i buy all my filters on ebay and i have saved so much money i cant imagine ever going and paying retail ever again. i have never had a problem with any i bought but of course check feedback ratings and do some price checking so you know what a good deal is on a certain brand/model of filter you want and then search for it on ebay.
The more reviews I read on the different filters, the less I want one. I keep reading about leaks, replacing o rings and priming problems. hmmm confused. lol
I think maybe I should just quit reading. I don't know which one to get really. One person says their great (referring to any of the top brands) then the next person says they have nothing but problems. I was also looking at the Marineland Eclipse hood filter. Same thing . One person says they're the best filter they've had and the next person says they suck. I really don't want a HOB filter because it leaves openings in the top of the tank. I'm trying to make sure no crab or snail can escape.
I've had no problems with my Rena except the initial priming was a hassle for some reason...I hear less negative comments about cannisters in general compared to other filter types.
Always temper what you read on the internet. People are much more likely to provide negative feedback I would say.
I personally use fluval 3 and 4 series and love them. You will see a lot of "they suck" and "they don't prime" posts on the internet. I've never had an issue. Craigslist may be a good place to check. Also, I get mine from a locally owned pet shop. The owner always has a lot of used equipment and sells filters at a great price.
As for water on the floor - there is another recent thread that mentions getting 5g of water on the floor. I did the same thing - didn't get the top back on the filter correctly and ended up losing about 5g of water. That was an ID-10-T error, however.
If the only reason you don't want an HOB is because of the gaps, it's really easy to fix. I like the black plastic mesh from craft stores (it's like 39 cents a sheet), sturdy enough to hold up where ever you put it, and being a mesh it doesn't make your tank airtight allowing for plenty of gas exchange.
