Don't get a Rena! Get an eheim 2217 or an fx5!
Ac110s are good.
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Ac110s are good.
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Looking for good filtration that won't break the bank.
- Thread starter Mythic Figment
- Start date
And why should I avoid Rena? I realize Eheim is a more popular (and widely considered better) brand, but what makes it better in your opinion.
And I am not getting an FX5. I want multiple filters in case one fails. Anything combined with an FX5 would be filtration that is much too powerful.
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I've never heard of too much filtration. I know a lot of people who have had Rena's and they either break or get replaced by a filter at is my sufficient.
I think your approach of not wanting a good filter because you would rather have two cheap ones in case one fails is terribly terribly flawed.
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Your entire argument hinges on two specific filters. And I have offered legitimate reasons why I don't want either filter.
Eheim for me personally is tainted. Their product has killed my fish in the past and so I don't trust them as a company anymore. There is nothing you can change about that. It was a 5 month old heater that cooked the majority of my fish and would have gotten them all if I hadn't caught it. I called the company to complain and was offered a replacement heater, but told there was nothing they could do about the $150 worth of fish. I learned the two lower power heaters rule that day.
If I had an even larger tank, I would seriously consider the FX5. However, I misspoke when I said too much filtration. You are correct in that you can't have too much filtration, but you can have too high a flow rate. If your fish are getting blown all over the tank, its too much. I want to have multiple filters on the tank for similar reasons you would have multiple heaters on a tank. If one fails, the other can keep conditions from getting too bad in the tank while you wait for a replacement piece. While a filter won't overload like a heater will, the concept of getting two lower power filters that equal one big filter is very similar and many people recommend it. The FX5 would be fine if I wanted a single filter on the tank, but its too much paired with anything else.
I appreciate the feedback that you have know people who have had Renas fail on them. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any filter that doesn't seem to have reports of failures. Even eheim filters and the FX5 have reports of failing. It happens and I simply have to accept that as a possibility, which is why I am approaching this with the idea of having two filters in case one fails. Eheim does seem to be considered a better brand. There is also a price tag associated with that reputation. Their filters are the most expensive on the market because they of their reputation. The Rena gets good reviews for the price you pay and it will be a good starting canister for my budget. And the AC110 is considered by many to be one of the best HOB filters you can buy. AquaClear's reputation for HOB filters is right at the top of the list. Both filters come with a two year warranty, so if they fails, I can get them replaced without having to spend any more money.
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You will never find a filter or a heater that doesn't eventually fail. All filters and heaters are mechanical devices, and all mechanical devices eventually fail. The brands you mention Eheim, AquaClear, and Rena (Fluval too) have been in the hobby for many years. Their products IMO are very reliable.
I had a penn plax casade 1200 on my 125 for a while. it has 5 trays to put your media in so there are plenty of options there. It is now on my cichlid tank and the water is crystal clear. they are pretty cheap to maintain, it costs under 10 bucks for new pre cut floss pads. if you have it set up the way i do, 6 of them will last a month easy. the rest of your media you dont need to change to there is no cost there. The ost of the filter itself was abut 125 bucks. it comes with some media too. if i remember right, carbon, 5 floss pads, and ceramic rings. it is quiet and due to the hand pump built into the top of the filter priming it is a snap.
Yes, you definately could. I just checked and I didn't realize the AC110 is only like $75 online. The best price I found for the Rena XP3 (which is now called the XP L) was about $115.
You'll need to consideration that the media capacity of the AC110 is about half of the Rena (link). So you will need to augment 1 AC110 far sooner than you would have to add to 1 Rena.
As far as "too much filtration", there absolutely is such a thing as too much in terms of bio media. It's not a bad thing, but it can be silly up to a point. Obviously you would be much better off with too much media than too little, but here's how it works: You will only have as much biological bacteria as you have nutriment (fish waste) to feed it. Meaning, you could have a Rena filled with 6 liters of good bio media, but if you only have a dozen 2-3" fish, the biological bacteria will not be able to colonize even a quarter of that media. Of course fish grow, and you'll likely add fish, and so as the waste output grows, so will the colonies of bio. This is why too much filtration isn't a bad thing, but there is a point where you can stop adding bio media and use the resources for other things.
Sweet. Just ordered my AquaClear 110 for $65 with free shipping. It will allow me to operate the tank for 2 months until I can afford the Rena and all its media. Should only take 2 months of saving, but its nice to know I can run it longer in case I need the extra time.
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I operate my 125 gal with two Penquin 350 and two Penquin 200 with a combined GPH of 1100, more flow rate than expensive canister or wet and dry filters. I would not waste money on canisters because it has so many O rings and seal to fail which can flood your house, not to mention that it is a closed system that is vulnerable to annoxic conditions in power outage. Wet and dry is safer, easiest to change filter, but expensive. AC 110 has the best flow rate among HOBs, but it takes up too much width behind the tank, and it has an O ring in the motor that can leak. Penquin is cheaper and provide the best value, but you need several to provide sufficient gph for 125 gal.
