Canister filters

[itafx]

I tried the Rena Filstar XP3. It's ok, but it seems to have some drawbacks. I do like the quietness. I had to fill it all the way up from that stupid little funnel. I was afraid to turn it on partially full for fear it might burn out the motor before getting full. I like how powerful it is. One thing that bothers me is that it runs with about an inch of air head in the top and I can't figure any way to get the rest of the air out.

I had an opportunity to try a Magnum 350. I didn't like it at all. It was much less professionally designed, and it cavitated the water in the hoses. I sold it off and am now looking for another filter to try. It sure would be nice to hear peoples' personal experiences with different canister filters and the pros and cons they have.

[src]

Originally Posted by itafx

I tried the Rena Filstar XP3. It's ok, but it seems to have some drawbacks. I do like the quietness. I had to fill it all the way up from that stupid little funnel. I was afraid to turn it on partially full for fear it might burn out the motor before getting full. I like how powerful it is. One thing that bothers me is that it runs with about an inch of air head in the top and I can't figure any way to get the rest of the air out.

I never found my XP's that hard to prime, but if I had to fill the cannister by hand, I would fill it with a bucket/glass, then install it and prime the tubing with the funnel.

Regarding the air inside, try this: Unplug the power then release ONE of the latches. The air will be forced out as water fills it. Once the air is gone (you may get a trickle of water down the side), latch it back up and plug it in. Takes about 5 seconds.

[NoSvOrAx]

I have several xp filters including xp4s. You only have to prime the the intake tube which is less than 2 cups of water. And the latch trick to remove the air trapped in the canister works great.

[itafx]

The corner latch idea was just the ticket. Thanks for the tip! I have now ordered a Marineland C-220 which I can compare with the Filstar. I've always liked the robust engineering designs of Marineland's stuff. I guess I'll see how they are at canister filters.

[itafx]

The C-220 was awful. I wish I had never bought it. It's the first bad product I've ever had from Marineland:

1. Was almost impossible to get the cover off the first time. Had me and my 175 lb 17 year old pulling on opposite ends with all our strength and it still wouldn't open. Finally coaxed it to open somehow.
2. The self prime button didn't work nohow. Had to fill the tubes manually
3. The feet keep falling off and it's unstable.
4. The bioballs are a pain. They float, making it impossible to close the unit until you empty it part way. Then you have the self prime and fill problem all over again.
5. One of the hoses fell off once while I was at work and water leaked around the place.

How much worse can it get?????

The Filstar FS3s are wonderful compared to that. I now have three of them.

[rkilling1]

Sounds as if you want the 'best' filter out there. The XP3 should be doing you well, but if you want better, I think you are going to have to go after an Eheim.

I have the 2026 and LOVE it. I researched mine before I purchased it and found one that came with all the setup options and media included.

I am currently running: XP2, Eheim 2026, and a magnum 350. The 350 is byfar the worst cannister filter I have owned, though I like it more with any HOB that I have every had.

The XP is awesome with it's price, but my Eheim can't be beat. Much nicer filter then the XP.

[itafx]

I got a used 2026 and the seals that go between the filter baskets were shot. I ordered replacements from Eheim. The cost was horrendous, $22.73 including S&H, but they arrived yesterday and I'm ready to try out the 2026. What do you like about the 2026? I care about quietness, effectiveness, ease of use, and reliability.

I'm looking forward to comparing it with the others. I got a magnum 350 and thought it was so bad, I got rid of it before even trying it on my aquarium.

[rkilling1]

Eheim is expensive no doubt.

It is even quieter then my XP2. It is much easier to clean. The construction was just soo much better with the Eheim then with the XP's. The primer is excellent, not that I ever have to use it. I also received the installation sets with mine and I REALLY like those. You can purchase them sperate for 20 bucks a piece from Petsmart or the like.

It also has a flow gauge that I use frequently to monitor when the cannister needs maintenance.

I can only tell that it's working by seeing the surface agitation.

IMO, it is just a better filter. I will not ague that price for performance that the XP wins, but Eheim is the King of filters.

[itafx]

Great!

[itafx]

I got my Eheim 2026 running. It's powerful and quiet which I like. But it was extremely hard to prime. In fact, I couldn't press the disk on top hard enough while under my aquarium stand to prime it. What I ended up doing was to insert a piece of air line tubing up into the intake tube and use a syringe attached to the other end of the air line tubing under water to push enough water up and around the top bend to get it to prime. What a pain!!

I ordered and received and set up today an Eheim spray bar attachment. It was wonderfully designed and fit great. Best of all, it had a cap you could unscrew and insert a funnel and prime just like the Filstar canisters. I guess Eheim figured out that at least some of their "easy" priming designs didn't work so well after all. They sure charge a lot for their accessories though.

[rkilling1]

Originally Posted by itafx

I got my Eheim 2026 running. It's powerful and quiet which I like. But it was extremely hard to prime. In fact, I couldn't press the disk on top hard enough while under my aquarium stand to prime it. What I ended up doing was to insert a piece of air line tubing up into the intake tube and use a syringe attached to the other end of the air line tubing under water to push enough water up and around the top bend to get it to prime. What a pain!!

I ordered and received and set up today an Eheim spray bar attachment. It was wonderfully designed and fit great. Best of all, it had a cap you could unscrew and insert a funnel and prime just like the Filstar canisters. I guess Eheim figured out that at least some of their "easy" priming designs didn't work so well after all. They sure charge a lot for their accessories though.

The seals need lubed when it gets that hard. Mine came with a tube to lube up the seals.

I have always just pushed down on the primer to get it filled. Your water level will need to be pretty high for it to start.

The caps on the attachments are for cleaning the tubes out. The caps come on both the intake and output sides. I really like them. Every 6 months or so, I just run a brush down the tubes to clean out all the gunk that gets built up over time.

[itafx]

Originally Posted by rkilling1

The caps on the attachments are for cleaning the tubes out. The caps come on both the intake and output sides. Every 6 months or so, I just run a brush down the tubes to clean out all the gunk that gets built up over time.

Hmmm. That sounds very interesting. I don't have a lot of experience with canister filters, but I was thinking the gunk in the lines would include a high concentration of beneficial bacteria. Do you think this might be true? Also, I've never had a canister filter that had the caps on both intake and output. The Filstar only has it on the output...