Discus 120g Filter suggestions

[Blindmelon119]

My last child is heading to college next month and I am now able to start purchasing the aquarium of my dreams. I've been saving up and I'm ready to start buying. I plan to buy my filter(s) first so I don't get in a hurry and money crunch later and buy something not really up to par.

So, I need suggestions, what type of filter(s)? My criteria: reasonably priced, quality, QUITE and well suited for a 120g Discus tank. I stress quite because my wife grumbles about the HOBs I am currently using on my 55g.

 

[Chris J]

I have an FX5 on my 125g tank and it is heavily stocked and it keeps up just fine, although its a bit pricey, IMO my maintenance has never been easier. It's not loud as I too hate the sound HOBs make. There are other more reasonable canisters as well but the FX5 is the only one I have any experience with. I have heard good things about the (Filstar XPL?) but I believe you would need at least 2 of them for a tank that size, but even then it's still cheaper than an FX5. Regardless of the brand, I think canister is going to be your best bet and definitely get some purigen filter media, best decision I ever made.

 

[dragonfisher33]

i have eheim filters on my tanks. they're VERY QUIET and durable. but a lot of people are annoyed by the priming of the water.

 

[Blindmelon119]

Hmmmmm.... I was leaning towards an Eheim Ultra G 160 model. Is priming a hassle?

 

[dragonfisher33]

Hmmmmm.... I was leaning towards an Eheim Ultra G 160 model. Is priming a hassle?

Amazon has some negative reviews on this model and priming has not been working for some users, sorry i can't help you out there. but i do have to say my 2 eheim 2217 are extremely reliable and quiet. once i close the cabinet door, i barely hear anything there. as a matter of fact, you can sleep next to the cabinet and not be disturbed if you wanted to.

 

[dragonfisher33]

i suggest you look at other threads that have been created regarding filters for large tanks, just use the search function and look up "biggest and badest filter" because it seems like there's only a few people chiming in in this thread.

 

[scuba dude]

I have two eheim 2215 canisters on my 90 gallon and love them , super quiet and water is crystal clear.
I have 2 instead of one larger one is I had one on my 40 gallon so when I went up to 90 gallon I installed a second one that would match what I had. This way everything is the same and makes service and stocking supplies a little easier. Also nice since I alternate between the two when cleaning them and this has worked really well.
I know that there are plenty of others on the market that probably do just as well for less out of pocket. Not sure why I went with what I did but I am stuck with it , in a good way.

 

[AquaShark]

I have an Eheim 2215 classic on my 29g tank and it is dead silent. The timer my light runs on is actually louder than the filter because its so quiet.

 

[Blindmelon119]

Well my best laid plans have been cooled. A non-aquariumist friend pointed out a blinding flaw in my plans. When I buy the filter, the clock starts ticking on the warranty. If it takes me 6 months to a year to save up for the tank/stand after buying the filter, I lose that much of the warranty. So, I guess I will start a new thread on which tank.