Fluval 404 or Eheim 2213?

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rnocera

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Dec 1, 2008
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New Castle, Pennsylvania
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Now that I'm using my Eheim 2217 instead of various HOB, sponge and internal filters, I've absolutely fallen in love with it. I've only had it a short while, but it's already outperforming any other 2 filters I've run put together. I'm looking to replace other filters with more canisters, and I've found that I can get a Fluval 404 or an Eheim 2213 for pretty close to the same price. The 404 is on ebay for $85 w/ free shipping, the 2213 on Drs. Foster & Smith for $75+shipping, but I'm about to place another order with them, anyway.

This filter is going to go on a 30 gallon for my axolotls right now, and will eventually be moved to a bigger tank, probably a 55. Either way, it'll run primarily biological filtration, and have the intake covered with a sponge.

Which filter would work better for me, and be a better deal in the long run? The 404 is rated for bigger tanks, but it's already an outdated model. Add in all the pieces for it (I heard 25 removable pieces?), compared to the 2213's simple, sturdy construction, ease of use, and 3 quart media space seems better than the Fluval's awkward container. But does the increased water flow make up for this?

Thanks!
 
I've got both and the 404 is much bigger, seems almost twice as much room for bio. I run both filters with primarily bio media; Bio Max, Substrat Pro, and coarse ceramic rings. I ran the 2213 with the 55g with other HOB's and then saw the deal on 404's on ebay and got that. Moved the 2213 to a 29g. It seemed to me both take a lil while to get started on filtration. But once you get the hang of it, smooth. 4 baskets for different media on the 404.
 
the 404 is a good filter. plus fluval biomax is awesome for bio filtration. It has a astouding amount of serface area. plus increaced water flow. its not a hard filter to maintain. IMO go with the 404
 
I'm surprised no one is chiming in for the Eheim with any opinion on it . . .

It seems like there are a ton of pros and cons to both. Basically it comes down to a couple things-
I hear the Fluval clogs faster. I also hear it's easy to break things like clips that hold them together, and that the o-rings leak. I'm absolutely terrified of a filter springing a leak and draining my tank all over the floor.

Also, I love the Eheim I just got, and think it's a dream to use. It was super easy to put together, and just seems so efficient. I especially love the way it doesn't use baskets and there is absolutely no bypass. Backflushing makes cleaning a cinch- now every time I do a water change, I just backflush whatever's in the filter by taking off the QD on the outflow & putting it in a bucket, and call it a day. I've heard people say to backflush once a month or whatever, but to me, this seems like a super easy way to keep the filter cleaner. I am slightly worried about whether or not it will do well enough for all of my axies- I read a couple reviews where people said the mechanical side of it wasn't very good because of the low GPH rate. As I said, I don't need much mechanical, because I'm going to cover it with a sponge, and quite frankly, with the amount of waste axolotls make, siphoning has proved itself to be better than anything else in my eyes. I wouldn't want to leave that much solid waste in any filter for long. But the 116 GPH does concern me. . . 2x turnover isn't very much, especially compared to the 404's 340 GPH.

A couple other questions I've come up with- What are your opinions on the hoses that come with the 404? I've heard they can be a pain, and that they're not very adaptable (no spray bar, stiff & don't want to stay on the tank, specifically). I definitely need a spray bar for the axolotls, because I need to diffuse the water coming back into the tank.

And, does the 404 come with any media? Or do I have to buy everything separate?

ProblEmz, do you think the 404 is a better deal? Kind of seems like it from the post, but, what's your opinion on actual performance, rather than just size?
 
i bought two of the 85 dollar 404s off of ebay about 5 months ago and love them worth every penny. i have two trays of bio max and one tray of nano balls and one tray of bio balls and my 75 looks killer
 
sorry didnt read all the last post the hoses werenty bad at all, only complaint i had was the little rubber band/orings that hold the line to the bracket i used black 7 inch zip ties instead much better. and mine came with biomax and sponges with it and im not 100% sure but i believe you can contact fluval and get a spray bar kit for the 404, i think its hands down a great deal.
 
You can feel it's a more powerful flow rate, well more than the eheim i have, 2213. The hoses aren't too bad, just different. The one i got from ebay came with a ton of media, bear in mind that they consider carbon media so you may want to have some extra bio media to use. I think like 2 full baskets worth of carbon packs.

I know you can get spray bar kit made by fluval, i'm still debating whether to get one or try to make my own. Compared to how much 404's where when new, basically put it against a newer 405($150-250+) with free shipping, hard to beat imo heh.
 
Thanks for the responses! I guess I'll give the Fluval a try. Hopefully I won't have any of the problems other people say they've had- from what I've heard, most of those problems are with the older models, anyway.

Do either of you have an opinion on the clasps and such that hold the Fluval closed? I read one review where a guy said a power outage actually resulted in the head of the pump being lifted off the canister and flooding 40 gallons.

I'm still open to other input & opinions if anyone has any!
 
ive never heard of that i find them to be quite stout the only thing to watch for is to make sure the oring is clean and seated correctly and your golden
 
ProblEmZ;2729237; said:
You can feel it's a more powerful flow rate, well more than the eheim i have, 2213. The hoses aren't too bad, just different. The one i got from ebay came with a ton of media, bear in mind that they consider carbon media so you may want to have some extra bio media to use. I think like 2 full baskets worth of carbon packs.

I know you can get spray bar kit made by fluval, i'm still debating whether to get one or try to make my own. Compared to how much 404's where when new, basically put it against a newer 405($150-250+) with free shipping, hard to beat imo heh.
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:)werd there is more space in the fluval. If you were comparing the 2215 to the 405 id say get the eheim but since its the 2213... Id have to say go with the fluval. The fluval 405 I used on my turtle tank did a good job and I never had probs with it. I did sell it about 3 years ago though hard to make a back to back comparison.
 
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