Final list of things I need.... which filter for 100 gallon?

[Andyvette]

Thanks to everyone that has lived with my babbling and asking questions.
I am now onto my last question as far as getting the equipment for my 100 gallon tall.

All I need is a heater, and a Filter

The tank is going to be sand substrate, moderately planted.


I think I am going to do a cannister, that seems to be the easiest. Can I get a link on Big Al's as to which one you would purchase for this tank? I dont want to spend a fortune, but still want good filtration, and ease of use/quality, etc.
Also, I am thinking about doing the heater that hooks up to the cannister in addition to a submerged one (or two) If you have a link to that, it would be awesome also.

I think most of ya'll like the eheim, but I have heard good things about the Rena as far as ease of use and good quality....
http://bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=22037;category_id=1711;pcid1=2885;pcid2=

Thanks everyone,
Andy

 

[Fishyfanatic]

For a 100 gal tank I would recommend having 2 filters, one on each side. It will help give the tank a more even filtration. Definitely go with two canisters. I don't know what you mean by "a filter that hooks up to the anister in addition to a submerged one". So I can't help ya there.

Eheim is good, never used it though. I am partial to Cascade's. I've also heard great things about Renas. You can't really go wrong with a Eheim, Rena, Fluval, or Cascade. But that's JMO. It all depends on how much you want to spend. Some filters (forget which ones) allow for inline heaters.

Regarding the heaters (if you don't go inline), I would get three 200 Watt heaters.

 

[Andyvette]

I don't know what you mean by "a filter that hooks up to the anister in addition to a submerged one". So I can't help ya there.
Regarding the heaters (if you don't go inline), I would get three 200 Watt heaters.

I meant to type a heater that hooks up... meaning an inline Ill edit that now....

2 Cannisters.... That just seems expensive......
Here are my options:

1 Rena XP3- $95
1 Inline Heater- $40
2 200w Heaters- $32
Total- $167

2 Rena XP2- $150
2 Inline Heaters- $80
1 200w Heater- $16
Total- $246


Is it really worth the extra $80??

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Yes, it is expensive, but it is the best way to go about it. Put one input on each end of the tank and the outputs in the center. Anything over 75 gal I recommend 2 filters. We are looking at getting a third for our 150.

 

[Andyvette]

Yes, it is expensive, but it is the best way to go about it. Put one input on each end of the tank and the outputs in the center. Anything over 75 gal I recommend 2 filters. We are looking at getting a third for our 150.

These tanks are worse money pits than my vette.....

Both awesome but both DEFINATELY too expensive and needs too much stuff!
Oh well.. I'll keepem both

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Yup, aquariums are a big investment. BUT, it's only an investment that you don't have to many too often. Canisters last a long time.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Could do 2 XP3's, one on each end, with a Hydor ETH 300W heater on each output line. That way you won't have any heaters inside the tank.

 

[SerLunchbox]

well, i have to disagree here. I personally have a friend that houses one XP3 on his 120 gallon tank.

Personally speaking ... an XP3 would be my second choice for a canister filter. My personal favorite filter (for canister) is Ehiem filters ... i am droling over their new ones that rival and beat out the Fluval 405's ... just as big with more filtering power.

 

[greenmaji]

If I were to deside on a single Eheim for a normaly stocked 100 gallon tank it would be the 2217 (they are rated for about 160 gallons)
http://bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=22023;category_id=2965

Fishyfanatic has ARLC tanks.. I think thats why overfiltration is second nature to her.

I think 2 250-300W (non-inline) heaters would do just fine.
for glass ones Im a fan of ebo-jager
http://bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=30281;category_id=1733;pcid1=3231;pcid2=

filter- $120
heaters- 2@$18
total- ~$158+S/H
what did you plan on stocking the tank with?

Im personaly partial to fluvals but I wouldnt put a 404 on a 100 gallon tank (I llike them for about 75 gallons) and the new one is just overkill for a 100 gallons IMHO.

(when people are able to report that their cascade or renea XP canisters have given them exellent service for a decade or more then I would consider purchasing one of them. )

 

[Fishyfanatic]

It will be about 7 or 8 more years before people can tell you that their Cascade or Renas can last for a decade. Cascade just came out with Canisters a few years back. And I believe Rena did too. Right now I am at 18 months with the Cascade and it is still in perfect condition. I haven't had to replace anything. Well, the usual filter floss, but no mechanical parts.

 

[greenmaji]

It will be about 7 or 8 more years before people can tell you that their Cascade or Renas can last for a decade. Cascade just came out with Canisters a few years back. And I believe Rena did too. Right now I am at 18 months with the Cascade and it is still in perfect condition. I haven't had to replace anything. Well, the usual filter floss, but no mechanical parts.

Well so far so good then.. Magnums were good for about the first 2 years they were in service... well I think we all know how that turned out (they take quite a bit of work and there not exactly quiet).
I hope for better news out of these though.
AP has no track record for mecanical parts that I know of, other then the exellent air pumps they put out (wich might be a good enough reason to go with a rena)
and Pen Plex's record is a little shotty (to put it mildly) IMO in the past.. so I can only hope for the best for all you cascade owners out there.. good luck..

 

[greenmaji]

btw. I see that you live in TX..

you could get by with 400W of total heat (it shouldn't get that cold down there)

you could use just two of the inline 200W heaters if you perfer.. It would work just fine IMO.

 

[OceanMist]

Definately go with 2 canisters, i'm using a single one on my 85 gallon and i really need another one, plus I only have two fish in the tank (...although quite large fish, a 7" oscar & a 15" Pleco), I'm sure there are some great filters out there but I will now never get anything but ehiem, I'm using a Seachem canister on my 85 at the moment no older than my eheim on my other tank, i hate it, the impeller needs replacing (it's impossible to prime and it rattles and buzzes), it wont seal either causing it to leak everywhere (at one point i was using silicone to seal it), no probs with the ehiem, silent and reliable, not saying that there aren't any other good filters out there, only make sure you get one with a good reputation.

 

[greenmaji]

OceanMist.. What canister filter do you have on your 85 (I dont think Seachem makes a canister filter, and they don't have one on there website http://www.seachem.com/products/filtration.html ) I really think a adiquite filter is all thats needed, 2 would just be for redundancy wich if you get a Eheim I honestly think its overkill (Ive NEVER heard of one to fail to operate correctly)

And as I said.. as far as long reliable reputations Fluval and Eheim are the canisters to get.

My Fluval is over 10 years old and I've seen quite a few of them running great after 10 years or more. I would put them second only to Eheim, and only because of there near complete scilence of operation.

 

[OceanMist]

It is a canister made by Seachem although it has an Interpet sticker located on its side, I think it must have been made by seachem for Interpet or something, these are both quite reputable companies in my opinion... although it's clearly an old filter and will definately have lost some efficiency it is no older than my Eheim canister (which is the 2013, on my small tank) and it looks like an eheim imitation (translucent green cylindrical canister, similar to the eheim classics), this leads me to believe it must have been manufactured around the same time or later, however the eheim runs silently and efficiently and this runs noisily and is a pain to say the least. This is why I still like eheim and have bought the libery 200 for my soon-to-be nano reef, although i'm sure there are other great companies besides Ehiem, I favour them over all others.

 

[greenmaji]

Im sorry to say that your "Seachem" filter is likely a product made by a company that paid SeaChem to be able to put their name on it. Its a common practice when a company doesnt produce a product but has a good reputation to be solisted by companies to do this sort of thing (hopefully this was a long time ago and before SeaChem became the name that it is now, I would hate to think they would sell their name now a days)
that filter is likely a chinese knockoff of the eheim classic (as you suspected). ouch.

Hagan (Fluval) produces its products in Canada and Germany. Eheim I belive is still a German only produced product.

 

[OceanMist]

that is highly possible, ... well, whoever it's made by it's junk and i'll be needing a new one (or two?) sometime soon.

 

[greenmaji]

I bet you would be happy with the performance of just one 2217 as well (you have big poluters but it would handle it)