Need A New External, Help Me Choose Tff!

[VaegaVic]

Well hello my lovelys,
Just to fill you all in, my favourite tank (but not my biggest oddly) is my 64L. I recently bought (all of 5 months ago) a brand new Interpet EPF 150 to provide some extra filtration on the beast.
Fast foward to now and the EPF (which is actually rather nicely made) is starting to slow down pretty #40## dramatically in terms of flow rates. I've cleaned every square inch of the thing in order to remove as much dirt as possible, the flow will be fine for the first 24hrs after that and then start to drop again, back to a trickle.

Now I have literally cleaned everything in this filter, from impeller to tubes, so I know it cant be an actual blockage.
I've removed all airlocks from the filter.
If the tubes were any shorter, I might as well go for an internal.

So rather than try to figure out why this filter is failing and replace any parts, which might as well be made out of freshwater seahorses for how easy they are to obtain, I've decided to cut my losses, learn my lesson and buy a mainstream filter.

I've been looking particularly at the eheim classic range as I hear it's one of the best and actually quite cheap these days compared to others. I know technically, I can get away with using a 2211 but I really want a decent flow so the min I want is a 2213, although I'm leaning towards the 2215 since it's only an extra £20. Would this be overkill? Would all my sand be on one side of the tank? Would my fish be pressed up against the glass?

Or are there any other filters you would recommend? Money is a real factor here, so no more than £60 please.

 

[jacko32]

the 2213 is spot on for that size of tank

 

[Harlequins]

I voted tetratec,has i have 2 of these ex700 & ex1200 and very easy to use and prime etc

 

[VaegaVic]

So far the 2215 is winning and I'm more inclined to go with that.
Come on peeps!

 

[Liam50]

aqua one aquis 500 pretty cheap easy to clean.

 

[nmonks]

There's no "ideal" canister filter for all tanks; it depends very largely on what you want to keep. For small, clean fish like neons, a turnover rate of 4 times the volume of the tank per hour will be fine. For medium-sized things like gouramis and angelfish, 6 times the volume of the tank will be more appropriate. For big and/or messy fish like plecs and cichlids, or species that like strong water currents, such as loaches, 8 times the volume of the tank with be the minimum turnover rate.

So, for a 64 litre tank, 4 x 64 = 256 litres/hour should be fine for small fish, 6 x 64 = 384 l/h for medium-sized fish, and 8 x 64 = 512 l/h for big/messy/fast-water fish. Once you understand the amount of turnover you need, choose whatever filter your budget stretches to. Do bear in mind that a clogged filter will run at less than half the nominal litres/hour rating, and even with clean media, water flow will be significantly less than advertised. Placing the filter under the aquarium further reduces flow rate.

Buying a slightly bigger filter than you need, and the turning the taps down to reduce the flow, is one approach. Alternatively, use a spray bar to dissipate the current if the turnover seems a bit high.

Eheim "Classic" filters are excellent, and Eheim filters generally regarded as the best in the market. They're perhaps a little fiddly compared to the more modern canister filters, but they're very reliable and can go months without cleaning (mine get cleaned maybe 3-4 times per year). The Fluval brand is a little less reliable though I've used them without problems. But if there's only a small price differential between Eheim and something lower down the quality ladder, get the Eheim.

With all this said, do also look at the excellent, and well-priced, Eheim Aquaball filters. These are very good little filters, and ideal for small fish and small aquaria.

Cheers, Neale

 

[VaegaVic]

Right, the flow has dropped massively tonight, almost to the point of uselessness.

Any final opinions before I buy one?

 

[bubble87]

either fluval external filter or aqua pro external filter both are brill

 

[arobinson1984]

I've voted eheim, simply due to the build quality and proven reliability and they can be bought just as cheap as most other brands.

I'd stay away from the fluvals, they have a reputation for leaking (except the fx5) although im sure this is probably an intermittent problem.

I've heard very good things about the tetratec range although I have no experience with them myself which is why i didnt vote for them. The ex600 or ex700 would be great


Andy

 

[karin]

Sorry to hyjack, but I'm having a problem with my eheim 2215. I have loved it for 3 months and now it is not working that well. Flow rate as really decreased. My water stats are perfect but there is dirt floating around in my tank. I've cleaned the media in the filter 3 times in 3 weeks, changing some of the media from the little balls back to more ceramic rings, but still it is not as good as it once was. But I still want to love it. It is quiet and easy to deal with but here is my question.... why would flow rates decrease if the filter is under the tank? Where is the best location for an external filter?

P.S. Did not vote. I want to love this filter I just can't figure out my problem yet.

 

[minxfishy]

Eheim, the 2215/2213 will be fine, as said, just angle the spraybar if needed, I use 2217+, 5 of them on various tanks, no problems with any of them, ever and they rarely get cleaned out, once every 5-6 months if they are lucky

 

[markandhisfish]

+1 for the eheim i run an eheim pro2 2028 and recently bought an eaheim 2217+ to run alongside it and it is brilliant , plus eheims run for ever and ever