I recently bought one of these for a new 180 gallon tank. My LFS recommended I run it with a power filter, HOB. The canister is rated at 331 GPH for a 64-160 gallon tank. I know it is undersized, but when I installed it I was blown away by how weak the flow is from the spraybar. I recall I had a Fluval 406 on a 90 g tank and the flow was super. What am I missing here ? Would it get better flow without the spraybar ? At this point I am contemplating getting a 2260.
EHIEM Pro4+600
- Thread starter Ken Gallant
- Start date
That is what a spray bar does. It diffuses the flow across a wider area. It would definitely produce a more concentrated flow if you removed the spray bar.
A Fluval 406 does have a bit more flow than an Eheim 4+ 600. Also, were they the same height because flow is reduced with additional head height.
Lastly, it depends what you are keeping in the tank but that is a pretty small amount of filtration. For comparison. My 6x2' 200g has a pair of fx6s on it.
Personally for tank that size I would be looking at Eheim 2080 series, the Eheim 2262 or the Fluval fx6 at minimum. If you want to use a single filter you might also consider a powerhead or 2 to help with the flow depending on what you are keeping.
A Fluval 406 does have a bit more flow than an Eheim 4+ 600. Also, were they the same height because flow is reduced with additional head height.
Lastly, it depends what you are keeping in the tank but that is a pretty small amount of filtration. For comparison. My 6x2' 200g has a pair of fx6s on it.
Personally for tank that size I would be looking at Eheim 2080 series, the Eheim 2262 or the Fluval fx6 at minimum. If you want to use a single filter you might also consider a powerhead or 2 to help with the flow depending on what you are keeping.
Thank you much. I lean towards the 2262. Is the FX6 easy to maintain ? I had 2 issues with the 406. The sponges clogged up quickly, and the cover was difficult to open. I had to use a flat screwdriver to open it.
It depends what your priorities on maintenance are. Weight? Ease of access to the media? How much water pops out when you disconnect it? etc, etc..
The fx6 can be easily drained to reduce the weight. The sponges don't clog up easily because the inside of it is mostly coarse sponge. You generally don't use fine polishing pads with the fx6 but if you do they will get clogged fast. There is too much flow through a small area for that. On the other hand, you have to undo what feels like 142 latches(probably more like 8 in reality) to open or close it. Once you get it open you have a lot of sponge to remove and rinse. Overall, I find it easier to clean than the alternatives because of the weight reduction and everything having an individual basket makes it easy to set aside the ones you don't want to disturb. On the other hand, the 2262 is basically a big open container once you take the lid off.
I recently put my thoughts on all three of those filters in this thread.
All that being said, it is hard to go wrong with an Eheim 2262. It is a proven design that has served many people for a very long time.
The fx6 can be easily drained to reduce the weight. The sponges don't clog up easily because the inside of it is mostly coarse sponge. You generally don't use fine polishing pads with the fx6 but if you do they will get clogged fast. There is too much flow through a small area for that. On the other hand, you have to undo what feels like 142 latches(probably more like 8 in reality) to open or close it. Once you get it open you have a lot of sponge to remove and rinse. Overall, I find it easier to clean than the alternatives because of the weight reduction and everything having an individual basket makes it easy to set aside the ones you don't want to disturb. On the other hand, the 2262 is basically a big open container once you take the lid off.
I recently put my thoughts on all three of those filters in this thread.
All that being said, it is hard to go wrong with an Eheim 2262. It is a proven design that has served many people for a very long time.
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