Rena XP3

[cdawson]

Does anyone think a single rena xp3 is sufficient enough for a 135g brackish tank with scats and monos? I'm having trouble with this filter after using it for 3 months and I'm planning on getting a supplement filter because of it (a penguin 400).

[NJ Devils Fan]

No, only 1 xP3 isn't nearly enough filtration. This might sound outlandish, but for that size tank, I would have at least 3-4 xP3s. I would add 2 Aqua Clear 500s. You generally want a turnover rate of 8x or better.

BTW, there is no Penguin 400, there is a Penguin 330 and an Emperor 400 which are both made by marineland.

[El Gordo]

I would like to know what problems you are having with this filter? I recently purchased this same filter and I find it to be one of the best filters I have owned. In the past I have used fluvals, magnum hots, magnum cannisters, aquaclears and an older eheim, as well as pennplax u/g filters with power heads, but nothing seems to be as user friendly with a large capacity for media as the XP3. I agree that more is better but I dont feel that 3 or 4 rena filters is necessary.

[cdawson]

Where did you buy your rena xp3? I recently got mine at king ed pets for like 200$

I've got a pretty high bio-load and I've had some problems so far with the tank since I got the new filter (with existing ones, penguin 175, fluval 5, penguin 125). I lost a mono this morning that I've had for about a year.

I think I'm gonna go and get a couple aquaclear 500s on the weekend.

I meant to say emperor 400, but it was late at night.

[SBee]

Ughh...King Ed's is definitely cheap...but I really hate that store!!

I got my Filstar xp3 from Big Al's in Burnaby for $200. It was advertised as $300, but I informed them that Petsmart's price was 100 dollars cheaper, and they of course beat that price by 5%. When I was in the market to buy this filter, King Ed's did not carry them.

Currently I have this filter on a 77gal, heavily stocked African tank. I do 25-30% water changes weekly, and rinse the filter media maybe every 2 months. So far, so good.

[paradise]

Originally posted by cdawson
Does anyone think a single rena xp3 is sufficient enough for a 135g brackish tank with scats and monos? I'm having trouble with this filter after using it for 3 months and I'm planning on getting a supplement filter because of it (a penguin 400).

That is crazy. I have a 110 with 2 of them and it's more than enough. They are rated at 350 so that is 700 gallons which is almost 7 times, that is FINE. My water is perfect and never has any test results below optimal. 2 in a 135 sounds fine, maybe an HOB just for a little bit more water movement but that is all.

[cdawson]

My only concern is that scats and monos are MESSY, and I mean in it the most definate meaning of the word. Anyone who has kept them will tell you. What does eceryone suggest, I'm voting myself for a aquaclear 500 as I can get them pretty cheap ($50-$60).

SBee - Why do you hate king ed's? I can see some reasons why, but I'm just curious.

[SBee]

They take poor care of their animals, in my opinion.

Any petstore where you can smell "animal smell" from the parking lot is obviously not doing an adequate job of cleaning up. Their store is ridiculously overstocked; it's hard not to trip over the numerous products scattered over the floor. I realize that this is why their products are cheaper...but come on...the place seems like a giant health hazard.

I also find their staff to be somewhat annoying and unknowledgeable...they spell "demasoni" "demosuii" or something and when I say "you mean Demasoni?" they look at me like I don't know anything about fish. This is just one example.

The owner (or at least the guy who orders in all the fish---I got the impression he was the big cheese) was incredibly rude and very obvious about "profits" being his number one priority. Now I realize this is the priority of any store, but I'd rather be told that customer service was #1 or something.

YEah, and the lady at the checkout counter...she just creeps me out.



Perky's Pet's in New West is the best!!!!

[cdawson]

Perkys pets is awesome, their midrange tanks are so cheap. I've bought two from there in the last 5 months.
That woman at the counter creeps me out too, I try to look at the floor or the magazines as much as possible when I'm paying for something. As for the animal smell, I hate that too. I'm sorry, but for things like plants and driftwood, gravel, and large tanks. You can't beat their prices, perkys is good too though. Those are the two I frequent, big al's too...but I get employee discount there. I've been there so many times and I usually spend alot of money there when I go.

[SBee]

Yeah...for substrates especially, King Ed's is BY FAR the cheapest...same with little accessories and filter media, etc. Their fish are cheap too, but their tanks are dirty and the fish don't usually look top-notch.

I've only been to Perky's once now (a week ago, or so), and I was SO impressed with how clean everything was..and how healthy the fish looked. The prices were comparable to Big Al's, where I would usually go...but Perky's is not as far of a drive.

Admittedly, when I go look for fish, we usually do "the circuit" of Big Al's and King Ed's (and now Perky's will be added to that, lol)

[El Gordo]

I picked up my filter from Big Als when I was over there a few months back. I am actually from Vancouver Island, and we are very limited to what is available as far as well stocked stores. Most of my larger retail items I pick up every few months when I am over on the mainland. I have never been to either Perkys or King Ed,s and I always seem to go straight to Big Als. Who else do you recommend for fish and accessories in the lower mainland? I only have a 110 gallon tank going right now, as I got out of the hobby for a few years.

[cdawson]

Big al's is a total rip-off, unless you need something only they have don't bother. Perkys pets is in new west by the new west quay, king ed's pets is on kingsways where it meets up with edmonds (at the south end), it's right across from value village. Those are pretty much your best bets for good deals. An excellent place (and I use the term loosely lately) for ordering fish in that you want is aquariums west in downtown vancouver on burrard (just before the bridge). However, I ordered 2 silver scats and 1 mono argentus two and a half months ago and still haven't gotten them in.
If you're looking for something rare and exotic (or brackish), try super pet on No.3 road in richmond. That place is awesome, I go there when I can. I actually have to go pick up my mudskippers on sat. from there. This place is basically what all those pet super marts should be, it's laid out kind of like how the bay or eatons (rip) would be, theres a huge section for fish, small animals, cats, dogs, reptiles. However it's all done well, good prices and the people that work there actually know what they're talking about. At least one saturday a month there are two people on hand from the vancouver aquarium society and the vancouver killifish association.

I hope this helps, I had to find out all this junk on my own. I put thousands into big al's before I checked any other stores out as a newbie.

[jdheff1982]

I already own one of thses, but the prices you guys are listing is incredibly higher than what I paid for my. I got it from Big Al's Online last year for Christmas for $100!!!! I can't believe the prices are jacked up that much!!! WOW!!!

[SBee]

hmmm Super Pet on No. 3 you say? I've never heard of it.....but sounds like I will have to check it out. What cross street is it near? How is their selection of Africans ?? :)

[cdawson]

Just take westminister highway all the way until it turns into no.3 road (you know how to get to the big al's out there right?) it's like 2 blocks north of big al's on no.3 road. I'm not exactly sure on their selection of africans but they definately have alot of what I'm looking for, brackish and other oddities. Big al's on no.3 actually has a really big section on africans, I think even moreso than the big al's in burnaby. It's setup different so it's hard to tell if it's just because there's three levels of tanks instead of two.

[NJ Devils Fan]

SS, they are in canada, that is why it looks as if the prices are so high.

[cdawson]

Your prices are pretty much the same when you work it out. Some states may be cheaper but it's relatively the same price everywhere. I went shopping in seattle for parts, but it was pretty much the same price as I could get stuff up here. I opted to buy up here because I could return it if I didn't like it or it didn't work rather than having to mail it to the company.

[SBee]

I find that American prices ARE way cheaper, even after exchange.

xp3 in the states: $100
xp3 in canada: $200 ($140 approx US)

So there's a $40 US difference there.......not chump change in my opinion.! :)

[cdawson]

I guess that is a big difference, what about after duty?

[SBee]

beats me! I would only buy from the US if I was going across the border for a couple days.....camping or whatnot......

[cdawson]

true enough, I know that after two days our limit was $400 can.

[Gunnie]

What about ebay? I've won auctions from Canada before. I bought my last XP3 on ebay and paid $90.00 including the shipping! I'm sure many of the sellers would ship to Canada!

[cdawson]

That's just nuts, I saw an xp3 for 90.00 american in aquarium fish magazine out of mail order and just about had a heart attack...then I realized it was american...still that's still cheap.