"Donegal Paul" wrote in message
...
Ok was looking at changing the downstairs filter to an external unit
and the LFS has both an Aqua Pro at 45 UK pounds and an Eheim at £65,
sooooooo..... is the eheim worth it?

Also, you lot that use external filters, is there anything that i
should be particularly aware of?
--
Donegal Paul - On the mend
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Generally speaking, Eheims are quite reliable (especially the higher-end
models), but overall, probably not as good as their reputation is.
Fortunately there are also no really bad external filters from anyone
around anymore. If you get a bad filter, it's more likely to be a
factory defect, rather than a bad design. 'You get what you pay for'
doesn't exactly apply to canister filters (imo), as the premium models
are much more expensive than what you get extra, and the cheapest models
do all the basics, so give you a better value if you don't mind the odd
eccentricity. In the middle, you do get what you pay for.

Stuff to watch for would be accessories (ie: shut off valves extra or
included, spraybar or adjustable nozzle or both, length of hoses, widgets
to form and hold hoses at the tank etc) and filter media (extra or
supplied, ease of replacement, washable or disposable) and starter pump
(if you like that sort of thing). You want it to be easily serviceable
with washable media which didn't cost you a small fortune, and generally
the only moving part requiring replacement is the impeller. Lately my
Eheim has been going through impellers faster than my Fluval but this is
probably a component which you should be prepared to periodically have to
replace (and the interval varies significantly by model, the substrate in
the tank, and type of snails you have). I have one canister filter which
has a 30 year old impeller still running in it.

The least variation between models is noise, as they are all very quiet.
The biggest variation (imo) is the quality/method of the connection of
the hoses to the various design/robustness of fittings, and the
type/opacity/flexibility of the hoses used. They all work to varying
degrees, and regardless of manufacturer or model, the hoses should be
checked/tightened on an annual basis.

My advice, go when a store is relatively quiet and have a knowledgeable
clerk assemble and demonstrate how the different models are serviced.
Everyone has different things they look for, so get comfortable with the
design they show you. Based on the price difference and the level of
customer service you receive, you then purchase it there (or wait for a
sale) or buy it on-line (much cheaper), although I've had customers who
were insulted by this suggestion. They felt that for the cost
difference, it was worth supporting a store, if the livestock and advice
were good enough (ymmv).
--
www.NetMax.tk