you think I interpreted your post wrong but having good parts availability is important & I think it would fall into the "reputation/service" category. I also like the fact that the Eheim has such a good design that they seem to remain practically unchanged for so many years. If it works don't fix it, kinda like a Porsche 911.

 

[Ruskull]

Ha! I found the link that shows the 2 different flow rates for the Fluval 305, which is apparently the older, less powerful & more noisey model !!!

It's at the Petsmart page & it shows the "pump output" as 260 gph and it lists the "filter circulation" as 185 gph. I had previously found the Fluval 306 having more poiwer for both measurements but the point is the same. It would appear that the Eheim is showing the true circulation measurement, not the pump output, which would explain why the listed value is lower yet the tank capacity is just as high or higher than others listed.

Can anyone confirm?

Bingo! I found the Fluval 306 "pump output" listed at 303 but the "filter circulation" listed at 206.

 

[Man of fish]

http/www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00176BMHG/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1336231594&sr=8-1
Amazon dude!!! Marineland c-220 $89.50
Rena xp2 $101!!!

I voted for the marineland though. You knew I would

 

[minnnt]

The rating imo is a bit daft, all depends on what fish you keep. The TT 1200 is rated for tanks 200-500 litres, but I was quite happy to run 2 on my 180 litre tank.

Other people that have the 305's say they're quiet, so maybe I just have a runt. The 306's come with white pipes which may look a bit strange. I also had a poor experience with the 205, and I had owned that from new so knew what had been done to it where as my 305 was second hand.

 

[Ruskull]

http/www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00176BMHG/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1336231594&sr=8-1
Amazon dude!!! Marineland c-220 $89.50
Rena xp2 $101!!!

I voted for the marineland though. You knew I would

$89.50 for the Marineland?!?!?!?

I have to be sold on that one then, but then again the Rena is only $11 more..............so I'm right back where I started

I am leaning towards the C-220 based on it's reputation, overall design, simple looking assembly, solid looks and believe it or not size. I just measured the bottom cabinet on my bowfront & the sides are only 9 inches deep. That means the Rena & Fluval would stick out into the middle part even if I had them completely up against the inside. The Marineland is only 8.5 inches wide while the Rena is almost 10 inches at it's widest point. Size does matter apparently. The best thing I like is the no bypass feature.

Has anybody here ordered from Big Al's Online? Does anyone know where I can get a 9 inch wide plastic tupperware type pan for under the unit?

 

[Man of fish]

Try walmart

 

[FishFanatic04]

I've had Big aL'S Recommended a bunch of times, haven't ordered there yet. Always go to Dr. foster & Smith or petsolutions.

 

[Ruskull]

Try walmart

Walmart? They only have the C-530 which is $249.

http/www.walmart.com/ip/Tetra-C-Series-Canister-Filter/20769526?findingMethod=Recommendation:wm:RecentlyViewedItems

Seriously, if you saw it at Walmart I'd rather buy it there just because youy can return it to any Walmart location if there's a problem.

Please post a link

 

[Man of fish]

I was talking bout for the Tupperware thing lol.

 

[minnnt]

LOL!!!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

For spares, versitility and build, I would choose Eheim every time if budget was not a big factor. My Eheim 2078 cost me by far the most of all my filters (~£275; FX5 £140; 2x APS 2000EF £60 each; recent second U4 £35 to compliment an existing one that came from "Nelly" indirectly), but it is so well made and has a huge range of functions even without the USB adapter that opens up even more functions via a PC, I'm glad I got it back when we had a little more disposable income because in these hard financial times I would struggle to justify spending that much on a filter right now.

FX5s have gone up a lot in the last couple of years in the UK, like I said I got mine new for £140, but now I've yet to come across them for <£200. If they available near you at a relatively good price, then this would definitely be my choice. They may be getting on a bit at ~7 years old and the functionality may be basic, but their raw filtration capacity with adjustable input/output speeds and solid design is still right up there for me. You could set this up with a relative trickle in a tank with calm water loving fish, but if you ever acquired a large 5-foor plus tank or changed to riverine fish, you could ramp the flow right up and add a 22mm plumbing elbow to concentrate the flow or add some drilled piping to create a spraybar.