External Filters

[gbailey141]

Hi all,

I have a Juwel Rio 180 and I was looking at pricing up an extrnal cannister filter for it. I am new to the external side of things and wanted some help on which would be the best for my tank and also one which is reasonably quiet too. Do they normally come complete with all the hoses to set it up with? Also would it be a case of removing my media from the internal and squeezing it into the external?

Thanks

Gav

 

[onebto]

Hello Gav

There are plenty to choose from I have a fluval 405 and a Tetratec 1200 both are good machines many do not like the Fluvals but I have had no problem with mine, the Eheim range is well thought off I am sure plenty of people will pile in and recommend there particular favourites to you.

The externals I have all came with everything including media to set them up and I think that is the case with pretty much all makes and models except maybe the Fluval FX5 which you have to bye the media separate but the FX5 would be over kill for your tank.

A lot of people including myself run the canister filter along side there old filter till it is established but off course you can put some of your old media in the canister if you want.

Just getting a new Tetratec I would recommend them they are very quiet I am pleased as punch with mine, either the EX700 or if you wanted a bit more filtration the EX1200 there is just under £20 difference between the two "you can never have to much filtration" in my opinion

It would help everyone if you could give us an idea of your budget as the cost of some of these bits of kit can vary quite alot.

Regards onebto.

 

[arobinson1984]

There is a vast variety of external filters available for your size tank.

Both tetratec and rena external filters have a good reputation although I have not used either myself, whereas you should stay away from the fluval external range as they have leaking problems except the FX5 model which would be far too large for your tank anyway.

The best make available is eheim, they are designed for reliabilty and with german build quality they often run for 15-20 years without probs when maintain correctly.

There are several different ranges in the eheim collection:

Classic
Pro 1
Pro 2
Pro 3
Ecco

just to name a few, the classics are the orginal range and have the best reputation for reliability although dont have some of the little extras that the other ranges have such as self prime feature. I myself had a pro 3 model but had some trouble with it leaking which is usual for eheim filters but the pro 3 is one of the newest models so they dont come with the reputation that some of the older models come with. I have replaced the pro 3 with one of the classic range and although it isnt quite as advanced, it does just as good a job and I actually prefer it to the pro 3, and of course I know this range is reliable.

For your size tank you would want the same as I have, the eheim 2217+ which is availble with all the hoses and sponge media for about £80 online.

Hope this helps a little, hopefully somebody will be able to give you some more info on other brands that they have experience with.


Andy

 

[shelaghfishface]

ive always had Tetratec,and trust them .. but i did a silly thing and bought a brand new ex700 for a 300 tank

..thought it would do for a few weeks ( baby fish), but its not hacking it at all.. thats just after 2 days!! if however i was putting it on my 180 i would be overjoyed with the results.. i know it would do a grand job
i have ordered my very first Eheim external today rated for a 600lt tank ( maybe a slight overkill on your tank lol) and thats cost me £79...( i think it was) so less than the tetratec ex1200 ( around the £90 mark) that i was going to go for and a higher LPH .. im really looking forward to seeing it in action

Fluval filters will last a lifetime if they are " greased" using silicone grease.. thats why so many people have them leak as they just dont do it

.. but i have to say they are not my first choice even tho i have had many and never been let down.

shelagh xxx
had a rena XP4 and that was brill on 450l

 

[shelaghfishface]

forgot to ask.. is there a reason that your not happy with the juwel internal filter? ive always been very impressed by there capibility

 

[kaivalagi]

Do the ehiems come with media?

I'll recommend the tetratecs all day long, I have 2 ex1200 and they're great. They come with all the media, are easy to maintain with 4 trays holding foam, polishing pad, orbs and ceramic tubes (lesser amount on smaller models). They also come with carbon bags which I would put to one side and not use straight away, they'll come in handy if you want to remove meds etc from the tank water. The best feature though IMHO is the quick release for the hoses, there is one piece which both in and out hoses fit to, it only goes in one way so you can't fit the hoses back on the wrong way around (very bad if you do).

Hope that helps

 

[shelaghfishface]

they come with sponges as far as i can see ( ehiem).. yeah i love TT`s too. so bluddy easy and reliable

 

[gbailey141]

Well thank you all for quick replies. This place really is such a welath of information.

My budget would be around £100 so a few ideas already.

Prices I have found so far..

Eheim 2224 @ £87.00

Fluval 305 @ £75.00

Teratec EX1200 @ £99.00

Would you say these are reasonable?

The internal Jewel does a great job but was wanting to have a clearish tank apart from a heater and the inlet/outlet tubes.

Thanks

Gav

 

[bubble87]

i also have a juwel rio 180 and i have a fluval 305 on it.
in the past i have used aqua pro 4 external filter and even tho they are not as such a big name the filter was brilliant.
i took the black box off my tank and just use the fluval 305.

 

[gbailey141]

i also have a juwel rio 180 and i have a fluval 305 on it.
in the past i have used aqua pro 4 external filter and even tho they are not as such a big name the filter was brilliant.
i took the black box off my tank and just use the fluval 305.

Would you say your 305 is quiet?

Gav

 

[bubble87]

i also have a juwel rio 180 and i have a fluval 305 on it.
in the past i have used aqua pro 4 external filter and even tho they are not as such a big name the filter was brilliant.
i took the black box off my tank and just use the fluval 305.

Would you say your 305 is quiet?

Gav

yes very quiet it makes a very light hum noise but you can only hear it when you are very close up to it.as its in the cuboard under the tank i cannot hear mine at all.

 

[gbailey141]

i also have a juwel rio 180 and i have a fluval 305 on it.
in the past i have used aqua pro 4 external filter and even tho they are not as such a big name the filter was brilliant.
i took the black box off my tank and just use the fluval 305.

Would you say your 305 is quiet?

Gav

yes very quiet it makes a very light hum noise but you can only hear it when you are very close up to it.as its in the cuboard under the tank i cannot hear mine at all.

Thanks bubble. Nice to compare with someone with the same tank.

Gav

 

[gbailey141]

i also have a juwel rio 180 and i have a fluval 305 on it.
in the past i have used aqua pro 4 external filter and even tho they are not as such a big name the filter was brilliant.
i took the black box off my tank and just use the fluval 305.

Would you say your 305 is quiet?

Gav

yes very quiet it makes a very light hum noise but you can only hear it when you are very close up to it.as its in the cuboard under the tank i cannot hear mine at all.

Thanks bubble. Nice to compare with someone with the same tank.

Gav

Do you have yours in the standard cabinet that comes with the Juwel Rio 180?

Gav

 

[bubble87]

yeah its the stand that came with the tank but i have seen them with a gap and shelf in the middle.here are some pics of mine with the filter also.
theres no fish at the moment as its cycling.



http/i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad211/chadley1987/P5110318.jpg




http/i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad211/chadley1987/P5110319.jpg

 

[onebto]

I do not know if you have looked at charter house aquatics? but they are very good and some of there prices are competitive

http/www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/catalog/external-filters-c-52.html


Regards onebto