canister filters
- Thread starter KurseD
- Start date
fluval 405 no problems you can pick it up on ebay for 135 shipped really easy to maintain and good canister overall
Filstar Series makes meFlow rates worse than Eheim.
something must be wrong with yours or the way its set up. the XP3's are powerful as hell, even when fully loaded up with media..
mine when full witih an AC110 sponge (cut to fit), 4 layers of the black foam that comes with the filter, bioballs, biostars and a carbon bag and it still blows like a jacuzzi jet in my tank:
nvcdl;32741; said:
You never hear water splashing when tanks get low (or when run permanently low like some of us do because of jumping fish). Extremely flexible compared to HOBs in terms of where you put intake & outflow- create currents, diffuse currents, eliminate dead spots, etc. . . Also extremely flexible as to what filter media you use.
I love my Eheim. Haven't had it long, but it's been pretty amazing for me. I'll let you know about Fluvals in a couple weeks- I'm about to order a 404.
The reason Rena supplies a "jet nozzle" with there plumbing, is due to the vary reason they are low in flow. The jet is desined to increase the flow velocity to jet the water out like your picture.
Many do confuse flow velocity with flow volume.
rena Xp4 is under 180 GPH when full of media.
From my experience a combination of manufacturer's is your best bet.Jgray152;2749128; said:
Eheim is well known and the parts are readily available if you do have a problem.
Eheim - Pro/Classic/Ecco series - These filters are great, more costly than the ecco series but, the ecco series allow bypass, making them rather poor at mechanical filtration. The top end pro models come with "wet/dry" functionality which in my opinion is nice (ie: 2227 model). The majority of Eheim users run the classic series, and for a zero bypass filter they do quite well, only issue here is a lowered gph when fully stocked with media.
Overall Eheim makes some of the best biological canister filters out there.
Now for mechanical the Hagen fluval filters are great. When fully stocked with media the flow rate is fairly close to advertised. The only drawback with these is they are not the best bio filters, and if you don't stay on top of your maintenance these filters WILL leak. The common point of failure is the connector o-rings. There's a flaw in the seating and o-ring blowouts have happened. As for how commonly, I can't speak to that, but I have seen more than one horror story, and each time it was a lack of maintenance that led to the failure.
Right now I run one eheim and one hagen on each tank I have (size appropriate for turnover) and I haven't had any issues.
As for the "water polisher" filters out there, don't buy them. Get yourself a simple sponge filter with some tight media and your water will stay crystal as long as you keep your media clean.
so are other comparable sized filters when full of media too.
Rena rates their filters with and without media. obviously the full of media flow is much lower.
most other brands rate their filters when empty.
there is a difference and it hurts them - people look at the full of media flow and think they are weak because they compare their flow rates to other canisters that are rated when empty..
they are not.
people compare apples to oranges..
which is wrong.
no, it is to provide better surface agitation than a spray bar can give..
thats why its included - its not to make up for the fact that they are 'low in flow' (sic).
and it works very well.
The only filters I've ever seen lilsting a "full media load flow" are the eheim eccos, but only in the manual.
