Eheim classic or Fluval?

[sundragon]

I'm about to purchase a 57 gallon tank and I would like to get my first canister filter.

I found a cheap 2215 on CL, the LFS wants me to purchase a Fluval, they said easier to get parts.

Would a 2215 or the 305 work for 57 gallon tank?

 

[WeedCali]

Depends on how much your getting the Eheim for. and is it new?

Either way, I would probably recommend you an Odessea CFS500 or SUNSUN HW-304

 

[sundragon]

$55, it's two years of use, but hasn't been used in a year. The owner still has the attachments.

I've never heard of the Odessea CFS500 or SUNSUN HW-304 - Are they Chinese?

Depends on how much your getting the Eheim for. and is it new?

Either way, I would probably recommend you an Odessea CFS500 or SUNSUN HW-304

 

[Cerianthus]

Firm believer of Eheim over any other canisters. I saved 20 or so Eheims (Only Eheim, nothing else were worse saving imo), some used for over 10 yrs, packed away for close to 10 yrs. Of course after thorough cleaning before packin.

Took one 2217 out last year and it has been running without a hitch. Even O-ring stayed in good condition after all those yrs. I still have tons of new parts such as Impellers, shafts and bushings, O-ring, etc. in case I need to replace some in the future but parts are always easily avail/obtainable.

It all depends on how well prev owner maintained the filter. Take it apart to check for its impeller condition & Run it before buying for any possible noises. As long as part are OK and silent and no leaks, it should be OK. It doesnt hurt to nego either.

Hope this helped.

 

[Sigrid]

I am still using my first Eheim (with the heater built into the top) since 1995. No problems, runs quietly, does the job on my 125g tank, and I am satisfied.
A total of "4 Eheimers" are servicing my tanks and are doing a great job. Most of them purchased at auctions for little money.

Any time you use/purchase a foreign item, you will need to search a bit for replacement parts.........But, if there is very little breakdown with the Eheim filters, U R set forever. *see my Personal Gallery* :headbang2:

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

This is just my opinion and as some members know I share it even at the expense of my own brand filters I happen to own. I own 2 Fluval 404/405 designed canister filters that are almost identical in all the smaller sizes. I no longer use these 2 filters in their stock configuration becasue in my opinion they are the worst designed canister filters I have ever studied, bypassing up to 60% of the intake flow around the baskets and impeller cover deliberately by design to avoid a possible motor overheat in the event of media clog. This is why they always seem to never get very dirty and run , run , run without reduced flow. I would almost recommend any other filter. The good about the Fluval 404/405 series is that they are made very well out of very durable materials and can with some DIY effort be made to perform far better. So well made that I used 1 of my Fluval 404's to create a 12x4 inch cartridge filter which performed very well the only draw back was the price of the Carts $15-$25, and now Im currently using them to DIY create a new circumference cart design that will use cheap Blue-bond pad and Poly-batting over a a basket like the Magnum 350 or porous sponge block. But as far as their stock filter designed, I think you could do far better with almost anything else, even an HOB cartridge filter IMPO.

 

[sundragon]

Thanks for all the information. It looks like the Eheim is what I'll try for.

It's a 2215 - Do you think that will work for 57 gallon planted tank?

 

[mott]

I think the 2215 is slightly undersized for a 57, you would need to add a powerhead or another 2215 in the future which IMO is never a bad thing as I love to overfilter my tanks.

 

[toddnbecka]

I have several eheims, classic and pro series, and a fluval 304. Fluvals are easier (for your lfs) to get parts for, but you can find just about anything for eheims online. The catch is, you need to buy parts for the fluvals more often than for eheims. The classic series (2215) in particular are very well-designed for long-term durability. The main difference between the two in terms of performance is the flow rate. If you're stocking a tank with cichlids and pleco's and you want more flow to keep the tank clean, go with the FX5.
A planted tank stocked with smaller, less messy fish is another matter. The eheims are rated for tank size/capacity for biological filtration, not mechanical. I use a 2215 along with an air-driven hydrosponge filter in a 40 gallon tank. It housed several hundred endlers and a tank full of Najas last year. I picked up a Carapo knife to thin out their numbers, and when there were less than 2 dozen remaining the survivors were moved to another tank. I then tossed in dozens of extra cichlid fry, which didn't get eaten as quickly, so now there are several dozen ~3" fish along with the Carapo in the tank. The Najas has been eaten by the cichlids, but the eheim and hydrosponge still support the bioload and keep the tank looking clean.

 

[sundragon]

Really? It's "rated" to 92 gallons... Do you think a 2217? or Ecco? Cost is an issue...

I want one filter (Get it right the first time) not two

I believe in KISS (Keep it simple stupid) - Less clutter, cleaning, maintenance, etc. So if the 2215 won't cut it, then I'd rather look for the right filter to do the job.

Bioload:
I have 4 angels (6 months to a year), 10 neons, 2 clown loaches (3 inches), 2 otos, and a hillstream - I may add a few more otos or another hillstream in the larger tank to deal with algae... Oh yeah, and a lot of plants.