Which canister filter is really the best?

[cartershouse]

I have searched the different posts and I am still confused on which canister filter I should go with. I plan on changing my set up. I will be eliminating my ugf and my quick filter and going with a canister and most likely adding a uv filter. I want a canister filter with a prefilter that is easy to change and reliable. also with this setup would it make sense to do a reverse flow with the old ugf or would that be overkill. I have read a lot of opinions but I haven't heard much about the prefilters on them. I now have a 29g but in the future may get a 55g so what would be the best route.
I thank you for any advise you may have.

 

[grimlock3000]

From reading up on it quite a bit, people typically have more problems with the newer Fluval 04 series compared to the old 03 series and other canisters. The current 04 series did have multiple running changes made to the product as well, so it can be difficult to compare when different people have different revisions.

I would pass on the Magnums. They are good for water polishing, but do not have nearly as much useful media space compared to others. The Bio Wheels are nice though.

If you compare the build quality and fitment of Eheim and Filstar to others, the difference is noticable imo. Check out some reviews here:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/reviews/category_display.php?CatID=104

Eheims have a 9.16 for the Pro II and 9.18 for the Classis, and the Filstar average out to 8.91. The Fluvals only have a 7.66 average rating. The Magnums only have a 7.16 as well. If you read through the reviews, you will get a good feel fot the issues people have had with Fluval and Magnum.

There will always be people that say, "I have had product X for Y years and never had an issue", the important thing is to compare the ammount of good, to the ammount of bad people say. Overall, there are VERY few complaints about Filstars and Eheims compared to Fluval. I would encourage anyone buying a canister to try to get their own hands on one first and see how it is made. Fluvals have some good features and flow rates, and some would say it comes at a sacrifice of quality and reliability.

Not all Eheims are that expensive, all three ECCOs are less then $100, and some of the Classics are under $100 as well. Filstars can be found for under $100 as well.

I would reccomend anything from Eheim or the Filstars to people buying a canister filter. Fluvals is still a good choice.

 

[Patwa]

I'd recommend Eheim...cuz they're top notch quality in my books....but i currently own a Filstar XP1 .....i chose the filstar mainly because of the water return pipes....basically the XP1 allows me to create a nice watefall effect for my Palaudarium, without any major work....just attach the proper pipes and voila! instant waterfall..

yeah i coudl have bought the Eheim and or some powerheads and set up a DIY waterfall, but that woud have taken away from the beer drinking time...

Zach.

 

[TankGirl]

I have recommended Eheim and Filstar many a time, as I have both and am very pleased. I don't think you will be sorry. Bigalsonline.com has the best prices for both. I don't like UGF's so I will cast my vote against them, reverse flow or not!

 

[BrianNY]

Well I've been singing the praises of Fluval on this board for a while now. IMO, they are easiest to clean. Cleaning the Eheim is labor intensive and soaking.

 

[lee914]

Rena Filstars have my vote. Great value.

 

[oscarbreeder]

Im with BrianNY on this.
My Fluval has worked flawlessly for a year now.
No leaks no part falure no nothing others claim bad about this awsome filter.
Cleaning is a snap and they have room for lots of media.
Great filter IMO

 

[grimlock3000]

"Cleaning the Eheim is labor intensive and soaking."

The Classics can be this way, however the ECCO and Pro/Pro II series are just as easy to clean as anything else with media baskets.

 

[TankGirl]

Yeah, I have an Eheim classic and this is definitely not my favorite filter to clean!! However, it is not necessary all that often. Next time I would probably go with the ECCO or Pro series, if I can save my pennies...The Filstar is a breeze to clean, just like the Fluval.

 

[christerrell2k3]

i have a xp3 on my 55.... it seems to be the most easiest to clean... you got your baskets and you got your pump... simple... in the xp3 i have 3 baskets... all with my own made filter media.. works wonders and is super quiet.


Anyone have any ideas on how you could put a T connection (if safe that is) into the pipes and filter 2 tanks?

 

[Orca]

I was thinking of getting one of the Eheim pro-series filters with the integrated heater, for a 75gal tank that I'll be setting up. Has anyone had some experiences with those that they could share?

Thanks.

 

[TankGirl]

I have not used one, but I would if I found myself in need of a new canister filter! I think there are people here who have them, just can't remember who..... :|

 

[grimlock3000]

"I was thinking of getting one of the Eheim pro-series filters with the integrated heater, for a 75gal tank that I'll be setting up. Has anyone had some experiences with those that they could share?"

They are great if you have the money, you can not really do much better than the Pro II filters. Once you buy the 2128 and media, you are right around $300, so it is no small investment. And on larger tanks many people would reccomend having two filters instead of just one

 

[pondmom]

I have "2" Fluval 404's on my 125 gal tank and I think they are a "breeze" to clean!!
My tank has been going strong now for over a year and not once have I had a problem w/my filters.
As fas as cleaning~ It's simple!!

 

[Orca]

"..on larger tanks many people would reccomend having two filters instead of just one".

I can see there would be advantages of having two instead of one. When going with the two filter approach, is it as simple as adding the 2 separate capcities together to come up with the total you need? (For example: two 40 gal capacity filters for one 75 gal tank.) Or is it more complicated than that?

Thanks.

 

[TankGirl]

When I think of the two-filter approach I think of two separate functions or features. I have a canister filter on my 44-gal as well as a Penguin 330, which enables me to have a lot of flexibility with filter media, and also gives me Bio-Wheels that are not present on the canister. For a big tank you need the insurance of a second filter in case (when) something goes wrong with one filter. It also moves the larger quantity of water better when you can have an intake and outflow from two separate areas of the tank.

 

[grimlock3000]

"I can see there would be advantages of having two instead of one. When going with the two filter approach, is it as simple as adding the 2 separate capcities together to come up with the total you need? (For example: two 40 gal capacity filters for one 75 gal tank.) Or is it more complicated than that?"

Most manufacturers are very optimistic when they rate filter capacity. It is very hard to get enough filtration going by manufacturer specs. I have 110 gallons worth of filtration on a 26g tank according to manufacturer specs 8O A good rule of thumb is to try and get enough filtration to turnover the water in the tank 6 -> 10 times an hour. So for a 75 gph, try to get between 450 and 750 gph of water movement through the filters. You can accomplish this a lot of ways, so you have a lot of options. I personally prefer to have a cansiter filter and a HOB filter for the reasons TankGirl brought up. Canisters are better for biological filtering and are more effecient at keeping the water healthy and polished, while HOB filters usually suck up more water so they catch more waste floating around in the tank. The HOBs are also easy to get to, so if you need to add carbon or anything, you just drop it right in.

For a 75g, a good setup would be any combination of the following...

One Cansiter: Filstar XP2 or XP3, Fluval 304 or 404, Eheim ECCO 2235, Eheim Classic 2215 or 2217

One HOB: Penguin 330, Emperor 400, Aquaclear 300 or 500

Any combination of those should keep you between $100 and $140 total for the filtration. Having two filters gives you a lot less to worry about.

 

[deli_conker]

I've got a Fluval 304 on my 55 gal. It is sooooo easy to take care of. Tons of space for media as well.

Gets an "A" in my book...

 

[BrianNY]

I think there may be a misconception here about filters doing different things. An HOB and a cannister perform the same functions as far as bio, mechanical and chemical filtration. It's the capacity of each filter which comes into question.

All in all it's a matter of preference. In my planted tanks I use only cannisters because they are so unobtrusive, quiet, and I can limit the surface agitation by the way I position the outflows. Any new cannisters I buy will be Fluval. It's just a superb product for the price. In my discus tanks, I'm using HOBs in conjunction with several sponge filters. Reason: I rinse the cartridges daily. These HOBs are Penguin 330s with the bio wheels. I don't know that I could say I'm in love with them, but they are more than adaquate HTH

 

[TankGirl]

And I will add that in my heavily planted 55 I started out with a canister because I have to keep the tank almost flush to the wall, so HOB's were out.