Universal External Filter
- Thread starter mrapoc
- Start date
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
Eheim Pro 3e will give you that, although it would turn a 70l into a whirl pool. Priming isnt hard even without buttons etc and you'd have to be 'special' to end up with a mouth full of tank waterSo id just go with somthing simple like an eheim classic.
He's right, you do have to think about a too forceful output flow, even though some of the models have a bit of flow adjustment. My take is that Eheim Pro II and 3 models would be awfully strong, but some might argue that the 2026 would be ok. It's just that nobody mentioned to you yet that having two filters on a larger tank can be a nice backup, just like two heaters, so that the failure of one device is not as much of a crisis. Having said that, two cannisters on a 107 L tank or so is still probably going to seem a bit crowded, esp. down under the tank. I'm just starting to use an Eheim 2222 and even that feels like a pretty substantial box under a 106L. Anyway, the gist of my thought to you is that another option is to add a second filter if and when you get a larger tank - plenty of people run two cannisters on a larger tank from what I read here on TFF.
~~waterdrop~~
Well ive just done a good old water change...scraped off and emptied my tank of horrible horrible hair algae. Looks nice now 
Found a 2nd internal for now so i have the stock and an extra plus a big airstone...its getting a nice bit of movement atm
I'll call up tomorrow for a list of what externals he has inand report back.
Do i generally want to avoid anything not Eheim, Tetratec or fluval? For a 70l tank...whats the maximum flow rate/lph i want to go to without causing tidal waves
Found a 2nd internal for now so i have the stock and an extra plus a big airstone...its getting a nice bit of movement atm
I'll call up tomorrow for a list of what externals he has inand report back.
Do i generally want to avoid anything not Eheim, Tetratec or fluval? For a 70l tank...whats the maximum flow rate/lph i want to go to without causing tidal waves
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
Fluval (and Rena, at least in the USA) are extremely common on the shelves. Tetratec and Eheim may be a little harder to locate, esp. specific models in the case of Eheim. This is why you see brand names in the frequency you do.
If you ask the "avoid" question on a forum the problem will be that every brand will have a few people that have had problems and those people are more likely to speak up rather than the ones who are happy.
My own feeling is that any piece of equipment like a filter will have a chance at giving you good service if you treat it gently, clean and maintain it often and be prepared to read the manuals, communicate with the company and repair it when necessary. I think many aquarists on this forum have had good service from Fluvals and Renas - these brands cost a little less and seem to have more reported small problems of various sorts in my reading here. Some Tetratec models have recently been getting a lot of good reports but I don't know how far back this goes as far as judging reliability. I ended up choosing an Eheim because, being a newcomer to cannisters with none of my own experience, I read a lot of reports that said Eheim grew out of being a very reliable water pump company and many here reported solid service for as long as 20 years on their pump - the down side being that eheims can be a little more expensive and finding exactly what you want can be harder. There are also reports that eheims can get noisier after a few months but my own initial experience was that mine seemed an awesome machine, completely silent and I couldn't even feel any vibration with my hand.
The really important thing however is all that media volume to make a big biological filter, so you should stick to your plan and get a cannister. Once you fill it with media and heft the whole thing you realize that its just a much, much bigger approach to the problem of filtering the waste from an aquarium!
I'll think about what to say about flow rate, but others will be better to advise than a newcomer like me. ~~waterdrop~~
If you ask the "avoid" question on a forum the problem will be that every brand will have a few people that have had problems and those people are more likely to speak up rather than the ones who are happy.
My own feeling is that any piece of equipment like a filter will have a chance at giving you good service if you treat it gently, clean and maintain it often and be prepared to read the manuals, communicate with the company and repair it when necessary. I think many aquarists on this forum have had good service from Fluvals and Renas - these brands cost a little less and seem to have more reported small problems of various sorts in my reading here. Some Tetratec models have recently been getting a lot of good reports but I don't know how far back this goes as far as judging reliability. I ended up choosing an Eheim because, being a newcomer to cannisters with none of my own experience, I read a lot of reports that said Eheim grew out of being a very reliable water pump company and many here reported solid service for as long as 20 years on their pump - the down side being that eheims can be a little more expensive and finding exactly what you want can be harder. There are also reports that eheims can get noisier after a few months but my own initial experience was that mine seemed an awesome machine, completely silent and I couldn't even feel any vibration with my hand.
The really important thing however is all that media volume to make a big biological filter, so you should stick to your plan and get a cannister. Once you fill it with media and heft the whole thing you realize that its just a much, much bigger approach to the problem of filtering the waste from an aquarium!
I'll think about what to say about flow rate, but others will be better to advise than a newcomer like me. ~~waterdrop~~
He is putting a fluval 105 aside for me capable of up to 100l (so in reality it is just about right for a 70l tank) for a price of £60 (im gonna probably get the media thrown in too )
Think i better master a small planted tank before moving up to a bigger one.
)Think i better master a small planted tank before moving up to a bigger one.
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
Yes, a Fluval 105 is rated at 480L/H and according to TFF your 70L would be optimally filtered by at least a 350L/H rate (5 complete exchanges per hour.) My current understanding is that a 5/hour rate is optimal from a -fish- standpoint. From a planted aquarium standpoint it may be fine too although there seems to be quite a bit more controversy about that. I've read that planted enthusiasts have historically advised more like 2 to 3/hour but that that advice may be changing as more people simply modify their spray-bar direction or do other things so that the plant leaves are not blown about as much. They (the plant people) also have to worry about the issue of losing more co2 off to the atmosphere when the surface is disturbed more.He is putting a fluval 105 aside for me capable of up to 100l (so in reality it is just about right for a 70l tank) for a price of £60 (im gonna probably get the media thrown in too
Think i better master a small planted tank before moving up to a bigger one.
From reading all the wonderful George Farmer articles & others (you -are-doing that, right
) about plants it seems like filter output flow is much, much less of something to worry about than "the big 3." 1) Lighting, 2) co2, 3) substrate. Anyway, good luck, would be fun to hear how its going for you from time to time.(Chime in about filters and planted tanks for us beginners anyone?)
Really i mean...all i see them for is £54 at the cheapest new and online (so i would need postage onto it too)
Fluval 105 : 330 l/h (filter flow rate) : for 100 ltr tank Hagen Fluval 105 External Filter £54.99 on aquatics-online.co.uk
Nobody said anything against fluval (and this model) till now lol
may i reiterate the one im buying is new and afaik a decent price (beg to differ? lol)
Fluval 105 : 330 l/h (filter flow rate) : for 100 ltr tank Hagen Fluval 105 External Filter £54.99 on aquatics-online.co.uk
Nobody said anything against fluval (and this model) till now lol
may i reiterate the one im buying is new and afaik a decent price (beg to differ? lol)
Bastables
Fish Fanatic
Should be fine. Buy the addon Hagen spray bar for it. It will help defuse the return flow so the fish are not pushed against the wall.
I'll probably get it thrown in tbh - hes a nice guy to bargain with.
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
I think SJ2K makes a good suggestion.
SO a tetratec ex600/700 would be a best bet
How about a 2nd hand fluval 305 iv just been offered by one of the members here - or is it too powerful/better to go for brand new
Ill make the same point again ANY fluval (apart from the FX5) is likely to leak at some point during its use well, atleast, anyone on here who's ever owned one and spoken of it has said thats a main problem. Stick with either eheim or tetratec.
ANY fluval (apart from the FX5) is likely to leak at some point during its use well, atleast, anyone on here who's ever owned one and spoken of it has said thats a main problem. Stick with either eheim or tetratec.Similar threads
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