Bottom posted.
dc wrote:
"WebBoardSurfer" wrote in
ups.com:

Choices?

1. Ehiem
Big Price every store owner always tries to sell these. But I
know absolutly noone with one.
so my question is are they worth their high ticket price. any
major opinions about these canasters?


2. Fluval FX5
New filter design being the Mechanic I am (pumping fluids is
in my trade) I real like the new design with the pump out of the lid
and at the bottom. To me this means way less cavitation the killer
for centrifical pump. Has anyone purchased this filtration system,
or have an educated opinion on it.


Eheim is expensive, but they make good filters. You can usually get
them much cheaper second hand, btw. Since there isn't much that ever
breaks on an Eheim, a used one is just as good as new. The only
thing I've ever broken is an impeller shaft due to mishandling. I
don't trust their thermo filters though, their just too gimmicky.

Eheim is especially good because of the kind of hyper-porous rubble
rock like media they use for the bulk of the canister volume. You
can use Eheim media in other, cheaper filters, but the flow rate is
usually too high for the media to be used optimally.

My experience with Fluval is that they break a lot. The pump fails
or it clogs and then the pump fails, etc. The media for it is second
rate as well. Their bio-media gives off dust constantly and it traps
large chunks of waste that never really break down any further, plus
sponges will always eventually clog.

I admit I don't know much about the FX5. I do know enought that I'd
have to see it in action for a while before I'd trust it completely.

How do you feel about the magnum 350? It has it's motor / pump in the bottom
like the fx5 and the magnum 350 is probably the best VALUE out there. I
might buy one for myself soon after I get my 3 tanks automated (water level,
feeding) with my project to do so. Gill here will most likely let us all
here know about her soon to happen experiences with the fx5 as she is
starting a new extra huge tank and will most likely use her fx5 soon if not
yet. Good luck and later!