How would YOU filter a 180G? (No sump)

[galen]

the eheim 2260 would be my first choice! that's a goliath of a filter and would easily blast any other filter out of the tank stand!!!

besides, the new marineland c series has issues with leaks...read the reviews. the eheims are proven technology. they are the best, plain and simple.

you could even go for the gold and get an eheim 2262, but that's like the king kong of canister filters!!!
bio bale can be used to fill the filter up instead of the eheim ceramics, thus reducing cost and weight. bio bale is commercial grade biological media.

the fx5 has gotten some bad posts and threads over on monsterfishkeepers.com

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/reviews/view_product_review.php?id=1169

 

[Kevin007]

My #1 choice would be the eheim because of its reliability, but it is far too expensive, buying any other media might significantly reduce the effectiveness of the filter?

A Fluval is no match for a Eheim, but for the cost of an eheim, I can get 2 FX5s, and I don't need any powerheads either because of its strong output.

2 FX5s > 1 eheim 2260 < thats my logic lol

 

[Cory Keeper]

I think alot of the issues with "leaking" is floating bioballs causing issues with aligning the baskets. For some odd reason most people are complaining of leaks in the larger (usually 360's) because a bio-ball was preventing them from aligning the baskets properly to form a seal. Marineland doesn't strike me as a company to sell a totally junk or garbage filter, even their cheap HOB filters are of good quality, so why so many bad reviews? Is it possible that these leaks are actually end user problems?

I still say, no matter how good the filter is, a filter doing 400 GPH is not enough for a 180, would need two of them to get any real good filtration going.