Equipment Review and Discussion :: Rena Xp4 or fluval FX5

[swegin]

Alright I have a 55g tank and I am looking to upgrade to a canister filter I want to hear what you have to say about the two most popular models the rena Xp4 or fluval FX5 ..... which one do you prefer and why? I will eventually upgrade to a 100 gallon when my two Res get bigger

[rsour24]

fluval fx5 is a better filter bc it can handle more but its more expensive
rena ffilters r great filters for the money, i have an xp3 that i love.

[VeipaCray]

Fx5 all the way. It holds a ton more media and can handle a turtle tank up to 150 gallons. The 100 gallon tank your planning is right at the upper limit of what a xp4 can handle for a turtle setup.

The fx5 is huge. It's essenttially a 5 gallon bucket. It will not fit in a stand under a 55g.

[swegin]

Thanks for the advice does anyone know which one is quieter and easier to maintain? Also is the Rena skimpy when it comes to the area allotted to filter media or is the fluval just extremely liberal when it come to the allotted space? Also what are your thought on eheim filters? Are they a waste of time?

[papoopeepoo]

My FX5 is surprisingly quiet for the amount of water it's constantly pushing. The noise is typically inaudible for the most part, even sleeping 5 feet from it. The filter keeps my 135 gallon, with an average 110 gallons, clean for up to 6 months. Average wattage used by the filter is about 50Watts.

The fx5's larger size also allows for more room to design a filter that really works despite one that is designed to be compact. There is a huge space for biological filtration in the fx5, and that's very important in keeping long times between filter cleans.

[VeipaCray]

The eheim XL 2080 is the absolute best canister out there. It handles up to the same 150 gallons of turtle that the fx5 does, it's quieter and it uses the least power, and it's a no bypass filter. You can even get that model with a built in heater. The problem with the eheim is the price. It's 2x the cost of the fx5, but it's not 2x better.

Agreed with papoopeepoo the fx5 is generally inaudible. However it does have it's motor external to the main part of the canister. If you get a foam or rubber mat and put the fx5 on the mat it becomes silent. The only time you'll hear the fx5 is when it does it's daily stop/restart air purge which lasts about 2 minutes.

[swegin]

Alright I think I am sold on the fx5 one concern comes to mind though I typically only keep about 40 gallons in my current 55g tank is that way to little of water for that large of a filter? It will be about 18 months or so untilled I upgrade to a larger tank

[VeipaCray]

You can do either or both of the following:
1. Dial down the output water flow by closing the output aquastop valve a little.
2. Direct the output flow into the glass so it's not as strong.

I see it this way... if you're going to buy a filter anyway in the next 18 months, why buy a smaller one now and have to replace it with a larger one later. I'd just buy a big filter now, you won't have to clean it as often and it'll handle most any tank you decide to get later on. OR, stick with what you have now and see if the price on the FX5 drops in 18 months (they're around $200 USD on ebay). OR, wait and see if any new filters hit the market 18 months from now.

I forgot about the classic series. There's the eheim 2262.

Retail online prices (you can do better, this is just for reference)
Prices are in US$.
Eheim 2262: $480
Eheim Pro III 2080: $480
Fluval FX5: $220

[swegin]

Thanks for your help! I totally agree with you on getting a versatile filter that can work on various tanks

[swegin]

Ok so I am ready to purchase the filter. I am pretty much set on the fluval, however I just looked up the dimensions and it is HUGE 16" in diameter and 17" tall... since it is pretty much a 5 gallon bucket it won't clear the bottom of my tank so I will have to set the filter in front of the tank which is really annoying. So now I am think about going back to the rena, am I crazy? The next tank I get will be a 100g in a couple of years... so should I just live with the fluval sittingin front of my tank or is the rena a better bet in my situation?

[VeipaCray]

The rena is good too, but it's also really tall. You might want to check the dimensions of the rena as well.

The decision is an asthetic thing... I completely understand the need to not want to look at the giant filter.

[swegin]

Ok so the fluval is 17" tall, is that including the in/out flow pieces that come out the top, or does it mean the height of the canister itself?

[VeipaCray]

Good question. I'll measure the canister part and post back

[swegin]

Well I decided to go with the rena xp4 and I must say i am very happy with my purchase. I ended up going with the rena because the size of the fluval was to big for the space where my tank is located. If anyone is thinking about purchasing the rena xp4 I would highly recommend it, it has made the water in the tank crystal clear!

[steve]

Thanks for the update!