Filters! (Continued from my post in the Beginners forum)

[cawah]

Hi again! Please check out this post first:
http://myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11853

So far I like the Magnum Pro - which comes with the canister and a bio wheel.
The canister has 350 GPH, but the bio wheel says"
"Two BIO-Wheels. Unpowered. Minimum flow requirement: 160 gph"
I am guessing that doesn't have GPH, but needs GPH to run.

So... what do you suggest I also buy? Should I buy the power bio wheel, which says:
"Two BIO-Wheels. Powered by Penguin 1140 Power Head (300 gph)."

?? Does that mean with the Magnum having 350 GPH, plus the bio wheels having 300... 650?? Is that overboard?

Or should I get this one:
"One BIO-Wheel. Powered by Penguin 660 Power Head (170 gph)." so 350 + 170 = 520 gph.

Or should I get another canister that spits out 220 gph?

I know people like eheims, but I checked their retailer list and no stores are near me! Maybe it is outdated? I prefer being able to see something first before I buy anything. Also, their website is a bit non-newbie friendly, unlike the Marineland website which has lots of details.

And sorry for all the questions... I have checked out lots of books from the library, but they are really outdated and talk about UGF's and nothing about large tanks =(

Any suggestions are really appreciated! I am doing everything step by step to make sure all will be okay

Edit: As for fish I am keeping, they will be Silver Dollars and Blue Acaras. Severums if possible. Just a general idea of the fish. They will be small when I buy them.

 

[rocketshrimp]

Personally i like to have closer to a gph of ten times thte tank size so you would be aiming for 1000 gph. i bieleve that the magnum out put feeds into the 2 bio wheels. i suggest you get a AC500 for particle filtration and go from there with maybe the 2 powered bio wheels, and a smaller canaster or skip the biowheel and get a bigger canister and the ac500 , look at the 55 in my sig to get an idea you be aiming for twice as much filtration.

 

[Managuense]

you cant really compare a canister to a HOB filter. one eheim at 265 gph will run route water through so much more media than something like an emperor that this becomes like comparing apples and oranges.

i.e. - 1000 gph through a tiny filter floss bag sucks when compared to 200 gph through an entire canister of media.


i had the magnum 350 and despised it.

it runs noisy, holds little media (making it more of a HOB hybrid than a real cansiter) is made from the crappiest plastic parts, has an "O" ring etc.

anyone else have fun putting the little "rubber rings" on the filter tubes?? (puke)

truth be known, i actually BROKE the plastic outlet tube when i was trying to seal the lid during maintenance and proceeded to throw the filter into the dumpster.

for the same price you can get a filstar which is much better IMO.
M

 

[cawah]

Ooh. I have a bio wheel right now and I love it. But I have heard lots of good things about Eheims, so my curiousity is sparked.

Oh yeah, I will have sand, so I don't want filters where sand being sucked up is a possibility.

What is AC500? Do they have a website?

For Eheim, what models would you recommend for me? I'm not too sure where to start in all thier huge list! Classic, Pro, its all confusing to me =(

I just want the simplest, low maintenance, wont-give-me-a-hassle filter. Dont want to break it apart each week and scrub it, fix it, etc. I'd rather pay a little more for something that won't give me a headache =D

 

[Managuense]

just want the simplest, low maintenance, wont-give-me-a-hassle filter. Dont want to break it apart each week and scrub it, fix it, etc. I'd rather pay a little more for something that won't give me a headache =D

the eheim pro II series.... the absolute top-notch, hassle free, BMW or the canister filter series. eheim recommends maintenance only 6 months.

however, you get what you pay for and these puppies are expensive... (i run the 2028 on my 125 gallon and LOVE it.)

www.bigalsonline.com --they pretty much have the cheapest aquarium products anywhere.

the AC (aquaclear) 500 is a great HOB filter...i would even recommend it over the emperor line of filters. you can run 2 sponges in the aquaclears instead of the carbon they give you, and you have mechanical and biological filtration that is tough to beat! plus you can go MUCH longer between cleanings than with the emperors, which bags clog very quickly. (i know, i run 2 of them.) however, sand can (and will) destroy the aquaclear just as easily as the emperor if some gets sucked up, so i would go with a canister.

all of the eheims are top-notch, i would take the filstars second, the via-aqua third, then the fluval and magnum if you really like them.

just my opinion.
M

 

[cawah]

Managuenese, just want to make sure, if I buy an Eheim Pro II, will I need to purchase other filters (like the Magnum has a wheel with it)? Or will 1 canister be enough?

Also, what do you think of the thermo ones? Are those worth it? Or is getting a separate heater recommended? Thank you! WOAH! Just saw the cost of an added heater. What is the big advantage of this for the price to be so high?

I am always throwing barrages of questions at you guys...

 

[Managuense]

what size is your tank?

i like to use a canister along with one (or two) HOB filters for some extra water movement and mechanical filtration.... and i actually DONT prefer the bio-wheel filters.

the eheim will easily provide you with the biological filtration that having a bio-wheel will. i think you have fallen for the marineland bio-wheel hype a little too far.

while i do agree that bio-wheels work, i wouldnt not call them "better" than any other type of biological filtration.

an aquaclear with 2 gigantic sponges does just as good a job as the emperor 400 IMO.

this topic will be debated forever, but that is just my opinion.

comparing the magnum (even with the bio-wheels) to an eheim pro II is like comparing a chevy with a mercedes. there just is no comparison with the quality of parts, longevity, easy of use, etc.
M

 

[cawah]

Around 120 gals. I decided on an eheim already, but wasnt sure if I needed another one too. I think I will still get a bio wheel as the extra because I am just used to them. They do a good job in my 5 gal and I like them very much. thanks so much!

PS: I will get an eheim 2028, since they only have 2 standard sizes, and that one is the biggest. Sound good so far?

I hope it won't be too hard to set up! Now I cannot wait