Best External Filter?

[Rickster]

Hi,

I have a Juwel Rio 180 with the standard internal filter (600 powerhead), I am thinking of going to an external filter as I feel they offer better results? Could anyone tell me if this is the case, and which would be the best one to go for, both cost wise and reliability/quietness.



Many thanks

Rich

 

[VaegaVic]

In all honestly, I haven't tried many.
I've seen alot used though.
The main ones used seem to be the Fluvals, Eheims and TetraTec.

I myself however, use an Interpet 150. Reason being is it's less than 1/2 the price on websites like ebay.
Got it running upstairs now and it's alot quieter than my old internal.
The noisiest things in the room now are the fish bobbing in the water!

 

[waterdrop]

I am not familiar with the filter that comes with the tank you have so I wouldn't want to criticize it but I do feel you are on the right track in expecting external cannister filters to be the top quality type of filtration for the (I'm assuming 180L) size range of your tank.

The top contenders in this category are usually considered to be Eheim, Rena, Tetratec and Fluval. Rena may be more available in the USA, Tetratec in the UK. Eheim and Fluval have wider distribution. There are tradeoffs to all of these. Tetratec are extremely popular among the UK members currently for low price and high performance but they sometimes have problems with plastic parts cracking or other leaking issues. Fluval also historically have leaking issues sometimes and for being a tad more temperamental. Eheim have a bit of the Mercedes reputation, so are often criticized as being too expensive but they are often considered the final word on silence. All of these companies are worthy contenders because if you learn and practice good mainenance, they all have models that can please.

The filter categories generally are internal, HOB (hang on back), External Cannister and Sump. Sumps are usually for huge setups so I'm assuming that's bigger than you are looking for. Internals are more for small tanks and probably only the larger AquaClear (AC) HOBs would be recommended for your size range. The external cannister would have a quietness advantage over an HOB because of the water noise of the HOB. The EC also has the advantage of higher media volume over all but the Sump and shares much of the media flexibility area with the HOB and Sump. The ease of maintenance is about equal between HOBs and External Cannisters, which are both easier than internals or sumps. I'd expect external cannisters to have longer service lives than HOBs but that's just a guess based on my perception of the quality of the ones I've seen.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Squid]

Rickster,

I have a rio 180 and did the same thing. I don't have much in the way of experience with the other makes/models, but I went for the Eheim professional II. Amazing difference.

- My stats became rock solid, with no funny readings caused by the not so good Juwel filter not doing its job properly.

- Maintenance.. well the maintenance is minimal now, not like the constant maintenance the Juwel needed.

- Water is much much clearer!

- Happy fish and owner, which is what we want at the end of the day.

I didn't swap any of the media over, I ran them side by side for a 2-3 weeks, then switched off the Juwel filter and tested for a few days to make sure all was good, which it was.

Then if you want you can use a flexible blade to remove the internal filter housing.. Careful though, my snappable blades snapped into knuckle. This gives you a little more room in the tank, and looks better too.

I did find the flow a little harsh at first for a planted tank, but the flow is adjustable. However, instead of decreasing the flow, I drilled a few more holes into the outlet pipe. Bingo, job done.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[raptorrex]

Hi,

I have a Juwel Rio 180 with the standard internal filter (600 powerhead), I am thinking of going to an external filter as I feel they offer better results? Could anyone tell me if this is the case, and which would be the best one to go for, both cost wise and reliability/quietness.



Many thanks

Rich

Honestly, almost anything will be better. the Eheim pro 2, better still pro 3. but, on a budget, 2x tetra ex1200's will do.

 

[AdAndrews]

Im pleased with both of my tetratec filters, and for the price, would choose one anyday over an eheim

 

[RadaR]

Supafish AquaPros are actually good as well.
My next external filter will be an AquaPro.
When manufacturing they get their plastic at a cheaper price from a Dutch manufacturer hence why the filters aren't massively expensive.

 

[Rickster]

Thanks for all the replies, I will take a look at the Eheim, as they have appear to have the build quality. Should I follow what Squid has done by running old internal and external filters together for a few weeks? Or can I put the media from the internal filter into the external filter for the same period to build up the bacteria etc?


Thanks

 

[RadaR]

Thanks for all the replies, I will take a look at the Eheim, as they have appear to have the build quality. Should I follow what Squid has done by running old internal and external filters together for a few weeks? Or can I put the media from the internal filter into the external filter for the same period to build up the bacteria etc?


Thanks

I would do as Squid has suggested.

 

[Rickster]

Thanks for all the replies, I will take a look at the Eheim, as they have appear to have the build quality. Should I follow what Squid has done by running old internal and external filters together for a few weeks? Or can I put the media from the internal filter into the external filter for the same period to build up the bacteria etc?


Thanks

I would do as Squid has suggested.

Thanks for all the info, will let you know how I get on.

 

[dgwebster]

I just joined the EC club and spent a year deliberating what to get. I'm a huge eheim fan, with a current aquaball. But in the end, the fact that the tetratec ex1200 was A LOT cheaper and included all bars n media won the debate after some good stories on here.

It has to me absolute silent operation so a definate improvement. Just to give you an idea thought, prices are below on what I was at during the end of my decision time:

Eheim 2224: £89.99
Eheim media: £26.99

Tetratec ex700 (matches flow of above): £79.99 (includes media)
Tetratec ex1200: £81.99

Got it from www.aquatics-online.co.uk

 

[raptorrex]

Thanks for all the replies, I will take a look at the Eheim, as they have appear to have the build quality. Should I follow what Squid has done by running old internal and external filters together for a few weeks? Or can I put the media from the internal filter into the external filter for the same period to build up the bacteria etc?


Thanks

I'd stick to Eheims. though Tetras are fine. i would but the media in the external. removing a bit every few weeks. the Juwel item is so inefficient, the bacteria will suffer as the External takes up the strain.

remember though the Eheim 2224 is nowhere near up to a 180l on its own. you will need two.

 

[Squid]

I think I went for a Prof II 2026 eheim cannister. Plenty overfiltered, with drilled holes in the outlet to slow down the flow a bit.

Squid

 

[raptorrex]

I think I went for a Prof II 2026 eheim cannister. Plenty overfiltered, with drilled holes in the outlet to slow down the flow a bit.

Squid

2026 would still leave the 180l plenty under filtered. 600-650lph (estimated flow) giving, at best, 3x flow

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with BBB that actually moving MM from the inside of the old filter to the inside of the new filter and then eventually gradually removing bits of the old media would be the most reliable way of getting a good clone. If I did run them side by side hoping for a clone I'd do it for at least a month. WD