filstar xp3 vs. eheim 2217?

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yuki

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I am thinking about buying a filter for my 140 and the filstar sounds good. my problem is that it doesn't come with media. I figure i will use eheim mechanical and biological media. When I bring the cost together to set up the filstar with the media that i would like it comes out to almost the same price as the eheim filter that comes with media. I understand that the filstar has a higher rate of flow but I am still rocking back and fourth. please help me with my picky decision.
 

fmcgrump

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Have two XP2's on a 75. Bought after reading many posts. I'm really happy. Just got back into the hobby after many years, (30). Really easy to set up and maintain. Using Ehiem pre filter. The 20 ppi sponges inside with polyester and Ehiem Biological.

Got a 38 with a XP2 on it. Again, Great. Got a second 75 and 2 XP 2's ready to set up.

This forum is great for advice.

Would reccomend 2 filters versus 1 on a 140.

Martin
 

LongTime

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June's issue of FAMA has an article comparing the XP3 to an Eheim Pro II 2128 and others. You may want to check it out.
 

yuki

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checked out big al's

it didn't say anything special. i know that the filstar comes with a few mechanical medias but i was talking about filling the three empty filter baskets in the middle.
 

yuki

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thanks for replys so far

Also I was wonderring if anybody knew the amount of media it takes to fill a media compartment in the xp3?
 

chefkeith

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I have one xp3 and just ordered another one from BA's. It's a great filter.

The only media you need to get is biological media and some extra filter floss.

I use rena chemstars, but eheim probably has something better. The foam filter pads that come with the canister have lasted me over a year so far.
I do clean these pads in aquarium water about every other week though.

The micron pads that come with the canister don't last very long. I guess you could clean them if you tried though. I just use filter floss instead.

You don't really need anything else, except Maybe some activated carbon on occasion to get meds out of the water.

To break it down, -
the bottom basket- use the 4 filter pads that come with the Canister (two Foam 20's on the bottom, then the two Foam 30's on top of those).

The middle basket- Biological Media and/ or a sack of activated Carbon or that Nitra Zorb that comes with the filter.

The top basket- Filter floss or the micron pads that come with canister.
 
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yuki

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thanks

i am going ahead and buying the xp3 on sale at doctor foster's and smith. but I am going to set it up like a eheim with 2L Ehfisubstrat pro and switch out the course foam(20ppi) with ehfimech. I am going to take your advice on the floss, thanks. I also figured out that I don't need as much biological filtration. So, it ends up cheaper than the Eheim 2217. thank you all. i appreciate it.
 

Vampyre

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Ok im about to buy the filters for my new 75g. first FW tank setup. I was set on 2 emp 280's. But after reading about these nifity canister filters im intrested.

Is there any website that has real pictures of how this is put together/taken apart. or maybe a .pdf of the manual it came with. Im a visual learner so pictures help. I found this http://www.aquariumpharm.com/pdf/equipment/XPparts.pdf but that makes it look really scary.

i just want to set this tank up the best i can for now and the future if i want to expand.

cheers. :-F
 
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tpl*co

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I just set up an XP3

I called Dr. Foster and Smith prior to ask how much media the XP3 would take and they said 3, so since I had a Penguin 330 that I was going to put extra media in it's basket too, I bought a 5 liter container (cheaper that way). Well, needless to say, I had too much media and I now have extra for the time I'll need to swap out 1/3 of the media down the line. I'd say the XP3 took a little over 2 liters to fill so you should be fine with 2 liters (took around 1/3 of a 5 liter box, and I completely filled the middle and didn't put in the chemsorb pouch).

Good luck
 
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