# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Poll: best canister filter overall in your opinion



## Ptahkeem (Feb 16, 2004)

ok everyone i know this topic has been gone over a bajillion times. lets settle this once and for all. who in your opinion is the best manufacturer of canister filters for the planted tank?
this question is based on these criteria:
-design
-ease of use
-price
-reliability
-efficiency
if you could please say why you chose the filter.


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## Ptahkeem (Feb 16, 2004)

ok everyone i know this topic has been gone over a bajillion times. lets settle this once and for all. who in your opinion is the best manufacturer of canister filters for the planted tank?
this question is based on these criteria:
-design
-ease of use
-price
-reliability
-efficiency
if you could please say why you chose the filter.


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## Jon Mulzer (Mar 9, 2003)

Believe it or not, I was thinking tonight about doing this exact poll. I was thinking it would be a good idea to do it and have a few people state their opinions and then "Sticky" it to the top of the forum to keep this question from popping up over and over again like it has. Anyone else think this is a good idea?

Since I have no experience with cannister filters I will just repeat how I saw it explained once before.

If you want German engineering with a German price, buy Eheim.

If you want German engineering with a french price, buy Rena.

If you want french engineering with a french price, buy Fluval.

As for the Marineland series, though they are functional and cheap I think at best they would be considered a hybrid cannister.

Disclaimer: Any errors in spelling, tact, or fact are transmission errors.


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2003)

Eheim.

Here is my philosophy:

"Once you go with Eheim you won't use anything else unless you get it for free."

I have 2215, 2028, 2026 models and I can't say ANYTHING bad about the actual filter but the price. Price is the only factor in this situation. If you have the money, don't think twice.

Join as at www.njas.net


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## jdalton (May 15, 2003)

The price of the Eheim really made me choke when it was first suggested to me. Now when I think of the 3 years I've had it in opperation without even having to think about it, no noise, and yes, sadly I gave it no maintenance in that time! And no problems! The cost vs lifespan was worth it to me.

I'm not sure I really should have voted though because I haven't used any of the other filters so I can't really compare.
jill


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## gsmollin (Feb 3, 2003)

Qualification:

To vote, you must have a minimum of three years experience with all cannister filters.


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## Doomer (Feb 2, 2003)

I have 3 Eheims in operation. 2 2028 Pro II's and a 2228 Pro. I also have a new, still in the box 228 Pro for future use. I wouldn't consider any other brand. I've tried them all except the Filstar's and I see no reason at this point to use anything other than Eheim.

I believe that in the long run they are cheaper by far than any other filter. Storys of 3o year old Eheims still running are common.


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Eheim used to make toys
Then changed to make filters with poise
The others may copy
But seem a bit sloppy
No others will work with no noise 

We have used Eheim for almost 40 years and played with Eheim toys before the factory changed over to the filter line. We used one canister for nearly 30 years. 

Regards,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

LOL! Like your poem, Carlos! I have four tanks with canister filters--two Eheim 2215s, a 2026 and a 2028. If I couldn't see the plants moving I'd have no idea if they were running. I can't even fault the price; for one thing, when you factor in the cost of media and the fact that Eheims usually come packaged with all necessary media, whereas other canisters don't, they're not all that much more expensive--and in the long run, the cost effectiveness can't be beat. All I've ever had to do was clean them--and no more frequently than every three months or so, at most.

http://www.wheelpost.com


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Thanks Vicki, I use the same method to determine if the filter is working. I turn it off during water changes. It's hard to tell if the motor is running when you feel it. 

I recently added a HOT Magnum to the tank, using it as strickly mechanical while the Eheim is bio-only. Marineland claims the HOT is silent and mine wasn't. I called Marineland several times thinking mine was defective. It isn't defective at all, it's just that Marineland has a different meaning of the word silent, lol.

Eheim silent = can't hear the motor
Marineland silent = can't hear it from 5' away

And that's all the news that's fit to print, lol

Carlo

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## Ptahkeem (Feb 16, 2004)

haha this thread is proving to be a good one! keep up the comments people! =)


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

The June issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist started a review on canister filters, which is continued in the next couple of editions. This issue covered the features of several makes and models.

The articles claim is the authors will "test drive" the models and share the results. I wonder how critical they can get if many of the products are their sponsors?

Regards,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

Any of you big Eheim fans ever used a Filstar?

I have used Both eheim and Filstar, on many applications, currently running Classic Series Eheims on my plant tank. With the price structure where I live, Classic Series are worth it, Pro 2 series are not. A Fully loaded 2028 will run you $700, a Fully loaded XP3 $300. The XP3 is easier to use, valve wise, nicer to cut your own media for, and far more fool proof. Espicially the intake system. At work, I show people both the Filstar and Pro 2 line and never once had anyone take the Eheim. Even a die hard Eheim fan took 2 Xps for less money and said he has never had water so clean in his 40+ years, and I think he holds weight.

What it comes down to is Filstar is sponge driven, therefore requiring more maitnence then the Efhi Mech/Substrat combo. The only reason I sold my Filstars for Eheim Classics is I plan to do much less maitnence with the plants doing a lot of the work, and the intake/output assemblies are much easier to seperate in the Classics. 

So in short for certain applications (Plant tank) I like the Classic lines. Anything else my money is on the Filstar.


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## Jon Mulzer (Mar 9, 2003)

Holy crap. You need to check out the mail/internet order prices there Justin. Most of the big internet fish supply stores have the 2028 fully loaded for around $230. And you can catch them on special every once in a while for much less. That is about 3x the price.









That store must be like the LFS by my house. I was looking at XP-1's online for around $60 and when I went in the other day they were about $140 in there.

Disclaimer: Any errors in spelling, tact, or fact are transmission errors.


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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

Yeesh. I know you Canadians REALLY get rooked on hardware, but that's terrible, even at Canadian prices! I've seen a 2028, fully loaded with media, for as little as $165 at Big Al's, I paid $199 for mine. Not sure what the Canadian price is, but I KNOW it's not that much.

I've heard really good things about the Filstars, everyone who has them seems to like them very much. But for the reasons you mention (less maintenance, ease of service), I'd stick with my Eheims anyway. I wouldn't mind trying out a Filstar if somebody would give me one, though!









http://www.wheelpost.com


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> A Fully loaded 2028 will run you $700, a Fully loaded XP3 $300.


Canadian BigAls

-EHEIM 2028 PROFESSIONEL II FILTER WITH MEDIA $469.99 
-FILSTAR XP3 CANISTER FILTER $209.99

I guess you are mentioning LFS prices.

Join as at www.njas.net


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Hello Justin,

Can you share some infor regarding the Fil-Star? Is it quiet like the Eheim? I wanted to get one for a back-up system and my only experience is with Eheim. Couldn't you use the Eheim media in the Rena? 

I've read Fluval canister can make a rattle noise. It is mentioned in a post here that Fluval was made in France years ago. But wasn't it made in Italy? I've never owned one but was just wondering.

Thanks,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

Yes the prices are higher here, that is for sure. There is only one store that carries the Eheim here in BC and they do not include media. Since they are the same company as the webite mentioned earlier, if you say you saw the filter on thier website with media for the same price they will throw the media in, otherwise it will cost you $100ish. So 2028 is $489 + $100ish for media plus 14.5% tax gives you around $689ish.

At this store the XP3 is $229.99 and if you pick up a bag of BioChem Stars for $25 plus tax your right up around $300.

Jay that quote is right, except your forgetting shipping and tax.

Carlos,

I will share whatever I can. Always like to save people thier hard earned money! Yes s Filstar is quiet like an eheim, with the added bonus it shows you when it loses efficinecy as it gets clogged. You could use Eheim media in a Filstar, but most people stick with the free media in it, rather then buying extra media. Theritically, For backup purposes, you could take the media from your Eheim that broke and use it in the Filstar, no problem. Instantly cycled.

Fluvals are garbage, I would recomend spong filters over them. If my memory serves me right, 103=403 first generation fluvals the circle ones that are smoked color with a black motor head were made in France. These ones were pretty good. Thier second generation models made of gray plastic are far worse in design and yes I think they are made in italy. There are also atleast 3 diffent model changes withing the 104-404 lines, none of which are detailed on the filter you have, making it VERY hard to get the correct replacement parts you need. Not to mention the masses of broken handles we get in, as well as how fun it can be to try to start one. As I said before, before you spend $10 on a Fluval, buy a $50 sponge filter. I mean that


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Those Canadian prices are down-right scary. We've only used Eheim and no other canister filter. I am trying to get over a prejudice instilled in me from being raised in Switzerland. We only wanted German or Swiss made items, lol. Since Fluval was made in France or Italy it was ALSO considered inferior. I know that is a terrible thing to admit, but there it is. 

In an effort to break this mindset I tried a HOT Magnum from Marineland. It's "okay" but feel I should have gotten an Eheim instead, lol. Old habits die hard,lol. I will get a Filstar next time there is a sale.

Regards,
Carlo

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## Doomer (Feb 2, 2003)

As long as there are people who buy price there will always be a market for junk.


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## DaveStall (Feb 14, 2003)

I am going to respectfully disagree with the "Fluval is junk" crowd. I started with a Fluval 404 2.5 or so years ago, and I did have some problems with it. Namely, the seal between the motor and the body of the filter had an annoying tendancy to leak when the filter was turned off. Not a real problem until the power goes out ... I contacted Fluval well after my warranty was up (after about 2 years or a little less maybe) and told them of my problems. They sent UPS to my house to pick up my filter and to drop off a brand new one, all free of charge. I consider that to be excellent customer service. Afterall, they weren't obligated to do anything.

Anyhow, the filter is great. The seal mechanism has been completely redesigned, so the filter goes together much easier and there are no leaking problems. The aquastop module has been redesigned, the motor was upgraged, and the hoses are much better now. I am very happy with this filter and would buy another one in a heartbeat if I didn't think cannisters in general were the most overrated, overpiced, and unnecessary pieces of equipment around. Sure, the filter has seen a few revisions .. so have most of the automobiles on the market .. or televisions, or even coffee makers. At least they are moving forward. Eveyone else can spend twice the money on an Eheim .. I'll take my $7.99 sponge filter anyday or a Fluval in a pinch.









Dave

[This message was edited by DaveStall on Wed June 04 2003 at 05:54 PM.]


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

Dave, I like the fluval canisters too!
I have a 204 & 304 they work perfect!
They might not be by-pass proof but for 1/4 of the price..... I don't care!


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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

I'm still trying to get past that 14.5% sales tax in BC thing. Holy Toledo, I think I'll stop whining about our tax burden in Kentucky.

http://www.wheelpost.com


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

What are the prices like on Fluvals down there? You guys make it seem like they are dirt cheap.


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

Vicki,

If you think that is a lot of sales tax, you should see the income tax!!


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## Jon Mulzer (Mar 9, 2003)

They are dirt cheap.

104-$47.59
204-$55.99
304-$70.59
404-$93.49

Prices are from the latest Drs Foster and Smith catalog. They are on sale in this issue. That price is (supposedly) complete and loaded with media. I will pay the extra and get the XP's.

Disclaimer: Any errors in spelling, tact, or fact are transmission errors.


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## 2la (Feb 3, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Justin604:
> Yes a Filstar is quiet like an eheim, with the added bonus it shows you when it loses efficinecy as it gets clogged.


My next-door neighbor has an Eheim Wet/Dry; Fluvals are pretty quiet but they don't compare to the silence of Eheims!

Justin, I've not found any flow indicator on my XP1. Is this a feature found on a recently upgraded version, or is it found only on higher-end models?

2la

 
(Click for pics)


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

They are dirt Cheap!!!!

2la,

There is no "flow indicator" in the traditional sence. What you will observe is, by looking through the canister body around the level of the bottom of the motor head, you will notice the water level is right at the bottom of the motor head when the filter media is clean and running at 100% efficiency. This low water level is caused by the intake being at the bottom of the motor head and being sealed with an O-Ring.

If you notice the water level goes past the bottom of the motor head filling the gap between the sides and top of the motor head and the canister body, this is because there is a loss of efficiency due to excess media restriction. The restriction could be caused by many factors but the most likely would be clogged (dirty) media or the addition of too much media increasing the restriction to the point the water is forced around the O-Ring.

HTH


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

2la,

I should note the most likely method to determine the absence or presence of the air gap around the motor head would be the presence or absence of condensation on the inside of the body of the canister around the sides of the motor head. This may not be applicable in your climate, depending on the temp gradient between the temp of your water and the ambient room temp.


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Big Al's has the Filstar XP-3 for $90. Seems like a great price. My tank is 36 gallons. Is this the correct size?

Thanks,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

Carlos,

Xp-1 is up to 45 Gallons, XP-2 is up to 75 Gallons and XP-3 is 170 Gallons. For your 36 gallon XP-1 would be considered the appropriate size, however for your money, bigger is always better, less maitnence. You may have to turn the flow on a Xp-3 down a bit cause they do flow 350gph (10x/h turnover), which would be considered excessive for a planted tank. The XP-2 flows 300gph and the Xp-1 250gph. HTH


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## gsmollin (Feb 3, 2003)

I'm going to add a few notes, but I won't vote, since I can't say which is "best", having no experience with all the filters. I've used two Marineland filters, one of the bio-wheel, and a Magnum 350. The Magnum is a good filter. Its been running for 3-4 years now without a problem. It has a lot of power, it really does deliver 350 gal/min with new media. It is a very efficient mechanical filter. I have the media basket full of filter floss, and have to replace it evry two weeks. Those who claim to be running filters for months can't be picking up much dirt in them, so I question the filtering efficiency. Its not a biological filter. Get a different filter for bio. Its a mechanical filter. The canister is too small to be a bio filter. Its a great CO2 reactor. You could just buy one for that. It will not gas-lock, because the pump is at the bottom.


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Thanks Justin, the III is simply way too large for my tank. 

GS - I aggee with your comments. I have an Eheim canister on my 36-gallon for bio and a HOT for mechanical filtration. I thought the canister was a good size for bio-filtration. What do you consider an adequate sized filter for a strickly bio function?

Thanks,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## Jon Mulzer (Mar 9, 2003)

Actually most people who use Renas would say the XP-2 is the size for a 36 gallon. The flow rates quoted in catalogs are not accurate. I checked Rena's website and they are much lower than those stated. Rex Grigg is using the XP-2 on his 29 gallon and he loves it. Perhaps he can chime in?

Disclaimer: Any errors in spelling, tact, or fact are transmission errors.


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## Rex Grigg (Jan 22, 2004)

I would go with the XP-2 for one simple reason. It has two media baskets and the XP-1 only has one. I run a XP-2 on my 29 gallon and it powers my DIY CO2 reactor and it works great.

Moderator










American by birth, Marine by the grace of God! This post spell checked with IESpell available at http://www.iespell.com

See my Profile for tank details.


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

I also would recomed the 2 because for the money difference the one is not worth it. Consider the fact it has double the media capacity. I have reccomended the 1 many times for 10gallons and customers have had great sucess, this helps a lot of beginners with over-stocked tanks, with generally good intentions and the welfare of the fish in mind, but not the experiance to resist the "One last fish syndrome".


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## gsmollin (Feb 3, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Tenor1:
> ...GS - ...What do you consider an adequate sized filter for a strickly bio function?...


This sounds like a good question for the equipment or technology forum. You will find all kinds of anecdotal answers to this one. In a planted tank, the biological filter has little to do. The plants should be consuming much of the ammonium. I have 0 volume in my filtration for bio, so that's one answer. For a fish-only aquarium the answer is larger. For marine its still larger, and for reef its huge. The reef guys have tanks larger than their display tank doing bio filtration. If I had a big FO or marine aquarium, I would use an Eheim because its got a chance of having enough volume. In a marine, I would add a protein skimmer too.

Size, I'm not sure. I think you should repost this question, and I think you will get good response.


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

I would consider the size to be an answer that that one could not provide without looking into the system in question very carefully. Also, the "size" of the area in question is not nearly as important as what is in the space.


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## gsmollin (Feb 3, 2003)

Yes, and good answers would include all that. Aquarium size, fish load, filtration volume, flow rate, bio media, water params, yada yada yada.


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## kherman (Apr 7, 2003)

I selected 'other'.

After much reseach, I'm actually going with the Pentair Aquatics RainBow-lifegaurd system. Granted this is for my next tank, which is my first "real" tank. Before 6 months ago, I truely knew nothing about what it takes to make a good aquarium.

The only thing is it is modular, so I'm not sure if it fits in with the canister crowd granted the concept is the same.

I suppose, to go through everything:
-design (excelent)
-ease of use (excelent)
-price (poor)
-reliability (TBD)
-efficiency (TBD)

It costs more, but I feal the design is far superior and from reading their online documentation, the ease of use factor should be very good, especially considering scenerios where I have to add more filtration. The system should be as reliable as the silent one pump I am getting with it.

Efficiency is tricky. Is this electrical efficiency? efficiency of filtration? Kidn of a loose term IMHO.

------------------------------
http://www.geocities.com/kfh227- go there and see my future fish section to see what I have planned for my next 100+ gallon tank.
Note: I havn't maintained the site lately.


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

Generally efficiency when speaking around a canister filter (or any filter) is in reference to the percent of water the filter pumps in relation to the percent of water that passes through the filter media. Good filters have systems built in to promote efficiency. Ideal of course is 100%, some filters that run at 100% (when running properly) include Eheims Classic, Pro, Pro2 and Ecco line as well as Rena's Filstar line. About them bottom of the line in efficiency is a factory loaded Aquaclear. Hope this explains what we were speaking about.


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## rkat2 (Mar 26, 2003)

I have a 180 Gallon Tank. I’m currently using (1) Eheim Pro II Model 2128 and (1) Marineland Magnum 350. I will add another Eheim Pro II Model 2128 very soon.

You can buy Eheim Pro II Filters Model 2128 online for $270.00 plus $50.00 for media.

I love the Eheim filters: Very quiet, great bio filtration, easy disconnection, flow meter, integrated priming, easy cleaning, ECT. But the very best part is the integrated heater. No more heaters in my tank!!

I use the Marineland Magnum 350 because the pump is at the bottom and not on top. I connect my CO2 system to the intake tube of the Magnum. The CO2 must dissolve to escape the filter (100 % dissolve rate). The only noise I hear is the CO2 gas turning in the filter, which is not loud at all.

I do not like the intake/output tubing that comes with the Eheim filters, nor the way they hold them (suction cups Suck!!!), so instead I use the intake/output tubing and holder that comes with the Marineland filters. Also I added a pre-filter to the intake tubing to all my filters to provide less maintenance. That really works well.

It would be great if the filter companies would add an air tubing connections somewhere on the intake tubing. There are so many little ideals that can make the filters better, I wonder if the developers ever use their own product? If they did, they could figure a lot out for themselves.


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## imported_Davo (Apr 12, 2003)

It is quite simple. As for anything in this world, you get what you pay for. 

Eheim are the best filters on the market.

Dave.
Sydney, Australia.


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## cousin it (Apr 2, 2003)

I would have to agree with that I use eheim filters on most of my tanks the only one which is not fitted with one of their filters is a juwel tank I have sat in my computer room.
I have one of the classics which has never missed a beat for 8 years now the only service I have had to do is to replace the impeller after 5 years of continual use.


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## McKee (Feb 7, 2003)

My first experience with cannister filters was an older Mag 350 that came with our 90 gallon tank. BIG improvement over the noisy, stubborn Aquaclear tank-hanging nightmare that we had on the only big tank we had at the time (72 gallon bowfront). We added a tank, so I went with another Mag 350, familiarity being the stuff that comfort is made of.

A week after I set up the new Mag 350 we added a 125 gallon tank, which meant more filters were needed. I decided that I wanted an Eheim, but couldn't afford 2. The second cannister for the big tank... Why not buy a Fluval and see which of the 3 filters I liked best?

We bought an Eheim 2128 (heated) and a Fluval 404, plus we had a sparkling new Mag 350 with the bio wheel setup.

My impressions?

Rate of flow:

I'll forego matching the rate of flow, since they are all different anyway. However, I will say that I strongly doubt the new Mag 350 meets the stated rate of flow, even under the best of circumstances. The Fluval? Perhaps more then the rated flow. The Eheim, just like Baby Bear's porridge, seems just right.

Coolest looking (let's face it, a cool looking piece of equipment is cool to own):








Eheim - Looks like something from a movie that the bad guy uses to grow biological weapons of mass destruction in. 







Mag 350 - Clear plastic lets you see how your filter is doing, which is very handy but not necessarily a requirement. Still, you can watch the filter clog!







Fluval - Grey plasic. Functional, but boring.

Initial assembly:








Fluval - I didn't like their hoses, which I suspect catches a lot of goo in the ridges. I suppose I can count the hoses as additional biological filtration. Everything went together easily, and worked as it should have.







Eheim - Easy to set up until I tried to get the hose fixture into the cannister. The lever and the little stop were EXTREMELY stiff, and didn't want to move at all. It took me about an hour of working on them to get things where I could barely move them into place. It shouldn't be this hard! As a plus, they're much easier after 3 years' use.







Mag 350 - The media "cage" didn't want to go together. Too many pieces to hold together while trying to twist the locking rod into the locked position. Grrrr! The bio wheel went together easily.

Ease of popping/reattaching the hoses:








Fluval - They thoughfully add a small divot in the top that is just enough to catch any water that escapes from the qick release mechanism. Throw the lever, pull the hoses, dab a rag on the top to remove any escaped water.







Eheim - They DO NOT thoughtfully add the divot, so any escaped water goes down the back of the unit and pools in your tank stand. If you forget to clean up afterwards, you're going to start damaging your stand. The lever is not as easy to operate as the Fluval's, but it's better than when I first got it!







Mag 350. I cannot count the amount of times the hose twisty things look like they're attached, but they really aren't. That means that when you wrestle with twisting the hose blocks, the hoses just might suddenly detach, draining your tank into the small space inside your tank stand. Damage....

Ease of getting the cannister from underneath the stand to the sink:








Mag - Light and easy to manage with regard to removing it from the base/power and getting it to the sink. No unlugging required, just switch the base to "Off," lift the cannister off the base and go.







Fluval - Unplug everything, then haul the whole shebang to the sink. 







Eheim - Same as the Fluval, but a lot heavier. The addition of the heater means you have 2 more cords to unplug. The extra cords are not on the unheated version.

Cleaning the media:








Eheim - Pull the baskets, rinse or replace filter material, rinse the media, put back in the baskets.







Fluval - Like the Eheim, except the filters are 4 foam blocks. Lots of squeezing, unless you just replace them every time. One downfall: most activated charcoal granules will drop through or block the spaces in the bottoms of the baskets. If you want to run charcoal for removing medication or smell or whatever, you have to bag it first. Also, there's a clear plasit bit in the top that collects goo between it and the rubber gasket that covers one side. You cannot clean it out without doing bad things to the rubber. It isn't hurting anything, but it's irritating to see.







Mag 350 - Rinse or replace the filter material, then dump the media basket into something, rinse, then try to get the clean media back into the narrow opening of the basket.

Priming the pump after cleaning:








Fluval - Work the small plunger with two fingers for a minute or so, then plug it in!







Eheim - The plunger, a wide disk on the top of the cannister, requires some strength to work. This means you'd better have a sturdy stand or you may start cracking the floor of the stand. This would be a better setup if you could physically place the cannister directly underneath you, a la performing CPR. However cannisters typically go underneath the stand. The priming mechanism is stronger than the Fluval's, it's just more difficult to physically work because of the position a typical user is in whyen trying to work it.







Mag 350 - Self-priming, my a$$. Fill with water, connect hoses (be sure they're connected or you're going to become very angry in a few seconds), then shuffle the cannister around to get the air out. Shuffle some more. Shuffle some more. Shuffle again. Turn unit on. Turn off. Dry yourself off and reconnect hoses. Shuffle some more. Shuffle again, then shake vigorously. Turn on. Repeat as necessary.

Performance:








Tie! Eheim and Fluval - Both perform as advertised. No problems in 3 years with either unit. 







Mag 350 - I scrapped the bio wheel after a few months as I got tired of fighting with the spray bar. As the 350's feeble spray became more and more feeble, you have to keep adjusting the spray bar. Too much work, and a full tank with gravel, decorations and plants doesn't need the wheel anyway. Plenty of bacteria to do what it needs to.

Overall I would rate the Mag 350 dead last. Bad deal, and I will avoid their products in the future. The older Mag unit I have runs much better than the new one. New design? Bad apple? Not sure.

The Eheim is a monster high-volume pump, and the internal heater is perfect for someone with an Oscar or other fish who tends to maim or kill heaters. If you're running a tank that needs 600 gallons of flow rate, buy one Eheim instead of 2 other filters. Less cleaning effort since you'll only have to wrestle with one cannister, and you know it's not going to fail. Ours currently sits on one end of our 125 gallon tank, with a Fluval 404 handling the other end.

The Fluval? I confess, I love this thing! I bought a second 404 to replace the Mag 350 that was polishing water in our 90 gallon planted tank. I am as happy with this in it's niche as I am with the Eheim for it's particular place.

My $.02.......

[This message was edited by McKee on Thu June 26 2003 at 08:16 AM.]

[This message was edited by McKee on Thu June 26 2003 at 08:21 AM.]


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

McKee,

Like the writeup, very informative! I have worked with all the filters you have writen about (plus a whole lot more). The only thing you don't take into consideration would be the Eheim is defanately carrying the load in your tank, making your fluval look a lot better then it is. I mean the efficiency on the eheim is 100%. The fluval at best is half that. Take the Eheim off the tank, and I am sure you will notice a loss of water quality. Remove the Fluval and I suspect you will fully maintain the enviromental quality.


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## McKee (Feb 7, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Justin604:
> McKee,
> ...


I'm sure you're right. The 404 on the 90 is happy enough on it's own, but it's in a planted tank with nothing larger than 3 SAE's and a couple schools of Tetras. The Eheim/Fluval tank supports a 2' long Clown Knife and 2 foot-long Plecos. Good for their niches, but the Eheim blows them away with regard to crunching a lot of water.

I just wish I could find Eheim power, Fluval weight and the 350 convenience of removing the cannister from the power unit, all in 1 package.


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

I just want to reiterate that McKee really did an excellent job comparing those filters. I've only used Eheim and wondered about the others. 

Thanks McKee,

Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

I agree the Eheims are a bit of a hassle to move, compared to the Magnums. But just for the valves on a magnum they got sent to my garage!

If your looking for a replacement filter look into the Rena Filstar lines. I believe you would be pleasantly suprised!


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## McKee (Feb 7, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Justin604:
> I agree the Eheims are a bit of a hassle to move, compared to the Magnums. But just for the valves on a magnum they got sent to my garage!
> ...


I'll be finding a larger tank for the Clown Knife, as which point I will need another extra filter or two. I will have to keep this in mind when the time comes....


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## superjohnny (Jul 31, 2004)

I've used a fluval 304 on my 45g tank for about two years (since I started with fish keeping). It was given to me by someone who had used it for about three years. As far as I'm concerned it's a fine filter. No problems or issues at all. Great flow, easy to clean. A bummer to prime (I get a mouthful everytime YUK).

I don't clean it nearly enough... *note to self* I need to do that.

---------------------------------------------
Fish are the things that live with my plants.


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## McKee (Feb 7, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by superjohnny:
> I've used a fluval 304 on my 45g tank for about two years (since I started with fish keeping). It was given to me by someone who had used it for about three years. As far as I'm concerned it's a fine filter. No problems or issues at all. Great flow, easy to clean. A bummer to prime (I get a mouthful everytime YUK).
> ...


No plunger on the top?









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Our diary: http://www.deardiary.net/cgi-bin/viewer.cgi?diary=27982&view=welcome&comments=on

[This message was edited by McKee on Mon July 07 2003 at 03:11 PM.]


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## Brucifer (Feb 3, 2003)

I own two Fluval 204's. I used to like them a lot until last week. I moved one of them to a new 40 gal breeder tank. It was a real pain in the ass to prime in the new setup. The plastic plunger snapped right off near the base while priming.

I hear the Filstar XP line of filters is supposed to be extremely easy to prime. I may try one of those next.

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20 gal; 50/50 Flourite/Tahitian Moon sand; AH Supply 1x55 W kit in custom canopy; pressurized CO2 w/ DIY external, inline reactor; Fluval 204 w/ FilterMax III prefilter; Pro Heat II


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