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Canister Filters
Eheim 2222
by Wilfred-5/12/99
The Eheim Professional 2222 is the smallest canister of the professional series. It does not seem to be available in the US, as I only see the 2224 onwards from US websites. I have had this filter running for almost 1.5 years already. Nothing has broken down and I only stripped it 3 times for washing. It is a fantastic filter no doubt. Virtually noiseless and good flow rate for my 120 litre tank. Despite its reliability, I still have a couple of complains. It is a hassle when I need to restart it after cleaning. It has already been improved from the previous series, but self primming is still lacking . I have swallowed my fair share of tank water and would really like to have this feature included in future series of this filter. A good feature is the water flow on-off control right on top of the filter. Very thoughtful as it works just like a flip switch. This is also where the hoses connect to. Latches are large and it would take an idiot to mis-seat this filter as it is square. The shape is also a fantastic feature, as it does not take up unnecessary space under the tank. There's also no O ring to grapple with which is often a nightmare for most cannister owners. The second gripe of this filter is the media basket. The 2222 model is the only one without 3 baskets.(*please see note below*) I guess it is because of its small size. The manufacturer cannot go wrong if they would make alternate media baskets which are shallower, so that 3 of them can fit. This could be sold as an option. On the topic of media baskets, they are also well designed with retractable handles that doubles up as a filter pad retainer in the stowed position. All in all, a very good filter which I would recommend to all aquarists. If they could lower the price.. Click here to visit a distributor's Eheim information page. (excellent information on this series of filters!) Click here to go to the manufacturer's web site.
*Editors note: I received information from a reader that the Eheim 2224 and 2226 come with 2 media baskets and the only Eheim pro series with 3 baskets are the 2228 and 2229 wet/dry. In regards to priming the reader says the "trick is to fill up the canister filter with water first." I don't know if these are like the Fluval canisters in regards to priming, but I found even after doing this with them you still have to get a flow through the intake and outlet hoses which requires sucking some water through them, there is a "priming bulb" sold for this purpose and can make priming easier.-BB
12/09/99 update: I received an e-mail from Kristen who says "The review says that the 2222 is not available in the US, but it is available at http://www.petsolutions.com. It is the only place I've ever seen it listed (and at a very good price.)"
Fluval 303
byBob Buettner-5/11/99
This was my first canister filter and to be honest I always found it is a very cumbersome piece of equipment that was always difficult to prime and purge of air. These tend to get rather noisy with any air in the system and , in my experience the impeller's don't seem to last very long (around $20.00 to replace) The hose setup requires you to remove the hoses fron the screw fitting (for filter removal and cleaning) and I always had trouble getting them reconnected without leaking. There are small plastic clips that hold the top, motor unit to the cannister and a large O ring that seals the two pieces together. The O ring has a tendency to slip off and over the inner media basket if you have to take it apart to reseat it upon assemble. The plastic clips can snap off very easily if you are not careful reassembling the unit. I ended up using a small "C" clamp to keep the filter together and leak free while I hunted down a new set of clips! I have heard that it has been redesigned lately (now called the 304 I think), but I have not seen anyone selling them or a description of the changes. Click to go to the manufacturer's web site.
Fluval 304/404
I recently purchased the Fluval 304 canister filter. This is one of the new 4th generation Fluvals recently on the market. I was so pleased with this product that I quickly followed up with a purchase of a 404 for another tank of mine. I also own a representative of the Fluval 3rd generation canister filters, the 203. I have used both the 3rd and 4th generation of Fluvals, and the 4th generation product is a significant improvement. The 4th generation is a square design instead of the traditional round, providing for greater filtration area. There are also improvements in the media chamber set-up. There are foam screens that are in an area of the filter seperate from the stacked media chambers. Because of the way water flows through this filter and the amount of foam screening, there is much greater mechanical filtration accomplished with the foam then there was with the 3rd generation filters. Depending on model, there are 2, 3, or 4 stacked chambers for media. It is a definite improvement to have this many media chambers in addition to the foam screens. In the 3rd generation filters, foam screens were placed in one of the media chambers, leaving less chambers for additional media choices. However, there is a drawback to the media chamber design of the larger 4th generation filters. In the models that I own, the 304 and 404, each chamber is divided in half vertically so that it would be possible to have 6 different media types in the filter. These dividers are not removeable. While I like that there is the potential to be wildly creative with filter media, I would also like the opportunity to take the chamber dividers out. In the smaller 104 and 204, there is no vertical divider in the chambers. Instead, Fluval provides a seperate basket that can be placed in the chambers to divide them horizontally to create additional media spaces. I would have preferred it if the 304 and 404 also had this design, as I would then have the choice of whether or not to divide the chambers. In addition, a horizontal divider in the vertical media chamber column makes it clear which media the water passes through first. With the vertical dividers, this is unclear. This filter has more power and output than the last generation. For example, according to the manuals, the 304 puts out, at maximum, 150 more liters per hour than the 303. This, combined with single outlet outflow nozzle instead of a multi-outlet spray bar, creates great surface agitation and currents within the aquarium. The outflow nozzle is adjustable, so that the water flow can be directed in almost any direction and at variable depths. Depth is less adjustable than direction. However, here again I would like Fluval to give me the opportunity to choose the design feature I like best. For some tanks and uses, the spray bar is preferable. For me, the strength of the output is strong enough that I would like to be able to diffuse it for one of my tanks. Maintaining these filters is a breeze compared to the 3rd generation. Instead of struggling with hose end lock nuts, I simply pull up on the "Aqua Stop" lever and water flow is stopped and the hoses are disengaged from the filter at the same time. It is so easy it makes me want to maintain the filters just for fun. Well, almost. I don't know about other hobbyists' experiences, but with the 3rd generation filters I always had a difficult time getting the media chambers apart for rinsing and replacing their contents. This problem does not exist with the 4th generation due to how the chambers stack together. In addition, the clips that secure the motor unit to the filter are robust compared to the delicate clips on the 3rd generation. There are 2 faults, though, with maintaining this new design. One is with impeller maintenance. With the 3rd generation, once the plastic impeller cover was off, you could just pull the impeller out, clean everything, replace and that task was complete. With the new design, after the impeller is out and rinsed, there is an odd-looking metal hook-type tool that is supposed to be inserted into the impeller well to bring more parts out to be cleaned. I have yet to figure this device out, and the manual's coverage is poor. I tinker with equipment all the time, and my husband is truly mechanically inclined, and this remains an enigma to both of us. Eventually, we will have to figure this out, as no piece of aquarium equipment has outsmarted us yet. Maybe we are missing something simple and obvious about the process of using this odd tool, and then again maybe Fluval just want to keep us on our toes. The second fault is the lack of a handle for moving and carrying. I constantly have to fight the natural inclination to pull the filter up and carry it by the big clips that secure the motor unit to the filter. Since the filter is released by an upward pull of the clips, the problem with carrying and moving it this way is obvious. The outside of the filter is attractive - smooth with rounded corners, but because of this, frankly, unless I can get both hands hooked under the filter, getting a grip on it is tricky, especially when wedged on my side trying to maneuver it out from the door which is too small for my aquarium stand. Two strong handles mounted vertically on two sides of the filter would be a wonderful addition. They don't even have to be full handles - two half-circles, rounded upward, would provide maneuvering grips and also something to slide my hands under and push up against to lift the filter. Side mounted handles would be more useful then a top-mounted handle, considering that most of us pull our filters out sideways from our stands. Despite the few drawbacks, however, I am very pleased with this product and would recommend it highly, especially to those looking to replace their older 3rd generation filters - the 4th generation will be a welcome surprise.
Marineland H.O.T Magnum
by Bob Buettner-3/5/00
My experience with a Magnum H.O.T (stands for hang on tank) with the micron filter installed was not what I expected. For many years ( more than 17) I used the Vortex D1, but after a storing mine in a damp basement the motor "gave up the ghost". I decided to purchase a new one, and went to my LFS to see if anyone stocked them. The salesperson there had both the D1 and the Magnum H.O.T with micron element. According to him the Magnum with micron filter element would do every bit as good a job as the Vortex and was on sale for considerably less money. I have always used the D1 as a quick cleanup/polish filter after doing major overhauls to my tank and the thought of having a filter that could do this and serve as a supplemental/ additional bio filter sounded perfect. To make a long story short I was extremely dissapointed at the results the Magnum provided. After 24 hours of running, my tank was still cloudy from all the muck that I had stirred up (yes, I did do a water change also) . So I mail ordered a Vortex D1, received it the next day and set it up post haste. 3 hours later my tank was once again sparkling clear and the Magnum was delegated to the pile of equipment I don't use any more. As far as the Magnum 350, it says in the literature that diatom filter powder can be added to the micron element for better filtering, but I am of the belief that it is better to get a piece equipment that is specifically designed to do a certain job well rather than a general purpose device that tries to do all things. If you're still with me, you may say that you are not looking for a substitite for a diatom filter. So let's look at the filter properties for just regular filtering. I decided that I would use it to supplement my canister filter and get some use out of it, so I dug it out and set it up again. The media container is very small and shaped like a "D" with a plastic, perforated tube running down the middle, there is a blue foam pre filter that wraps around the media container. I found it very difficult to get bio media ( I do not use nor recommend the use of charcoal in a planted tank) in the narrow space allotted for such media. Some media that you can buy is so small that it requires a filter bag to prevent it from getting sucked into the impellor assembly, well this is a real trick to maneuver the bag and media into the chamber! It was very easy to assemble it and get it running according to the provided instruction sheet. You need a fair amount of space behind the tank as it takes up about 6" of space when hung on the tank properly. After starting up the filter there was the usual sound of air in the filter, a sloshing, gurgling sound that I assumed would go away after running for a few hours and the air would purge itself out. Didn't happen, even after 3 weeks of running it still had that annoying sound of air mixing with water. There were no leaks anywhere visible and after way too much fiddling around I could not get it to run quietly. Back to the "never again" pile it went. In my opinion if you are going to use a hang on power filter get yourself an Aquaclear and stay away from this piece of equipment. I received an email from someone who apparently took exception to this review and thought I was bashing Marineland. I offered to post his take on this filter..........never heard from them again. I got the impression that this person was somehow connected to the manufacturer.
Renaissance Prime Model 20
by Bob Buettner-5/11/99
9/9/00 update:
Please note that it appears that Renaissance seems to have stopped making their canister filters, or at least no one in the states is advertising/stocking them ! I say this because I have not seen any on line or local retailers stocking them and on line sources don't seem to have any repair parts. One reader emailed me saying that the two places that listed parts responded that they are out of stock and would not be getting anything in! if anyone finds a source for parts or has more info on this please email me! That said....... I can only recommend the Eheim filters and the new Fluval'04 series!
I have just replaced the Fluval 303 with a Renaissance Prime Model 20 canister filter. The Fluval was always a pain to disconnect and reconnect. It is a difficult filter to completely purge of air and annoyingly noisy when even the smallest amount is present. The o-ring that seals the motor housing is tricky to seat correctly and the plastic clips that hold it together tend to break easily. It got to the point where even a new impeller did not quiet it down to an acceptable level for more than 2 months. Out it went!!! My LFS reccomended the Renaissance, so home it came with me. This filter is GREAT !!! It filters up to 200 GPH and has a fully seated O-ring and nice thumb size latches to ensure a good seal between the motor housing and the cannister. It comes with two shut off valves that screw onto the swiveling intake and outlet fittings making it very easy to remove the hoses from the filter for cleaning. No more sucking water through a hose to prime on the Renaissance, it has a built in priming chamber that only requires about a cup of water poured in to prime the pump! Plug it in and in 15 to 20 seconds full flow is achieved. Air is completely purged from the filter in 3 or 4 minutes WITHOUT having to shake, bang or tip it like the Fluval. This filter is very quiet and another nice touch is the hinged carrying handle on the top to make it very easy, even full of water, to carry away for cleaning. The impeller is only around $8.00 to replace. As far as media capacity, I transferred the media from my Fluval to the Renaissance, which worked out great, as the capacitys are almost identical. The only thing I like about the Fluval over this is the 3 basket assembly for holding the media. The Prime has one large basket (with a handle) that means you will have to remove the top layers to replace what you have placed in the bottom. Needless to say I am thrilled with this filter! If you are in the market check them out at your LFS or mailorder company. Click here to see a picture and get more details on it from a distributor's web site. Click here for more details and tips using the Prime series of filters. I have not been able to locate a manufacturer's web site on this yet so if you have an address e-mail me.
Diatom Filters
Vortex D1
by Bob Buettner-5/13/99
The "mother" of all diatom filters, this filter has been sold for 17 years ( I stand corrected...I'm not sure where I got the 17 years...now that I think about it...I've had one longer than 25 years ! ) and even today remains the workhorse of the industry in this type of filter. Diatom filters use a fine powder called diatomaceous earth, (Diatoms are tiny single celled plants that live inside a hard shell, when the animal dies it leaves very tiny holes in the shell). The powder is composed of the dead shells of these tiny animals which when used properly as a filter media can filter down to 1 micron. What this means is that this filter will filter out anything suspended in your aquarium water including many parasites. This is the only type of filter that I know of that will filter out algae from "green" aquarium water to sparkling clarity. I have owned the Vortex D1 for over 25 years and can attest to it's reliability, it is of a very heavy duty design. Actually I just bought a second one as the first one was stored for some time in a damp basement and the metal parts of the motor rusted up so bad it would not start! The current version of the D1 is exactly the same EXCEPT the jar that holds the filter bag and powder are now plastic instead of the original's breakable glass and there is an in-line on-off switch on the power cord. This filter is designed for water "polishing" and not designed to be run all the time (regardless of what some web sites claim this is not designed to be run all the time, Vortex calls it an "auxillary" filter!). The filter is so good at filtering out particles that the flow rate can decrease rapidly as the pores in the diatoms get clogged! If you rely on only this for filtering, some day you will get home to a clogged filter and no filtration for your tank! Please buy this only as an auxiliary source of filtering for quick water "polishing". Vortex makes an "XL" model which has over twice the media capacity and can be run all the time. At any rate this is a basic, heavy duty pump motor with fiber bag suspended in a large plastic jar with inlet and outlet tubes. To charge the filter with powder you fill the jar with water, maneuver the mesh filter bag into the jar, screw the plastic collar that is at the base of the motor onto the top of the jar for a good seal. Using a large container of water (a water pitcher will do) you insert the inlet and outlet tubes in the water container and plug the filter in. If the filter does not prime you need to turn it upside down to get the water into the motor impeller and it will start to circulate water through the filter and your water container, you can then turn the filter upright. The diatom powder (1 cup) is then put in the water container that you have the inlet and outlet tubes circulating water in. The pump draws in the powder/water mixture and the powder coats the filter bag creating a layer on the bag. This is where the filtering takes place! As the aquarium water is pulled through the bag it is drawn through the powder which has formed a coating of microscopic holes, filtering out all particulate matter from the water. A note is in order here about a must have accessory Vortex sells, make sure to buy the P-29 recharge valve as this makes it very easy to prime and charge the filter with powder and makes it possible to move the filter from tank to tank without loosing the prime. Please, please, please DO NOT buy the D1 without this accessory, it is a must have (Vortex really should include it with the filter!!). Upon initial use in an aquarium that has a fair amount of suspended matter, the flow rate will decrease quickly as the tiny holes in the diatoms clog up. The filter is doing it's job, and unless you've seen an aquarium that has had one of these run on it you really don't know how clear water can be! My personal observation using this filter says there is a potential problem using this on a long term basis (more than 8 hours or so). I notice a PH shift from my rock solid 6.8 to around 7.0 to 7.2 after 5 or 6 hours. I believe this may be because my standard tap water has a PH of 7.0 to 7.2 and with CO2 injected into my tank my PH stays at 6.8. I believe that the diatom filters out CO2 from the water also, causing my PH to rise! I read on a web site some time ago that diatom filters also filter out toxic gas (!), my theory is that while using it I am removing the CO2 I am injecting causing the PH shift! So a word to the wise, monitor your PH while using a diatom filter and only use it on occasion to clear your water. I only use mine when I do a major replanting and really stir the substrate up. Within 2 or 3 hours the water is crystal clear and the filter gets cleaned and stored away, do not store it full of water! Another caution-the inlet and outlet hoses are a friction fit over the pump outlets, there are provided, small rubber bands that goe over the hose inlet and outlet fittings to act as clamps. The motor warms up and warms the hoses causing the fit to be less than tight even with the bands acting as a clamp. Get two small hose clamps from an auto supply store and use them to clamp the hoses to the inlet and outlet, eliminating the possibility of the hoses coming off and pumping your tank water on the floor! There are a few accessories available for the D1, including a gravel washer, which I have never used, but I'll bet is does an incredible job. Anyone using one? How about a review? Wow talk about a long review! I really recommend that every serious hobbyist (many shops have used them for years) buy this filter!
New as of 2/6/00-Vortex Manufacturer's web site!
Whisper Diatomagic Power Filter
by Barry S. Byrd-11/14/99
I purchased this filter several months ago to use to polish the water in my 55g freshwater tank. I must say that it does an excellent job. If my water gets extremely dirty, I can run this filter for about an hour and it is crystal clean. There are two complaints about using this filter: 1) the powder can be expensive and it makes a mess if you are not careful. As for the expense, I been told recently that you can buy this powder very cheaply at Wal-Mart or Lowe's Hardware in the form of DE Powder for your swimming pool. It is supposed to be identical. 2) For this filter to operate, it must be hung on the inside of the tank similar to a traditional power filter. The problem is that I have the back of my tank full of power filters now. To use this I must first lift my hood up in the front, hang the filter, and then support the hood while I polish the water. Fortunately, I only use the filter once a week or I would probably sell it. Overall, I believe that this is a quality filter if you don't mind dealing with the powder and you have the room on the back of your tank, not the front, to hang it.
Fluidized Bed Filters
Seastorm 100 Fluidized Bed Filter
by Chris Cow-5/21/99
Fluidized Bed Filters (FBFs) are very compact, efficient biological filter units. They work equally well in fresh or salt water, and essentially consist of a tube with a very fine sand as media. Water flow from a powerhead or cannister is directed through the bottom of the sand bed, fluidizing it. The sand has an enormous surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize; one pound of sand can hold more bacteria than 80 pounds of gravel being used for an undergravel filter There are a number of general advantages and disadvantages to FBFs. The advantages include this massive surface area, little maintenance required to keep it running for years (with a good prefilter) so you never disturb your primary biological filter, and very quiet to operate. FBF's can rapidly adjust to higher bioloads, and are more or less self-cleaning, in that dead bacteria will be abraded off the sand particles by the motion, and removed from the media. By themselves, they do not oxygenate the water, and can thus be great for planted setups, where driving off CO2 is a concern. Disadvantages include the fact that some sand will be "blown out" occasionally, especially if the power goes out and the bed has a chance to settle. Reports have been made that after a power outage, the filter may not start spontaneously, or may experience a large media blowout. Also, this filter uses up a lot of the oxygen in your water; the thriving bacteria need a lot of oxygen to survive, and to do the ammonia-nitrate conversions that we need them for. For tanks without other filters or oxygenating apparatus, this can be a problem, though it is solved fairly easily by directing the output through a spraybar or similar device. This also means that in the event of a power failure, the bacteria may become oxygen poor in a fairly short period of time, causing die offs in the culture. My own experience with the Seastorm 100 FBF has been overall quite good. Since installing it, I've never seen an ammonia or nitrite spike in my tank, even if adding a fair number of new fish to it. It hangs on the back, out of the way, and it is easy to see the level of the sand. Currently, I've got it running off an Aquaclear 402 powerhead with a prefilter; you can easily tell when the prefilter needs cleaning because the sand level can fall fairly dramatically. Other efficient mechanical filters on the tank will minimize this effect. I do have some negative things to say about this filter. First and foremost, it was built with no thought to possible maintenance on the filter itself. A simple matter of adding more media is a very yucky, very difficult job, when it could have been easy if they'd made the top removable. Over the year+ that I've had it, I have had a few minor sand blowouts (most during power outages), and had to add some more media to keep the levels high. There have also been times when the sand had climbed into the intake pipe, making it devilishly difficult to get started. I've heard that the Rainbow FBF's have easy to fill media chambers (which coincidentally hold more media)... though I personally have no experience with them, I would take a serious look at them before buying another Seastorm. I very much like the idea and type of filter, but I want my next one to be easier to service when it's necessary.
Power Filters
R.C. Hagen-Aqua Clear 300
byToan-5/13/99
I've owned this filter for 5 years, running night and day, 24-7 on a 30 gallon aquarium, and it's still pushing as much water as day one, It's advertised flow rate is 300 gph. It's easy to use; hang it, pour some water in, and plug it in. Definately worth the price, especially if you mail order. Despite what Hagen says about the sponge, you never need to replace it--I've used the same sponge for the last 5 years also. It's also smart to buy an extra sponge, keep two sponges and wash only one at a time. For me, this eliminates the need for an undergravel filter. The only thing I dislike is the back siphoning when electricity goes out. Also, if the water level in your tank is too low, it will completely drain itself and will not restart without the addition some water to the filter box. I also have had a "200" for three years and I never have had to replace parts on either one. They have proven to be very quiet (except the splashing water, of course), easy to use and easy to clean. I would buy this brand name if I need another filter. Click here to visit the manufacturer's web site.
Power Heads
Marineland -Penguin 1140
by Bob Butler-5/14/99
I purchased a Penguin 1140 power head because it had a good flow rate at 300 GPH and was listed with an "Adjustable Flow Diffuser and Aeration Valve deliver ideal surface agitation and maximum oxygenation." Unfortunately I thought that it meant it had adjustable flow rate, which it doesn't. This is a fairly strong power head, that is tough to boot. I believe it is too much for my 55 gallon tank. I use it to stir up the end of the tank that is opposite from the filter intake. Unfortunately without the diffuser turned at a sharp angle, it would blow my fish out of that end of the tank. This came as a bit of a surprise to me since my Magnum 350 is supposed to have a greater flow rate, it isn't this powerful. Before using the 1140, I used air to agitate the surface of the water. This does a much better job and is silent if the flow is kept subsurface. If you want air, it has an air diffuser that leaks even when the valve is closed all the way. I applied silicone grease to the valve, and now it can truly close. If you chose to open the valve, the power head will be anything but silent. I have done this on occasion after power outages to increase surface agitation. One nice thing about this power head, I found that with a hose attached to the out flow side, I can drain my pond in a big hurry. In all, this is a great power head. Just make sure you really need the flow rate. Click here to go to the manufacturer's web site.
Filter Media
What do you use in your filter and why? Is it a planted tank?