Professional Filters

[mokmu]

I am interested in getting one of those more professional filters like EHEIMs & FLUVALs. I am afraid, though, that those things will eventually will get busted. Funny thing is, where I come from, repairs and spare parts for these units are not a readily available resource. If ever, as a last resort, can I use a strong powerhead to push water through the filter if ever the motor from the professional conks out? I wouldn' t want my whole investment to go to waste. I'd like to still be able to use the filter.

Thanks for any help.

Regards,
Mike D.

[JSchmidt]

Many hobbyists have Eheims that are decades old. The motor almost never conks out. It is much more likely that you will damage the impeller when cleaning the unit; these can be bought from online sellers quite easily.

Canister filters, especially high-quality varieties like Eheim, are extremely long-lived. I wouldn't worry.

Jim

[mokmu]

I just went through the LFSs this morning. What would you say about Resun or ViaAqua Filter products. I think these are China and Taiwan made items. Are they any good as well? Thanks.

Mike D.

[mokmu]

Still, will the theory rgarding the powerhead and the filter work?

[wiEngineer]

First, I doubt your "powerhead into the filter" method would work very well if you had a dead canister filter. Likely the impeller would retard your flow rate and you may plain not be able to get enough pressure to get a decent GHP through it anyways.

That said, people have had Eheim canisters that run non-stop for YEARS. Your chances of getting a dud Eheim are pretty low. I personally use a Filstar XP3 which I have been very happy with. However, if rapid replacements weren't available I'd probably spend the money and go for an Eheim instead or perhaps get two XP3s.

A lot of people will also run a small separate HOB filter in addition to their main canister as a backup option. AquaClear are very common and can be purchased online inexpensively (an AC300 or 500 are common sizes). That way, if for some reason your canister died you'd be ok long enough to get it replaced.

The two brands you mentioned I've not heard of and probably wouldn't trust them. Remember, in this hobby you generally get what you paid for. Cheaping out may be inviting disaster down the road.

If you are really paranoid, you could purchase a spare motor assembly for your canister. If your main was to die, then you have a spare.

You could also get two Filstars for the price of one Eheim and either shelf the second one as a spare, or run it in tandem as a redundant.

It really boils down to how much money you are willing to spend for how much reliability.

[BK]

i have heard of people using a powerhead/pump in the way you describe, i believe it was on magnum canister filter with a bad motor. They said that they had to take out the old impeller and hooked up a powerhead/pump. I am not sure how well this worked but i imagine with the right size of pump/powerhead it would work fairly well.

[Heady]

I think it would be hard to go wrong buying an Eheim. You'll likely never have to worry about what to do if the canister breaks down because it just won't break down.

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by wiEngineer

A lot of people will also run a small separate HOB filter in addition to their main canister as a backup option. AquaClear are very common and can be purchased online inexpensively (an AC300 or 500 are common sizes). That way, if for some reason your canister died you'd be ok long enough to get it replaced........ ........ ....
You could also get two Filstars for the price of one Eheim and either shelf the second one as a spare, or run it in tandem as a redundant..
http://gordon.sourcecod.com/images/flagicons/american_flag.gif
Excellent advice! I like the Filstar XP-3...

[RTR]

If you are sure you are in the hobby long term, IMHO there is really no point in considering any canister other than Eheim. I'm one of the folks with old Eheims, multiple external canisters (all those now called Classic series) in the age range 15 -25 years old which have never been out of service - IME, they are the cheapest filter on the market for life cycle costs - which is really all I'm interested in. The newer models (Pro and Pro II) are not yet old enough to be sure they will have the longevity of the older models, but to date they have not presented any problems.

I only wish my cars, HVAC, appliances, etc. were as well made and as reliable. (although the old Maytag washer and dryer are still chugging along).