EHEIM 2260 or FX5???

[TheOscarGuy]

i will be using these filters in my ray tank which is 6x3x2 and wondered which filter is the best except i am fussy and dnt want to waste money!!

basically i need a filter which is easy to clean out of the FX5 and the 2260 which is easiest and in your opinion the best?

any help would be good.

I think that either of the two may not excel in both the qualities you are looking for in the filter.

To me, a FX5 was a breeze to setup, and is very easy to clean out on a regular basis. The instructions on initial setup, and later, maintenance are made really clear. The filter also has a very high flow rate which is nice in getting the tank filtered faster.

In my opinion, a filter would be "best" not for its ease of use, maintenance cycle, but how good it is in keeping the water parameters in tank in check/under control. In a direct comparison, based on sheer usable volume inside the filters, I don't think you can beat a 2260 -- you can literally put ~18 liters of media in it! Fill it upto the neck with bio media, and you have a beast of a filter at bio filtration. FX5 does have a lot of volume, but a lot is taken up by sponges "along the edges".

Some of the other members might value ease of use higher than bio filtration. If you don't have disconnect valves, cleaning a 2260 out is quite a pain. But for bio-only filtration, if you don't mind the initial set up hassle, and maintenance hassles, go with a 2260.

Or, have both of them -- I do, on my 125

 

[krisRTC]

i am still undecided but i already have an eheim pro2 2026 on another tank and its the dogs danglies, the only thing is that the 2260 doesnt have baskets and its a nightmare to get the media out, and do they do shut off valves like my other eheim classic?

 

[TheOscarGuy]

i am still undecided but i already have an eheim pro2 2026 on another tank and its the dogs danglies, the only thing is that the 2260 doesnt have baskets and its a nightmare to get the media out, and do they do shut off valves like my other eheim classic?

They don't i.e., it won't come with the filter -- you will have to buy them separately

 

[krisRTC]

i will go and have a look at them today in the LFS if they have them in???!!!
i think i will go with the eheim to be honest.

 

[mcsx]

yeh that review on the fx5 is rubbish for sure, i have an fx5 its never done me wrong at all, and plenty of people i know also use the fx5 never had a problem, the only downside is the pump being on the bottom.

 

[Jgray152]

Ya the guys says the Fx5 doesn't purge all the way 50% of the time. The Fx5 always purged 100% for me every time.

He also says it doesn't have a auto purge/prime..... BS

The actual testing was ok though. I think the mechanical filtration part is a little sketchy but the bio testing was good.

I have never had a problem with the two fx5 pumps I was using.

He needs to be more specific about the update given.

 

[Poekin]

I've never owned an FX5 but i have owned a fluval before and i now have an eheim pro II.

The eheim's quality seems to be a lot better from my personal experience.

 

[snake_charmer]

My fx5 will be arriving today. Fx5 FTW!

 

[jakethesnake]

Why not just get a pro 3 then, like you im in the uk and I got offered one for £70 couple of days ago missing a couple of bits.

Also got offered a new FX5 and was picking that up until read all bad stuff online. So going for the new 2180 pro 3 thermo.

Or there is a 2260 on aquarist at the moment, just fill with al***rog or other bio media and you wont have to touch for at least 6 months, I never do.

 

[T1KARMANN]

I have THREE!! Fx5s running for over 4 years now! and i have NEVER had a SINGLE problem with ANY of them.Maybe there are alot of bad reviews on the Fx5 because people don't know how to install them properly and maintain them.

and you think having a new filter running for 4yrs is a good thing come back when they have been running for 15yrs+

if you have a low budget and want a disposable filter buy the fx5 if you want a filter thats going to last buy the ehiem

if you want the best buy eheim

the fx5 is a bad design thats why people are having to mod them because they are not happy

and its not all about flow rates its about the amount of media and the contact time the water has with it

the amount of media in a fx5 is a joke its just one big sponge

have fluval got a new type fx5 I WOUNDER WHY

at the end of the day buy the filter you want set it up out of the box and be happy IF NOT SET UP A WEB PAGE ON HOW TO MOD YOUR PILE OF JUNK