# Canister filter debate



## TigerOscar (Sep 10, 2012)

Over the course of the time I have been here, there have been multiple threads regarding canister filters.
To each one's experiences with certain brands this is what I have gathered so far......
Eheim, premium filter but may have problem obtaining parts.
Fluval, Excellent filter with minimal problems.
Aqua Nova, a good reliable filter with parts readily available.
There may be more, please chime in and give some feedback.
I personally have an Eheim as advised by my friend to buy. I have no regrets so far and my fish are happy. 
I am in the stages now to set up a tank for my brother and I am leaning on going for the best bang for the buck. I am leaning on the Fluval FX5 going for $250.00 ........I think the top Aqua Nova is going for $200.00
Is there a $50.00 difference between the two? Which one do you think will last longer?


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

with all honesty i will say any guess on how a filter will last is pretty ball park considering ALL the major brands you mentioned (even Rena's). Just remember one key point, those who have issues are far more louder than those who don't. Also take into account that the extra peace of mind the more premium models offer tends to be very over valued money wise, that is why the aquanovas are getting so popular.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

IPU is having a boxing week sales on their filter, are they?


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

taken into consideration of water bypass. Eheim's design has the least water bypass. Even their connecting intake tube has o-rings on them. 

Another things to consider, say XP4 which has 4 trays. It really has 3 as one of the tray must use for sponges. Compare that to eheim, which it is 4 trays, it is really 4 trays for bio-media as the sponge section is separated.

Then you have to look at how water flows into each filter to determine which is better in your own opinion. top down, from the side, bottom up, etc...

It is really not that difficult to get parts for Eheim. I have no problem on getting any parts as I service lots of eheim filters.


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## TigerOscar (Sep 10, 2012)

well, the eheim right now is at least 2 bills more. its down to the FX5 or the top AquaNova.
I'll be running a canister plus a big hob filter.


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## Aswain (Mar 20, 2011)

Have u tried j and l aquatics for ehiem. They have best prices around on filters I think. Ecco are really cheap. I would pay more and get a pro 3.


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## Pamela (Apr 21, 2010)

TigerOscar said:


> I'll be running a canister plus a big hob filter.


I've been running an FX5 on my 112 gallon tank for 3 or 4 years. It's been a great filter, I've never had any problems with it. Some people say that FX5's are noisy but mine is inside a cabinet style stand and noise isn't an issue.

What size tank are you planning on using the filter for? Depending on your tank size you may not even need the HOB. You could instead add a powerhead or 2 (I use Koralia's). I use one powerhead placed near the top of the tank angled upwards for surface water movement and a 2nd powerhead placed lower down to help push debris towards the filter intake tube.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

Ive had an FX5 for 8 months and so far I like it. It is a little on the heavy side when its full of water and bio media. So the walk from the tank to the sink can be tough for a wimp. LOL. I like how the outake has 2 heads coming off and you can angle where you want them to shoot. Its holds a ton of bio media. I paid $250and I think it was well worth it. I dont run polishing pads in it. They get dirty really fast and slow down the water movement. Running a HOB aswell is a good idea. If you want to polish the water add filter floss to the HOB. Much easier to clean the HOB every couple of weeks than the FX5. I seem to always make a mess when I clean my FX5 compared to my other canisters. The trays are really big and seem to drip water everywhere. Ive never owned an aquanova or Eheim so I cant compare.


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

my wallet just voted eheim over the holidays... and im not sure about the hard to find parts part - at the store they said eheim was easiest to find parts since they dont change their models every couple years like some of the other companies do. eheim classics have had very little change over many years.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Mferko said:


> my wallet just voted eheim over the holidays... and im not sure about the hard to find parts part - at the store they said eheim was easiest to find parts since they dont change their models every couple years like some of the other companies do. eheim classics have had very little change over many years.


I agree. And from what I've experienced Eheim service is fantastic. I had a problem on my 2075 and within a week of my email I had the part delivered to my house free of charge.


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

tony1928 said:


> I agree. And from what I've experienced Eheim service is fantastic. I had a problem on my 2075 and within a week of my email I had the part delivered to my house free of charge.


so what did you do without a filter for a week ?


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Scherb said:


> so what did you do without a filter for a week ?


No there was a small leak near the cord but was not significant enough to shut it down. Besides I have many other filters I could substitute in a pinch if necessary.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

in regards to the OP, it all depends on your personal preference and if you're willing to pay that extra money.

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/equi...-external-canister-filter-should-i-buy-33526/


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

My favourite canister filters are the Eheim Classics - currently using a 2262 for a high flow, sand substrate application. I have a couple of 2217's on another tank. They've been around forever and known for their reliability. Parts are available quite easily and I bought spare parts ie. o-rings online as a back up. My least favourite canister filters are the Eheim Pro II's, I had the 2028 and 2026 - IMO poor design, parts that were to easy to deform or fail. Ecco's were ok for small tank applications. No experience with the current generation of new Eheim's. Overall, I like the fact that the motor and impeller are on the top of the filter - there is no exposure to any sand that may be sucked in to damage the impeller or motor. Virtually no bypass.

I had an FX5, I thought it was good value and featured, but media capacity was about the same with the 2028 and the FX5 was almost twice the size. Nice flow rate, and great mechanical filtration. I did find servicing the impeller housing a little more work and avoided using it on a sand based bottom because the motor assembly is on the bottom of the canister.

Here's an older thread on canisters and FX5's:

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/equipment-talk-section-14/fluval-fx5-vs-27198/index4.html


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## Rossco (Sep 15, 2012)

I have a Fluval 404 and the only issues I have are when its time to change the filters, its impossible to not make a mess. They need to make changing the filters easier by having them pulled out from the top so water can drip down instead of spilling everywhere.


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## TigerOscar (Sep 10, 2012)

Thanks for all the tips! Happy new year everyone.


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## mdwflyer (Jan 11, 2011)

Scherb said:


> so what did you do without a filter for a week ?


Back-up for everything! 2 Canisters, plus sump on big tank, 1 Canister, 1 HOB, and 2 sponges on little tank. Anything breaking isn't a big deal.

1+ for Eheim customer service.

Good luck with your choice!


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## CGY_Betta_Guy (Jun 2, 2010)

I only have experience with 2 brands of canister filters.

I have a couple each of the Fluval 205 404 and 405. They have been pretty rock solid performance wise and you can hear motor noises from them. Not loud just a gentle hum that might be loud enough to annoy those with super sensitive hearing. Mine are in a cabinet so it doesnt bother me. The other issues I have had with them are that after water changes they have a tendency to leak a little bit despite having applied silicon grease to the motor housing o ring. I have also had to replace the impeller covers on the 404 and 405s a few times this year. I only clean out the filters every couple months so I am not opening and closing them that often and I dont really mess with the impellers so no real reason for them to suddenly break for no reason and at 8 - 12 bucks a pop its not cheap to replace them. Also, the aquastop parts for these filters seem to leak from the outside of the circular portions on the sides after a few years of use. I think that the rubber seals dry out and since you cant open the aquastop up to lubricate the seals you will end up having to replace them if they leak too much. I think that some of my leaks from around the motor housing were actually the aquastop leaking and trickling through the motor housing to the outside of the canister. Also, when disengaging the aquastop from the canister it does have a tendency to squirt water out of the top of the filter and drip from the hoses that are left hanging. Oh and the flexible hosing that comes with these tend to collect lots of gunk inside so most people tend to replace them with new vinyl hose. I dont mind them because they are quite a bit more flexible.

I also have 2 of the Eheim 2213 which have a smaller hose size so the flow is a bit lower than the 404 or 405 but similar to the 205s. Very solid durability since I got them used and they are easy to clean and havent leaked once since I got them a couple years ago. The previous owner owned them for years prior to me. They are however a bit noisier.

I have recently begun upgrading the Fluvals to Eheim Pro 3 G90s because of the part failures and leaking on the Fluvals. These filters seem to be super quiet (no perceptible noise), holds tons of media (3 media trays and 1 for the sponge) and comes with spray bar. Very easy to open and close with minimal mess and no leaking thus far from around the motor housing. The filter sponge is the upper tray so its easy to remove this without disturbing the bio media trays too much, just be close to the sink when you do pull it since it doesnt drain water from the tray as you pull it. The water cut off part (equivalent to the fluval aquastop) for this does disengage easily and doesnt seem to drip from the hoses once its been disconnected. I recently got a used Pro 3e 2076 and the same part does seem to be susceptible to becoming a bit tough to open and close and disengage from the canister judging from what it is like on the used filter. Not sure if its a failing of the part or just a maintenance issue from the previous owner so time will tell as I have my G90s for longer.

Hope that helps and Happy New Year!


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## TigerOscar (Sep 10, 2012)

I serviced my Eheim a few weeks back and I must say it was most pleasant and trouble free. Picked out the snails living inside the canister and no water leak mess to clean up. I would definately buy another one.


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## Adam (Dec 17, 2012)

The FX5 and Eheim are both great filters in my opinion I have one of each on my 150 gal however I find they both have their pros and cons. The FX5 is realitavely cheap and easier to find bits and pieces for than the Eheim, it also has a higher flow rate. That being said the Eheim is a smaller cleaner looking filter with just as much capacity for bio media, the mech. filter pads for the Eheim are the first thing you find when you remove the pump making cleaning the Eheim far easier. The FX5 filter sponges surround each media basket meaning you have to disturb the bio filter durring maintenence, aslo the FX5 takes twice as long to clean, but if you dont mind spending the extra time on cleaning day I would go with the FX5.


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