should I get eheim 2217? Confused...
- Thread starter diane6
- Start date
C-360 if you want baskets. Seriously, for the extra $30 you get baskets, massive media room and improved flow.
And never ever follow filter ratings, they are almost always overrated, ESPECIALLY Eheim's. Though, the C-160 is about spot on, does my 29g decently well.
And never ever follow filter ratings, they are almost always overrated, ESPECIALLY Eheim's. Though, the C-160 is about spot on, does my 29g decently well.
I've had a C-160 for over a year, no leaks. The older ones did I believe, but those have been fixed.
The 2217 dosent have baskets true but it is the only canister on the market that is 100 percent bypass free. Baskets are great to have but all basket type filters will have some bypass.
Imo a 350 is a great mechanical filter but if you have a high bio load there is not much room for bio media. Plus imo it's loud compared to my eheim and a clunky mess to maintain, too many little parts to keep track of.
Do some more research it's fun, don't just go by what everyone says here post a thread at other sites and see what others say.
Oh and sorry about the he thing I thought your name was dane
Imo a 350 is a great mechanical filter but if you have a high bio load there is not much room for bio media. Plus imo it's loud compared to my eheim and a clunky mess to maintain, too many little parts to keep track of.
Do some more research it's fun, don't just go by what everyone says here post a thread at other sites and see what others say.
Oh and sorry about the he thing I thought your name was dane
I have been running Ehiem 2028's for the past 6 years. I love them. quiet, great filteration, not cheap like my fluvel fx5, you can customize your media for the fish you have or water conditions. I Highly recommend Ehiem.
Here's my 2 cents to add in the mix. I've had just about every type of filter from in tank, HOB, canisters. I currently have an eheim 2217, a mag 350, a hot mag, multiple penn plax cascades and a marineland C-series.
eheim pros
-widely used and therefor great customer service and replacement parts readily available.
-larger size canister so you can stack lots of media in there depending on what you need.
-quiet
-seems to have good flow although i've only used a spray bar.
-intake is loooong out of the box so (if you have a sandy botoom) fish poop isn't there for long
-basically no bypass since water is in thru the bottom, out thru the top so it needs to travel thru ALL your media
-has quick disconnects
eheims cons
-no media baskets with makes it a pain in the butt to pull out/seperate/clean and/or refresh media and then load in back in
-it's a pain in the butt to prime as there is no "prime" buttom to start the water flow/vacuum
-no type of handle so you do have to bear hug it out from underneath the stand to clean it
mag 350 pro
-you can have the micron cartidge for water polishing or the media "basket" for regular filtration
-GREAT flow
-very easy to clean
-easily replaceable parts (and relatively inexpensive)
-it has a handle!
-unlike a lot of canister filters, it can be turned on/off without having to unplug it
-quick disconnects
mag350 cons
-very small media "basket" basically no room for bio balls, ceramic rings, purigen or zeocarb or anything else. to me it's like you can really only run 1 type of media (and of course you have the outer sleeve)
-need 1 if not 2 tube extenders to get the intake down close to the bottom
-if you're not careful and get some grits of sand in the bottom by the impeller, you can "drill" a hole thru the impellar well
-no "prime" button
marineland c series pros
-between 3-6? different baskets for customizable media (# depends on model)
-there's a prime button!
-very quiet
-quick disconnects
-handle for easy transport (except on the 5** iirc)
-GREAT flow
-easy replacement parts/great customer service
marineland cons
-no on/off switch
-possibility of bypass (although not much because the baskets seem incredibly snug)
cascade pros
-relatively same design as the marineland c-series although not as high grade materials
-large multiple baskets for customizable media)
-handle
-prime button
-good flow
-comes with spray bar and nozzle
-deep intake tube
cascade cons
-poor customer service (I had a housing crack on me and could never get ahold of anyone or find anywhere to purchase a new one. it was my fault, i accidentally dropped it)
-possibility of bypass (same as the c-series)
i recently got some fluvals with a tank i purchsed. just looking at them and putting them together with the media, they seem incredible efficient although i'm not really enjoying the way the hoses connect to the canister itself. seem somewhat flimy and VERY highly breakable for the amount of pressure you need to get it to "lock"
for a tank your size, i would recommend going with two filters. if one goes bust, you have a backup. plus you can switch off cleaning them so you never have a mini-cycle if you clean one "too well" also offers better flow as you could position them on different sides of the tank. IMHO you can never have TOO much filtration. Everyone has their own favorite or thinks they're gurus on the subject when it all comes down to personal experience. What might be a con for me wouldn't matter to anyone else. I hope I've helped a little bit. I was just as confused when I started with canisters but now I know what *I* look for in a canister. If there's any questions about any of the ones I've used, please ask!
eheim pros
-widely used and therefor great customer service and replacement parts readily available.
-larger size canister so you can stack lots of media in there depending on what you need.
-quiet
-seems to have good flow although i've only used a spray bar.
-intake is loooong out of the box so (if you have a sandy botoom) fish poop isn't there for long
-basically no bypass since water is in thru the bottom, out thru the top so it needs to travel thru ALL your media
-has quick disconnects
eheims cons
-no media baskets with makes it a pain in the butt to pull out/seperate/clean and/or refresh media and then load in back in
-it's a pain in the butt to prime as there is no "prime" buttom to start the water flow/vacuum
-no type of handle so you do have to bear hug it out from underneath the stand to clean it
mag 350 pro
-you can have the micron cartidge for water polishing or the media "basket" for regular filtration
-GREAT flow
-very easy to clean
-easily replaceable parts (and relatively inexpensive)
-it has a handle!
-unlike a lot of canister filters, it can be turned on/off without having to unplug it
-quick disconnects
mag350 cons
-very small media "basket" basically no room for bio balls, ceramic rings, purigen or zeocarb or anything else. to me it's like you can really only run 1 type of media (and of course you have the outer sleeve)
-need 1 if not 2 tube extenders to get the intake down close to the bottom
-if you're not careful and get some grits of sand in the bottom by the impeller, you can "drill" a hole thru the impellar well
-no "prime" button
marineland c series pros
-between 3-6? different baskets for customizable media (# depends on model)
-there's a prime button!
-very quiet
-quick disconnects
-handle for easy transport (except on the 5** iirc)
-GREAT flow
-easy replacement parts/great customer service
marineland cons
-no on/off switch
-possibility of bypass (although not much because the baskets seem incredibly snug)
cascade pros
-relatively same design as the marineland c-series although not as high grade materials
-large multiple baskets for customizable media)
-handle
-prime button
-good flow
-comes with spray bar and nozzle
-deep intake tube
cascade cons
-poor customer service (I had a housing crack on me and could never get ahold of anyone or find anywhere to purchase a new one. it was my fault, i accidentally dropped it)
-possibility of bypass (same as the c-series)
i recently got some fluvals with a tank i purchsed. just looking at them and putting them together with the media, they seem incredible efficient although i'm not really enjoying the way the hoses connect to the canister itself. seem somewhat flimy and VERY highly breakable for the amount of pressure you need to get it to "lock"
for a tank your size, i would recommend going with two filters. if one goes bust, you have a backup. plus you can switch off cleaning them so you never have a mini-cycle if you clean one "too well" also offers better flow as you could position them on different sides of the tank. IMHO you can never have TOO much filtration. Everyone has their own favorite or thinks they're gurus on the subject when it all comes down to personal experience. What might be a con for me wouldn't matter to anyone else. I hope I've helped a little bit. I was just as confused when I started with canisters but now I know what *I* look for in a canister. If there's any questions about any of the ones I've used, please ask!
I have a 2217 and a Cascade 700 on my 55G. The Cascade did a good job, but since adding the Eheim my tank is now visibly cleaner. I eventually plan to move the Cascade onto my 29G, but for now am loving how clean my 55G is. I would recommend the 2217 and Kensfish is a great place to buy it from.
katana1200
Unhealthy obsession?
I have actually decided to go with the sunsun route. I will refer to gunners excelent posts and reviews here.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214525&highlight=sunsun
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2
For the price I don't think they can be beat. That being said, I have yet to actually order mine, but as a first time cannister user I am going to take a small gamble with a lesser known company. All the research I have done outside this website has been positive. They are a legit. company that is producing a quality product for less money.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214525&highlight=sunsun
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2
For the price I don't think they can be beat. That being said, I have yet to actually order mine, but as a first time cannister user I am going to take a small gamble with a lesser known company. All the research I have done outside this website has been positive. They are a legit. company that is producing a quality product for less money.
I'm going to play devil's advocate here.
Do they sell replacement parts on ebay such as impellers, new or rings, filter baskets etc. Ya know, the stuff that will wear out.
Is there a customer service number listed?
How long have these been on the market and are there any long term testimonials? Is it still a cheaper route if they crap out within a year and you have to buy a new one?
I bought cheaply for my first canister filters and ended up paying in the long run because of not being able to get ahold of anyone over the phone or thru email at the company on WHERE to find replacement parts.
Just something you might want to consider.
