Rena Xp 2 Vs Fluval 3+

[seanhthemackem]

hi all been taking to friend whos been doing this for years, and when he saw that i'd got a fluval3+ he recomended that i get the Rena XP2 as better filtration and won't have it inside tank, incresing size and would look better.

the tank is a 106L, and i admit i'd like the filter not to be inside the tank for more space and not having to hide it

so is it rena better then the internal fluval? all ideas welcome

sean

 

[rabbut]

Any External (other than Fluvals own, or Eheim Ecco's [IMO]) will be far better than an internal. The larger media volume and water throughput makes them better Biologically and mechanically than pertty much any available internal

Rena's are nice quiet and reliable filter when maintained correctly. With how difficult it is to access the main seal though, it's often tempting IME to neglect the seal and that can lead to leaks. If you can force yourself to get the seal out, clean it and it's well and then re-lube it each time you clean it, a Rena will give you years of reliable and trouble free service. Getting the seal out without damaging it is easier said than done though... Also, it's comes with chemical media (bio-chem Zorb) as standord, that can mess around the biological filtration and lead to tank crashes. Swap this out for bio-ceramics or similar media though and all will be good

Other good fitlers to look at are Eheim Professionals (bar the electronic Pro3's), Eheim Classics and Tetratecs IMO

HTH
Rabbut

 

[seanhthemackem]

just the answer i was looking for thanks very much.
going to the store now to see what they have, will try to go for the rena as you said quiet and its in my bedroom the tank and will swap the media as you suggested
thanks for all the help
sean

 

[jonny_dw]

I have a fluval 205 in the bedroom, only a very slight hum but I dont notice it and sleep soundly lol

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, I tend to be very much in agreement with rabbut on this subject. I like the TetraTecs, the Eheim Pro models and Eheim classic models as the top choices in external cannisters with the Renas and Fluvals following along behind (having the few caveats on maintenance that get mentioned.) None of this equipment is awful if maintained carefully, but none of it is perfect either and any of them can experience problems. The pecking order is pretty well established I guess, from top to bottom, sumps, external cannisters, HOBs, internals, air-drivens. But that's an over-simplification in that a filter ideally needs to be fit to your needs and budget. Sumps are not worth all the trouble if you don't have an extreme need like a big tank full of cichlids. External cannisters are the next largest media volume and all around easiest to maintain, although they overlap HOBs in this regard as you come down the size range. AquaClears are very versitle HOBs with ease of maintenance that rivals cannisters. Internals by definition get in to messier maintenance but of course your also saving money at this point and simple air-drivens are quite useful in the right situations too, like fry and hospital tanks and as auxiliary temporary filters.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

I would move the simple box filter, air driven, above many HOBs for the simple reason that they are very flexible about what you put into them and can be adapted to almost any filtering situation. The typical HOB, I know there are exceptions, has a throw away cartridge with so little carbon in it that it is a joke and almost nothing but a thin mechanical filter element. The biofiltration gets thrown away monthly if you follow the manufacturer's suggestions so you get to start over every time the biofilter becomes established. A simple box filter can be filled with the media of your choice depending on what is needed at the time. I usually have mine almost full of ceramic biological media with a layer of floss on the top to keep dirt from plugging the pores in the biological filter media.

 

[waterdrop]

I would move the simple box filter, air driven, above many HOBs for the simple reason that they are very flexible about what you put into them and can be adapted to almost any filtering situation. The typical HOB, I know there are exceptions, has a throw away cartridge with so little carbon in it that it is a joke and almost nothing but a thin mechanical filter element. The biofiltration gets thrown away monthly if you follow the manufacturer's suggestions so you get to start over every time the biofilter becomes established. A simple box filter can be filled with the media of your choice depending on what is needed at the time. I usually have mine almost full of ceramic biological media with a layer of floss on the top to keep dirt from plugging the pores in the biological filter media.

As usual you were right on the same wavelength I remember thinking right after I wrote that that we should add a special category for the poor HOBs with little cartridge frame thingys... anyway, if we rewrote the pecking order paragraph we might have to split HOBs into 3 categories with ACs, biowheels and then all the rest in different categories perhaps and mixed up with the little boxies and internals perhaps...

WD

 

[seanhthemackem]

well thanks for all the help. money and what my shop had made me go for the fluval 205 and im very happy with it. great circulation and water turn over. now just cycling the tank. thanks again . sean