Fluval 205 or Eheim Professional 3

[springy14]

Hi thinking of upgrading my filter from internal to external, by reading lots on the internet the two big brands are Fluval and Eheim, My tank is 180L so both filters are ideal for the purpose, Looking for opinions on performance, reliability and running costs. Cheers Annnnnndy

 

[mfdrookie516]

I wouldn't go any smaller than a fluval 305, but a 405 would be better. If you go with the eheim, make sure you get the 2073 instead of the 2071. Either the eheim or the fluval would be a good choice IMO

 

[springy14]

okey thanks , both brands have pretty much same spec for similar models, Eheim's are alot more expensive but "apparently" perform better and more reliable, any experience or opinions on this? Thanks

 

[mfdrookie516]

For the longest time, I preferred fluval over eheim. Recently, I've decided that one is no better than the other. It really all comes down to personal preference.

 

[springy14]

i see, basically the cons for both are
Fluval = 4 Pads high maintenance
Eheim = Expensive

Still in a ditch about what make you go with :/

 

[Mr. Limpet]

i see, basically the cons for both are
Fluval = 4 Pads high maintenance
Eheim = Expensive

Still in a ditch about what make you go with :/

I just got the Fluval 305 and it works great for me. I chose it over the Eheim because the foam filter pads are on the side and easy to get to and even though I haven't had to clean them yet, but I wouldn't say they're high maintenance since they're easy to get to. The 3 stacking bins (each with 2 compartments for a total of 6) are large and allow for a wide variety of media options which was important to me.

 

[springy14]

Thank you for your input, sorry another question, how does the build "quality" feel? Bits feel tackie or solid parts?

Cheers Andy

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Thank you for your input, sorry another question, how does the build "quality" feel? Bits feel tackie or solid parts?

Cheers Andy

Solid as a rock like all of Hagen's products. I'm sure the Eheim cans are great too, but like I said the media lay out of the Fluval is what sold me.

 

[spoonman]

I have a 405 on one tank and the eheim 2217 on another. Only difference I see is that the eheim is a little quieter. Maintenance is about the same in my experience. If you shop around on ebay, you can get the eheims pretty reasonable.

 

[springy14]

I think Fluval it is, noise is not really a problem best price i found the fluval 305 is £75 and best price of a Eheim Pro 3 2073 is £125. So there is quite a different in price

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I think Fluval it is, noise is not really a problem best price i found the fluval 305 is £75 and best price of a Eheim Pro 3 2073 is £125. So there is quite a different in price

My 305 is so quite now that I had to check it yesterday to make sure I didn't forget to plug it back in. It was noisy at first, but I've heard it's the impeller getting settled in and dealing with micro bubbles (something like that).

 

[mfdrookie516]

Something I'd highly recommend if you get a fluval, is to buy a couple extra impeller covers. I've broken several. I'm sure its just me, but those plastic clips that hold it in break pretty easy. That's the only thing eheim has the fluval beat on. Otherwise, i'd say they are very comparable

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Something I'd highly recommend if you get a fluval, is to buy a couple extra impeller covers. I've broken several. I'm sure its just me, but those plastic clips that hold it in break pretty easy. That's the only thing eheim has the fluval beat on. Otherwise, i'd say they are very comparable

I was wondering about that. My LFS carries spare impellers and hose, which seemed normal enough, but I was surprised to see the impeller cover.

I've pulled mine out a couple times to check it (because I'm always pulling things apart to see how they're built/work) and figured out that if you push the latch clip in a bit as you're seating the cover, it snaps in easier. When I was trying to just push the cover down until the clips snapped into place, it seemed like it didn't want to go in and I was afraid I'd break (I do that too lol).

 

[mfdrookie516]

I just ordered 3 after I broke 2 so I'd always have one on hand. And I know the 405 and 305 have the same impeller, so both my fluvals are covered.

 

[springy14]

Thanks Guys been a huge help