the best canister filter?

[Mello]

What brand of canister filter you guys prefer that you think do the best job in your discus tank. Rightnow Im only running a aquaclear 110 HOB filter and sponge for my 90 gallon. Im planning to purchase a canister filter this boxing day just want to see what you guys use and decide on that.

[alpine]

I had Aquaclear 110's in all my tanks , bought the Eheim Pro line canisters (Great Quality ) ran them for a while , took them off and put back my old Aquaclear 110s again.
I run bare tanks.
Roberto.

[TankWatcher]

I haven't had anything other than eheim cannisters pros, so I can't compare. I can say I'm happy with what I have though.

[calihawker]

discustion, that's the kind of loaded question that starts many a debate on aquarium forums:argue:

at the risk of perpetuating a "debate" I vote for rena filstars. I have 2 xp3's and an xp4 running with no problems at all.



Steve

[Eddie]

The best canister filter is the kind that stays on the shelf. LOL HOB or sponges are the way to go!

HTH
Eddie

[DaniDarvin]

I can't tell you which one of the canister filters out there is best as the only experience I have are the ones currently running in my 110G tank, which are the combination of the Aquaclear 110 and Rena Xp3. On the Aquaclear, I have sponge and ceramic rings only. On the Xp3, the bottom tray has foam 30(2x) and on top of that I have foam 20 (2x). The middle tray comprise of just ceramic rings. The very last tray only has fine pads to trap fine particles. My water is crystal clear and had no problems so far (over a little a year now). I'm very happy overall.

[Singularity96]

well if you are looking for the best i would think eheim...

EHEIM professionel 3 electronic
http://www.eheim.de/eheim/inhalte/index.jsp?key=liniendetail_28383_ehen

OR

EHEIM wet/dry external filter
http://www.eheim.de/eheim/inhalte/index.jsp?key=liniendetail_27563_ehen

[Mello]

thanks for all the response. Im considering getting a canister filter but I want the less maintenance one. It looks like the Rena's are a good choice.

[Wahter]

I like the Eheim pro's - pricier than the others, but well built and very quiet.



Walter

[prolude006]

I have had my rena filstar xp3 for 8 years now. I will buy another when this one decides to quit, although it still looks perfect.
I will never go HOB again, canister only!
I would only hope for rena to change the color of the intake tube so it is all black or clear as opposed to the blue mine is. That is the only complaint I have of my xp3.

Eheim is good but why spend more if I can get all that I want and need for much less.

[Roxanne]

canister filters....they both suck AND blow..:D

[TankWatcher]

I would only hope for rena to change the color of the intake tube so it is all black or clear Yeah, why do they have to make the tubes in colours that hit you in the eye. Eheim is yucky green

[gotfish?]

i really REALLY like the classic Ehiems:D:D

[Patr1ck]

I like my Fluval 405. The only problem in 2 years has been the impeller cover clip broke. It wouldnt have, had I not gotten curious to see how the impeller was looking. It still worked fine but wasnt secured as well. The lfs had it for cheap @ 5 bucks. Parts are pretty easy to come by here. Its really quiet too.

P

[GrillMaster]

In my honest opinion and what I have read thru the years on numerous forums, Eheim is the best filter on the market. The price reflects that as well!! :inquisitive:

Having said that, I have never heard one bad comment about Rena...I have 2 XP3's. Have owned them for a few years and you would never know they were under the tank. IMO Rena is the best filter on the market for the price... :)

[Mello]

does it hurt to put to many filters on a tank? Like for example I put 2 aquaclear 110 and 1 rena xp3 filter in my 90. Just want to keep my tank clean.

[Eddie]

Your fish may not like the movement. It would be another filter that you would have to breakdown and clean from time to time. WCs are best method for keeping the tank clean. :)

Eddie

[Roxanne]

certainly doesn't hurt to have at least an extra in case 1 craps out or you need to make a hospital tank..you can alternate maintenance on them too.. i have too many, but the turbulence issue Eddie mentioned is real if they are powerful, if you can adjust the flow rate it's ok..and not have all the intakes at the bottom of the tank...I use the output stream on the eheim to defrost the brine shrimp in whole, my BD doesn't care about no turbulence when he's trying to get the shrimp off me, he has his face right in the output!! I think when they are "resting" it can be a little hard for them to stay in one place though, one of my turks lies sideways under the eheim for sleep time...4 filters is too much, I've got to take 1 out...thanks for reminding me!!

I would post a picture of my home made over hanging filter for extra media if I thought you wouldn't all laugh at me...more than you already do...;)

Rox:D

[Patr1ck]

does it hurt to put to many filters on a tank? Like for example I put 2 aquaclear 110 and 1 rena xp3 filter in my 90. Just want to keep my tank clean.

Any 2 of those would be fine for your 90. I use one canister and one hob in my 90.

P

[Mello]

ok what about this 1 hob filter 1 canister and 1 uv sterilizer is that ok? Does uv sterilizers do work?

[Patr1ck]

Thats exactly what I have. I know they work for algae but Im not sure how well they work for bacteria and parasites. Of course they would kill bacteria and parasites if the lamp intensity and/or water dwell time are correct, but I dont think the recommended wattage and flow rates on the box are accurate . It seems like they would need to be higher to kill the parasites and bacteria(actually doesnt kill it, it modifys their genetic makeup so that they cant reproduce and then they die out). Im not the expert on UV, however your water company might use it to sterilize your tap water(mine does). You could e-mail them to find out how many watts and the dwell time required to destroy parasites and bacteria.:D

HTH,
P

[captain morgan]

My vote also goes for Rena, running both a xp 3 & 4 on my tank for about 6 years now with still no problems at all. Bought them because they are less $$$ then the Eheim for the same quality of filtration. Also I prefer to buy made in America or Canada when ever I can and support our own economies. Rena is made in America. My only complaint also- is the blue color of the intake tube, I wish it were black also like the spray bar is, other then that it's perfect.

[Mello]

Ok I got my Rena xp4 today. It was on sale and the difference between the xp3 and the xp4 was $40. I just decided to pay extra just in case in the future I might need a bigger one. How often do you guys change the media filters on your Rena's?

[prolude006]

I change my fine filter material and rinse the black filters every 6 months or if the water flow gets noticeably slower. My tank is understocked and heavily planted though so that is why I do it so infrequently. Also try not to rinse your bio media, keep it out of the tank water too long, or shock it with water that's too hot or cold as you will kill the bacteria you have built up.

My setup from bottom to top with xp3:
coarse black x 2
fine black x2

bio media - split basket with two types full

bio media - bottom with two other types split with two fine filter material on top

With an xp4 I would add more bio media in the middle baskets!

Nice purchase, I am getting an xp4 for Christmas!!

[captain morgan]

Ok I got my Rena xp4 today. It was on sale and the difference between the xp3 and the xp4 was $40. I just decided to pay extra just in case in the future I might need a bigger one. How often do you guys change the media filters on your Rena's?

If your referring to the foam inserts, there is no need to ever replace them until they no longer will hold their shape after cleaning. Just be sure to squeeze clean them in used aquarium water to preserve the bacteria. They recommend replacing them every few months, this is just to sell you more product, mine are still the original ones and are about 6 years old.

[Mello]

It was a good buy for $189. on sale.
Here's the filter media that came with the Rena xp4.
20 ppi FOAM x2
30 ppi FOAM x2
BIO Chem Stars x20
BIO CHem zorb pouch X1 bag
Progressive Microfiltration
I want to know which media I dont need for my discus. The Foams just like you guys said just need to be rinse what about the Bio Chem stars and progressive filtration?

[captain morgan]

It was a good buy for $189. on sale.
Here's the filter media that came with the Rena xp4.
20 ppi FOAM x2
30 ppi FOAM x2
BIO Chem Stars x20
BIO CHem zorb pouch X1 bag
Progressive Microfiltration
I want to know which media I dont need for my discus. The Foams just like you guys said just need to be rinse what about the Bio Chem stars and progressive filtration?
You don't need the carbon "chem zorb" . The bio chem stars only require a periodic rinsing in used aqua water, and don't need replacing. The microfiltration pad is pretty much a one time use, maybe twice but when it's dirty just toss it out it cannot be rinsed clean over and over like the foams. Don't buy more Rena micropads-to much $$$ Buy a large bulk bag of fine filter floss and just cut to size, toss and replace each time you clean the filter, it's cheap enough.

[Mello]

awesome thanks Captain. I'll would do what you say. Can I just use extra 20 ppi and 30 ppi foams to replace of micro pad?

[captain morgan]

awesome thanks Captain. I'll would do what you say. Can I just use extra 20 ppi and 30 ppi foams to replace of micro pad?
Sure if you want to, but the purpose of the micropad or filter floss is to finally trap the smallest bits of material that your foams did not, this is why I use the floss and just toss it and replace it, like I said it's cheap enough. There are more answer's to a similar question as this in the beginners basics section, read thread: New With Question started by iona's.simion.damian

[architect1]

I have had rena file star xp3 for 3 years now and i'm not a fan. its a pain some time cleaning and making sure the water is in the right spot so it gets good suction. It also vary bad at circulating my tank. so i have decided to go with ehim classic because its not as huge puts out 2 times the amount of water and is almost the same price.

[prolude006]

Wow architect1 if you think its a pain to clean a rena filstar xp3 have fun with the ehiem classic!!
Bad at circulating your tank? You must be doing something wrong!
I love my xp3 its 8 years old and counting.
Ehiem is great dont get me wrong, but for the price I will go with the super simple rena x series filters.

[chintz]

have xp3 too for my 75g bb. works great and easy to clean.

[rowedder]

I run Marineland 360's in my large tanks... 210 & my 150, they work pretty good. I clean them out about every three months. I have two of them on each tank plus two sponge filters in each one as well. The 210 has 20 discus plus 12 cories, a few mollies and about 7 plecos. The 150 is home to 7 heckles, 3 cories, 2 rummynose, 1 neon tetra, & 5 plecos.

[Darrell Ward]

This is a highly debatable topic. Everyone has their favorites. IMO, I think AC 110s or sponge filters can't be beat for tanks up to about 55 gals. For larger tanks that are drilled, which I prefer, it's hard to beat a DIY sump filter. You can design it any way your needs dictate. For larger non-drilled tanks, I like a simple, large capacity canister, like a Eheim 2260. It's basically a 5 gallon bucket with a Eheim 1260 pump on top of it. If you need more flow, it's pretty easy to take the pump out and replace it with a 1262. High quality. No bells, whistles, electronic gizmos, or other useless crap to break. Simple. I like simple. :D

[philip69285]

I love my renas and thats all i got to say. I just cleand them today and took me maybe 5-8min tops LOL. No big deal. Very very easy to clean and the flow rate is perfect for my planted tank.

[Mello]

just curios with your rena xp's does your fish got stock in the intake tube when they pass by? It seems like my fish dosen't get stock in the tube not like my aquaclear 110 whenever they pass by the intake they get a little bit sucked in. Or am I doing something wrong? thats why my rena dosen't suck well?

[Eddie]

just curios with your rena xp's does your fish got stock in the intake tube when they pass by? It seems like my fish dosen't get stock in the tube not like my aquaclear 110 whenever they pass by the intake they get a little bit sucked in. Or am I doing something wrong? thats why my rena dosen't suck well?

I'd recommend putting a pre-filter on the intake tube.

Eddie

[pcsb23]

This is a highly debatable topic. Everyone has their favorites. IMO, I think AC 110s or sponge filters can't be beat for tanks up to about 55 gals. For larger tanks that are drilled, which I prefer, it's hard to beat a DIY sump filter. You can design it any way your needs dictate. For larger non-drilled tanks, I like a simple, large capacity canister, like a Eheim 2260. It's basically a 5 gallon bucket with a Eheim 1260 pump on top of it. If you need more flow, it's pretty easy to take the pump out and replace it with a 1262. High quality. No bells, whistles, electronic gizmos, or other useless crap to break. Simple. I like simple. :DPretty much agree, highly debatable subject :D I've had rena xp3's which btw are way more expensive in the UK than eheim classics, and ime they are junk - everything breaks on them and they leak! As for ease of cleaning and re-priming ....now the simplest cannister filters on the market are eheim classics. the 2217 is a good solid workhorse and works, and works. I had one that was 20 years or so old, it would still be going if I hadn't dropped it full of water on a tiled floor!:blushing: that made a mess. No bells, no whistles, electronic gizmos - nice and simple, and reliable and in the UK cheap!!:bandana:

[prolude006]

Strange???? The rena filters cost more in the UK because they are imported to you from the USA. Thats why rena is cheaper here in the states as the eheims are imported to the USA and the rena are made here. As far as cheap I highly disagree, I have had my xp3 for 10 years with never a problem, not ONE thing gone wrong. I have never had it leak and I dont know how it could be easier to clean a canister filter than the rena xp's.

The debateable part to canister filters is the flow of gallons per hour that they put out.
I prefer less output on my tank as its planted and I have discus.
So I guess it depends on your application. Get an eheim if you have monster fish, goldfish or need lots of water turnover. Get a rena if you want a dependable, cheaper in the US, good all around filter.

[mmorris]

Strange???? The rena filters cost more in the UK because they are imported to you from the USA. Thats why rena is cheaper here in the states as the eheims are imported to the USA and the rena are made here.


I can't find any evidence that states that Rena filters are manufactured in the US. Rena Aquarium Products is a French company, although as a division of API, research, development, and marketing may be conducted in this country. Rena pumps, at least, are imported into the US. Product prices are determined only marginally, if at all, by whether or not a product was imported.
Only Eheim 2217's for me, although I have had problems with impeller shafts.

[Mello]

does an aquaclear 110 sucks more dirt than a Rena? Based on my experience it seems like my 110 does the job more than my xp4

[Patr1ck]

does an aquaclear 110 sucks more dirt than a Rena? Based on my experience it seems like my 110 does the job more than my xp4

Probably does. Hang on power filters flow water at a rate closer to their rating than canister filters do because, the canisters have to push the water up 4 feet or so off the ground. The hang ons only have to push it a couple of inches against gravity. Take your outlet hose of your canister and put it in your hang on filter. Have the hang on turned off and compare how much water comes out of the hang on with a canister filters hose supplying it with water rather than the hang on's pump. You'll be suprised.

P

[pcsb23]

Strange???? The rena filters cost more in the UK because they are imported to you from the USA. Nope they are made in France I believe, Rena is a French company (though they may be owned by an American one).

[mmorris]

Rena Aquarium Products is a French company, although as a division of API, research, development, and marketing may be conducted in this country. Rena pumps, at least, are imported into the US.

:confused:
:D

[pcsb23]

ok, ok so I didn't read the whole thread :D

[prolude006]

Rena is located here in the USA. My box says made in the usa on it! Not sure what you all are buying? Maybe they have more places but this is the main one.
Main Office
Mars Fishcare Inc.
50 East Hamilton Street
Chalfont, PA 18914

[Eddie]

Rena is located here in the USA. My box says made in the usa on it! Not sure what you all are buying? Maybe they have more places but this is the main one.
Main Office
Mars Fishcare Inc.
50 East Hamilton Street
Chalfont, PA 18914


Because it was made in the USA does not mean it is an American company. I live in Japan and every coke I drink says made in Japan. Coke surely is Japanese.


;)

[prolude006]

Made in The USA means its made here and has to be exported hence the higher price in the UK. I dont know about it being totally an american company, I believe it is now, but in your case coke is made in japan and other countries so they dont have to import it. I doubt they need to make canister filters all over the world to save money on importing them!! lol
Anyways just trying to point out from earlier posts that is why they are pricier in the UK compared to the US.
I would go with Rena or Eheim versus any other company at this point, they both work well.

[Eddie]

[QUOTE=prolude006;492749]I doubt they need to make canister filters all over the world to save money on importing them!! lol
QUOTE]


Actually, I can gaurantee that they do. ;)

[mmorris]

Rena Aquarium Products is a French company, although as a division of API, research, development, and marketing may be conducted in this country. Rena pumps, at least, are imported into the US. Product prices are determined only marginally, if at all, by whether or not a product was imported.


`Made in the USA' could mean that the parts were manufactured elsewhere and assembled here. The logo sells. Why doesn't somebody call the company and ask? As far as imports and prices, prices are determined by demand and by whatever legislation a government may have passed that reduces a price below the demand price. A company cannot simply pass on the costs of shipping unless the customer perceives that the product is worth the higher price, given the competition.

[h20delta]

I had a wet/dry filter for years because I was told that there was nothing better. I finally bought a Fluval FX5 and would never go back. I can see the difference in the water, it is quiet, and I don't worry about water overflows with power outages. I am particular about my water and clean the filter every week and it is a breeze. I still leave enough for bacteria to remain, but this is the best filter I have ever owned. I have been virtually disease-free since I have used this filter. Eheim is supposed to be the best, but is the cost difference worth it?

[Patr1ck]

....I have been virtually disease-free since I have used this filter....

What about your fish? lol:p

P

[Eddie]

What about your fish? lol:p

P

That was pretty good! LOL

I mean...does the FX5 come with a UV sterilizer or something????:confused:
I am wondering how an aquarium filter alone prevents disease in fish????:confused: I think I need to pick up one them there FX5s