Which External Filter Is Better

[Dj-damo]

HEy all.

Just wondering What you all thought about the variety of aquarium filters.

I am using an AQUAMANTA EFX400 that was sold with my tank when i brought it 5 months ago. its exclusive to MaidenHead Aquatics and cannot buy them anywhere else!

havnt seen any amazing reviews or bad ones to that extent.

What do you use and is it good, im considering changing to a better one. is there any major issues with what you have.

Damien x

 

[kiriyama]

I run 2 Tetratec EX700 filters, they are easy to set up, prime, maintain etc...
They do get a bad wrap from some folk, i.e. leaks , breakages etc... but I havn't had any problems with the 2 I have , cheap and cheerful
Eheims are proper work horses and folk swear by them , I suppose you get what you pay for, a bit more expensive than the Tetratecs though... I havn't had much experience with Rena, nice square filter trays to put whatever you want in, mix and match your media etc, good flow rate through them , clear casing lets you see how much gunk is in there , only downside I found was no primer, have to do it manually though the intake tube, still a good filter for the monet though
Hope this helps

 

[jmkgreen]

I have an Eheim 2075 which I swear by although the push button to auto-start it is not reliable resulting in me having suck on the outlet (yuck). It does however have a wonderful tap system allowing both pipes to be disconnected without needing to drain them first. Excellent filter media provided.

My JBL e1500 I've had some issues with including apparent leaks which has meant it has stayed off until I get time to fully strip it. It lacks any taps which means more work before disconnecting anything - less than convenient. Sponge filter media provided is not the best.

 

[waterdrop]

I have an Eheim 2075 which I swear by although the push button to auto-start it is not reliable resulting in me having suck on the outlet (yuck). It does however have a wonderful tap system allowing both pipes to be disconnected without needing to drain them first. Excellent filter media provided.

My JBL e1500 I've had some issues with including apparent leaks which has meant it has stayed off until I get time to fully strip it. It lacks any taps which means more work before disconnecting anything - less than convenient. Sponge filter media provided is not the best.

jmk I had to have a chuckle when you said "yuck" as I believe I've noticed over the years that you have expensive Eheims (as do I) but you've perhaps not invested in the simple little suction tool they offer: it's a one way valve imbedded in a green (what else, lol) plastic nose that fits on tube endings, with a round black ball you squeeze and a little stub of airhose to help you direct any pulled tank water back into the tank. It is quite handy as an extra priming aid regardless of whether the priming of your particular model is supposed to be automatic or not - a few quick squeezes and it's done the job and you can go back down to shake some more air out of the filter box lol. (not accusing you of this but I know some think it's just manly to suck on filter hoses - having some knowledge in epidemiology though I can vouch for the fact that viruses do sometimes make the jump from animals to humans ...)

WD

 

[markandhisfish]

eheim 2217 for me i run 2 on my 120g and i absolutely love em . super quiet , great flow and mega reliable. ive also ran pro2 2028 which is another great filter but the 2217 is amaing. as a testament to their reliability my mate has 2 running that he has had problem free for aapproaching 15 years!

 

[Vidster]

I'm using a tetratec ex600 in my 110L tank with 0 trouble at all. It's 3 or 4 years old and never had a replacement part.

 

[waterdrop]

I'm using a tetratec ex600 in my 110L tank with 0 trouble at all. It's 3 or 4 years old and never had a replacement part.

That's good to hear. A few years back we were recommending these a lot and then it seemed like we were hearing more reports of parts problems, but I think that of course there is a natural bias to report problems that is not there for reporting trouble-free instances, making it hard to feel like you've got any real handle on these sorts of things. WD

 

[onebto]

I love this subject it can raise some interesting and heated comments and discussions. But lets face it all models and makes are going to have a problem unit from time to time, the beloved Ehiem have a wonderful reputation with there owners and rightly so, however even the Ehiem is not perfect you occasionally here a problem about them but lets face it its just the odd one here and there. In the same spirit it amuses me that some other models can get slated quite considerably because someone had the odd problem with one.

Its great to see on this forum so much feedback on different makes and models. Since getting involved with external filters I have had a Fluval 405 and a Tetratec 1200 neither I am pleased to say have caused me any problems what so ever.

The Fluval 405 was my first purchase so being my first it took a little time to put together but I figure now that if someone had had experience of any other model or make they would not have to much trouble setting it up. The main negatives with this make and model IN MY HUMBLE OPINION is it does not come with a spray bar like most other makes and models although one is available if you want one as a separate purchase and my big dislike is the crinkle hose which does appear to collect waste over a period of time so when you re prime the unit it pumps rubbish out into your tank and if you are anything like me you have just cleaned the tank out of course I have now got wise and put a fine net around the outlet when priming, I keep promising myself I will change the whose to clear smooth and I am sure one day I will. Some complain about priming problems this is because they are doing it wrong once you have the knack then its easy first time every time.

My fluval 405 has been running for 2 and half years its still silent its still water tight and I love the 4 media bins which I use the bottom 2 for the ceramic tube things the 3rd for bio balls and the 4th has polishing filter floss in, the main filter foam is very proficient in picking most of the rubbish that is sucked up. You have to love the quick release unit for the pipes which appear to be the norm now for most makes and models, The actual phisical size of the unit appears to be small and thin for its power and capability which is great and all the parts appear to be made of a sturdy strong material that would require a great deal of misuse or even more wear to cause it to weaken or break it does feel alot better made than the Tetratec.

The Tetratec1200 is a beast of a machine I love it I have had it just over a year so do not consider it truly tested as time served yet but so far it is silent efficient with great media pods and it is water tight. It came with a spray bar which is great, it is as easy to prime as the fluval 405 when cleaned out. I love the telescopic intake pipe allowing you to change the lenght of the pipe with ease, Personally I prefer the fluval dual pipe shut of system but the Tetratec's works fine as mentioned before I am not a big fan of the fluvals krinkle hose so I was elated to find the Tetratec's is smooth clear hose and there appears to be more of it to so you get a bit more distance to play with if you need it.

Both makes and models I have I would highly recommend as good units however as I have never had any of the other makes and models on the market I shall not be arrogant enough to recommend them over any other.

Personally I think good and sound installation along with a methodical maintenance routine are key to a good external canister filter and can make the difference between a long serving and efficient unit and a unit that last a couple of years before turning your living room carpet into a pond you do not have to spend a fortune but again that is just my humble opinion and it could be claimed that I have only had externals for just under 3 years which is not a lot of time compared to some, but I am just venturing my opinion.

Currently there is a new kid on the block from china the name of it escapes me at the moment, which appears to be going at a competitive price and is doing the job that it says it does so I am keeping my eye on these units and peoples feed back in lieu of my next purchase.

Regards onebto.

 

[Si_B]

All Pond Solutions seem to be pretty good, and excellent value, but are too big to fit in my cabinet or else I'd get one.

APS 1400

 

[OldMan47]

Many, perhaps most, of the filters on the market today are quite good compared to even the best from just a few years back. If you find a filter that seems to fit your needs and can be had for a good price, spend a bit of time reading up on it and if nothing adverse is revealed, take your chances. The only case where that has not worked for me was when I bought a filter that I could not buy any spare parts for. Sooner or later any filter's impeller or similar component will give up and stop working. If you cannot replace it at a reasonable cost, you will be faced with completely replacing the filter. I ran into that very thing on some tiny hang on back mini-canisters that I bought. After about a year and a half, one stopped pumping and I tried to tear it down to clean the impeller. That is when I discovered that the impeller housing was not designed to be taken apart. The only way to repair the filter was to toss it and use the old media in a new copy of the filter. I decided that was not for me so I changed my filter to a new model. I still have another of those things running after 4 years but am not enthusiastic about replacing it with another of the same model. The inability to maintain a filter is a fatal flaw in my book. It will be replaced with something that I can maintain when it finally fails, from a lack of real maintenance.(sorry, no user maintainable parts)

 

[hillmar77]

I'm currently running a Rena filstar XP1 and Eheim 2028, and both are silent and running real smooth. Even though I do love the Eheim's , for the money nothing beats the value of the Rena Xp series.

 

[OldMan47]

I must agree with you Hillmar. I use lots of the Rena XP series in my own tanks but I am well aware that other filter series can perform on a comparable level. The Fluval series of filters, especially the 05 series, seem to also be good filters. I have never owned one of those filters but would not hesitate to do so. They seem to be well built filters that serve their function as a biofilter quite well. By simply taking on a Fluval filter, we should each be able to support the respective filters.

 

[onebto]

All Pond Solutions seem to be pretty good, and excellent value, but are too big to fit in my cabinet or else I'd get one.

APS 1400

That's the one I was on about thanks Si_B

Regards onebto

 

[Liam50]

i have to jump on the eheim band wangon i love my two. i have a pro 2 2028 which is dead silent and has a pretty massive media capacity. But compared to my eheim pro 3 2080 the 2028's media capacity is nothing. i find the pro 3 really easy to use the top tray is the only one to have a sponge so its really easy to clean as the water level drops quiet low when you get the lid off so i don't spill any water on the floor. the priming system is good its not self priming like the fx5 but i ever liked that anyway. The thumb pump thing is really good. also two inlets ensure you get really good circulation.

 

[Dj-damo]

Hello all,
Thank you for the posts, very helpfull.

Im using the Aquamanta efx400, supplied to me with my fish tank, i do seem to be getting alot of algea, and im doing water changes weekly, i dont want to use any chemicals as such as they will damage my clown loaches, so what should i do, i brought new phospate for the filter, but i dont think the filter is up to the job.

On another note, my clown loaches have serious white spot, none of the other fish do, but my clown loaches tend to live in the ship thats in the center of my tank and rarely come out. Can the waste build up higher in the ship due to the fact it would have less water flowing through it? all the readings are fine on the tests etc. but the last white spot treatment i did made them lose colour, and if i do treatment again im worried i might lose them.

any help would be appreciated

Regards


Ive been looking at filters!!!

ive seen one by eheim which i think looks good, and its on offer

http/www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/fish/filters_pumps/canister_filters/eheim/201838

What are your thoughts, i am seriously thinking of it. !!

Thanks again

Damien