do they sell canister filters at petco or petsmart?

[AquariumNoob13]

if they don't, any other good places where they would? (in the san diego county please)

[ansbfish]

yep they both have em

petco off the top of my head sells penn plax cascade, and eheim ecco..
not sure if they have rena or any other eheims tho, never really paid much attention

[simplyorange]

fluvals and renas too.

edit: like the other thread. check online prices, print it out, and bring it in-store to get it priced matched if its cheaper.

[tks4d2]

they do but petco and petsmart sell different brands...check their websites

[AquariumNoob13]

alright. thanks!

[AquariumNoob13]

this was recomended to me a while back:

Rena XP3

is that good on a 75 gal mbuna tank alone? or will i need an HOB filter too?

[Rbishop]

Of course they do. Have you been to one of their stores...?

I over filter, so I would run two.

[OhNo123]

If you were to get the Rena XP3, Get it off www.bigalsonline.com. they sell it for $90 + shipping whereas Petsmart/Petco sells it for around $150 - $180.

[AquariumNoob13]

and is bigalsonline trustworthy? like have u ever ordered anything off of them and they delivered it in ship-shape condition?

[ansbfish]

I just got my order last Friday from Big Al's Online and its all setup and running good.
I got everything for cheaper than what most retailers want for a single xP 3.

Here is how it looked after I emptied the 2 boxes.
http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/2448/crw3319ut4.th.jpg (http://img250.imageshack.us/my.php?image=crw3319ut4.jpg)

Also, the 1L of Efhimech only filled 1/2 the middle compartment of my xP 3 so I'd definitely get 2L at least, if not 3L.

[AquariumNoob13]

I just got my order last Friday from Big Al's Online and its all setup and running good.
I got everything for cheaper than what most retailers want for a single xP 3.

Here is how it looked after I emptied the 2 boxes.
http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/2448/crw3319ut4.th.jpg (http://img250.imageshack.us/my.php?image=crw3319ut4.jpg)

Also, the 1L of Efhimech only filled 1/2 the middle compartment of my xP 3 so I'd definitely get 2L at least, if not 3L.

so apart from the filter i have to get someting else too? i'm so confused! u can't just get the filter with everything all together? u have to buy seperately other things for it to run properly?

[ansbfish]

The xP series do not come with bio-media.

I decided to get Efhimech as it was the cheapest ceramic cylinders on Big Al's and was recommended to me.

Just keep in mind it comes with 1.5 compartments empty, and it takes 1L of bio-media to fill 1/2 a compartment. So, depending on how you want to set it up you could use 1L-3L of bio-media.

All in all though its completely up to you how you want to set it up. I've even read of people using only the foam pads as their filtration and bio-media.

[AquariumNoob13]

The xP series do not come with bio-media.

I decided to get Efhimech as it was the cheapest ceramic cylinders on Big Al's and was recommended to me.

Just keep in mind it comes with 1.5 compartments empty, and it takes 1L of bio-media to fill 1/2 a compartment. So, depending on how you want to set it up you could use 1L-3L of bio-media.

All in all though its completely up to you how you want to set it up. I've even read of people using only the foam pads as their filtration and bio-media.

what is the best way to set it up to filter a 75 gal mbuna cichlid tank? :thud:

[AquariumNoob13]

this looks like a good deal from what u have told me so far, but i could be mistaken:
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp17290/si1380030/cl0/aquariumpharmaceuticalsrenafilstarxp3canisterfilte r

[ansbfish]

To be honest I'm not really sure. I think everyone is going to have their own opinion on what works best for their tank, as each tank is different in its filtration needs.

That said thought, I'd just go with what it comes with and 2L of ceramic cylinders or some other bio-media and then just see what you think your tank needs as time goes on.

[ansbfish]

this looks like a good deal from what u have told me so far, but i could be mistaken:
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp17290/si1380030/cl0/aquariumpharmaceuticalsrenafilstarxp3canisterfilte r

That's exactly what I got, and this (http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCatalog/ctl3684/cp/si1382936/cl1/eheim_ehfimech_1liter).

I'd get two of the 1L boxes though, so you could fill the entire middle compartment.

[OhNo123]

Yes Bigalsonline.com is a extremely trustworthy online fish store. I order from them all the time! I usually get their shipments two days after they ship it out. Every thing comes great and in perfect conditions.

[AquariumNoob13]

ok. thanks everyone. u have all been such help and i really really appreciate it!

[AquariumNoob13]

That's exactly what I got, and this (http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCatalog/ctl3684/cp/si1382936/cl1/eheim_ehfimech_1liter).

I'd get two of the 1L boxes though, so you could fill the entire middle compartment.

and everything has been running efficiently ever since you got it? no complaints?

[ansbfish]

and everything has been running efficiently ever since you got it? no complaints?

Yep, runs really good.

[ChunkyMonkey]

how often do you have to buy more of that ceramic media? Excuse my ignorance. All I've ever had was HOB filters, but I like the thought of a cleaner look instead of my two huge Emperor filters, lol.

[ansbfish]

Once.
Just gotta rinse it during regular maintenance.

[ChunkyMonkey]

****...why didn't I buy one of these...thanks!

[ansbfish]

You will still have to replace foams though, but you can cut your own

[spirals]

If you do go check out Petco/Petsmart you may have to ask an associate if they have any. There are a bunch of stores around mine where we can't have canister filters on the shelf because people will steal them. So...we have empty boxes or big empty spaces where they used to be. If you don't see any it won't hurt to ask :)

[Phil22]

I've had an XP3 running for about 6 months. No problems at all. I have the foam pads that they provide in the bottom basket, a box of bio things in the middle basket (look like sprockets), and a fine polishing pad in the top basket. Works great for me. I rinse the bottom foam and top polishing pad once a month with tank water...no deteriation noted at all. I don't rinse the bio stuff in the middle basket. The fine polishing pad in the top basket seems to need to be replaced about every 2-3 months...it gets pretty nasty, and doesn't rinse clean after 2-3 months.
I do keep an extra pad that fits the filter in my other tank in the middle basket with the bio media in case I ever need to completely clean my other tank filter.