Jbl Or Eheim

[jmkgreen]

So it looks like I'm getting a Fluval Vicenza 260L which comes with a 305 filter. But I'm going to add an additional canister filter and was all set on an Eheim 2026 until yesterday when I was down at my LFS who said they preferred JBL as the premium filter brand.

Now it has to be said that Amwell claim Eheim are overrated and have difficulty getting spares. They used to sell them but only hold very small stocks of spares. A much smaller LFS up the road has more Eheim bits that Amwell.

They do have plenty of JBL however. Indeed their display tanks each seem to be Vicenza 260L with an additional JBL filter underneath. They gave me some JBL literature to explain why these guys are the best and switched on a DVD promoting their technology (a German version is on YouTube). Sounds to me like Amwell may be on good commission rates for JBL.

So off I went to Google, and hardly anyone mentions them. I noticed on this and some other forums they are being described as potentially as good as Eheims in quality terms but new enough to remain unproven.

I'm kinda looking for advantages of JBL over Eheim, else there's not much point discussing the matter in my opinion.

In their literature they're claiming both a pre-filter at the top of the unit (quote: "A technical break-through"), up to 25% more filter volume than comparable units (which?), and a sponge system whereby the centre of the sponges can be replaced by specialist materials such that water trickles through this more porous or otherwise specialist centre area but if that clogs the water continues to flow through the edge sponge.

Any of you guys want to chip in with your own experiences? Does the build quality match that of the Eheims? What about the filtration, any evidence it's better than Eheim's coverage of the same volume of water? I'm also slightly concerned that if the water is supposed to keep going around a clogged bit then I'm less likely to notice that better media is in need of a clean!

Doesn't help that the filters jump from 900L/hr to 1500L/hr with nothing reasonably priced in-between...

 

[mike os]

jbl should produce decent filters... the rest of their kit is usually up to the job. But that said so should jewel tetra and fluval.......

At the time they were all "unique, exceptional ground breaking " etc fill in as appropriate marketing hype

As they are an unknown I would need sufficient price difference to justify the "experiment", but as the cost of stock and running the filters is far more than the cost of the filter itself, I would probably opt for eheim anyway.

the reason eheim spares are in short supply in shops is that they sell so few of them.... in the last 10 years I have had a top seal (service part) a clip ( me being impatient) and a new set of hoses ( I wanted to move the filter) for 3 eheims all of which are several years old. ( also several compact pumps in sumps.... 3-6years 24/7/365 & no service at all)

for a fluval (403) I had new taps, new top seal, new impeller (2) new shaft)1 in less than a year,(when it got binned) and tetra new top seal & no end of noise in <2 years

for me there is no comparison, thinking about it you would have to pay me to consider anything else, let alone buy it

 

[jmkgreen]

for me there is no comparison, thinking about it you would have to pay me to consider anything else, let alone buy it

I thought that before I said 'no' to the idea of JBL I ought to ask if their filtration system was considered better than "the rest", particularly Eheim.

As it stands I have zero [independent] reviews of JBL kit to look at, and a ton of testimony that Eheims are about as reliable as you can get.

 

[mike os]

that said I would welcome another alternative.... but needs to be as good or better

 

[rabbut]

Well, I hear loads of stuff about JBL being good, particularly on planted tank forums. Difficult to get up my way though. I can't get them at work from any of eight wholesalers. With Eheim spares, only one of the Eight suppliers don't carry the parts and they all carry the filters...

From a reliability standpoint, the Tetratec and Rena I have have thus far been more reliable than the Eheim I had, though the Eheim was an Ecco model... The Rena needed a new impeller when I bought it second had, it was damaged, but otherwise has been OK bar seal failures down to my negligence with maintenance. The Tetratec's haven't needed any parts as yet, but at just over a year old you wouldn't expect any failures as yet...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[mike os]

eheim ecco was a disaster.... everyone makes mistakes LOL

seals are service parts... so unless very unreliable should be viewed as "normal to replace every 1-2 years or so"