Nooo, don't sell the legendary 80g tank. Then you would no longer be 80gJoe, you'de be 125gJoe which doesn't have a nice ring to it like yours does now. Why not keep it and try something like cichlids or something? Or, breed discus?
Eheim 2217 or Rena XP3?
- Thread starter superjohnny
- Start date
The Fluvals and Renas may have nice convenience features, but that's only half the story. Longevity of the filter is another consideration. Stories of Eheims running for 30 or 40 years are not uncommons. Not many other filters can make that claim.
Jim
Jim
Jschmidt - you are right there is little in this hobby that has a consistantly positive reputation like Eheim. I think I covered that in my write up of both filters. If he was trying to compare the Filstar with the Eheim Pro, I couldn't make the same arguement for the Rena. But, I haven't actually owned an Eheim Pro. But, I think if price wasn't an issue I would always go for the high end Eheims.
BTW- I also own a Fluval 304. They don't compare to either the Rena or the Eheim - IMO.
BTW- I also own a Fluval 304. They don't compare to either the Rena or the Eheim - IMO.
My comment about longevity wasn't so much directed at your fine review, but was to add to the subsequent comments that seemed to not be considering that factor.
Regards,
Jim
Regards,
Jim
So I got my XP3 yesterday. I love Bigalsonline, but it takes ~1.5-2 weeks to get my orders. That's a tough wait.
I was a bit surprised by the XP3. The build quality is excellent. It's got everything I really need in a filter, but but but it's huge. The water level in my tank went down 3" when I got the siphon started (no kidding). When I turned it on a few of the otto's got pealed right off the glass they were sucking on. This sucker is powerful. I can't imagine using the "jet" return... at least in a FW tank. Luckily they have a valve that allows you to slow it down a bit.
It's a bit noisy. I can't hear it a room away, but I can hear it when I stand in front of the tank. It's not loud, but it's not silent. If I had to guess i'd say it's about 30-35dB. It's not an unpleasant sound so it won't be a problem.
It's got all the features and accessories a person could want for a $100 filter. Unfortunately for my wife it's just too darn big for a 45g tank.
I was a bit surprised by the XP3. The build quality is excellent. It's got everything I really need in a filter, but but but it's huge. The water level in my tank went down 3" when I got the siphon started (no kidding). When I turned it on a few of the otto's got pealed right off the glass they were sucking on. This sucker is powerful. I can't imagine using the "jet" return... at least in a FW tank. Luckily they have a valve that allows you to slow it down a bit.
It's a bit noisy. I can't hear it a room away, but I can hear it when I stand in front of the tank. It's not loud, but it's not silent. If I had to guess i'd say it's about 30-35dB. It's not an unpleasant sound so it won't be a problem.
It's got all the features and accessories a person could want for a $100 filter. Unfortunately for my wife it's just too darn big for a 45g tank.
Does the canister maybe have some air in it, making it loud? (You can try turning it upside down while running to expell the air.) I don't think Rena are as quiet as Eheims (which are truly silent; I have to place a hand on mine to tell if it's running), but it shouldn't be that loud. Perhaps other XP3 owners will weigh in.
Good luck with your new gear!
Jim
Good luck with your new gear!
Jim
I agree. It shouldn't be that loud. I have to touch mine to make sure they are on if I'm not looking at the tank. Try rocking it back and forth while it's on to dislodge any air bubbles. I've had to do this a few times.
I thought I received a garbage can when I got my XP3! With all that media, lots of air gets trapped when initially setting up or cleaning it. You can try shimmying it back and forth (quick short shakes) while it's running or fill it near full with dechlorinated water (same temp as tank)put on the top and shake (in a twisting way so you don't invert the filter and allow the air back into the media!) before connecting the hoses. I prefer the latter since I'm paranoid about something else coming undone if I were shaking it while everything is connected. Once it's done expelling all the air, they are extremely quiet.
Another bonus. The snap connecters that close the lid on are not permanently affixed to the body of the filter. I hit one once and it flew off. I thought it was broke but it just snapped back on. Now that's cool!
Another bonus. The snap connecters that close the lid on are not permanently affixed to the body of the filter. I hit one once and it flew off. I thought it was broke but it just snapped back on. Now that's cool!
LOL
This filter might just not like that I'm injecting CO2 into the inlet. My bubble rate is so low that it really shouldn't make that much difference.
My wife will kill me if I spend any more money. I just bought this filter and a new set of headphones. I'm spending money like a drunken sailor!
