Equipment Review and Discussion :: Proper filter for 45 gallon tank

[brady2180]

would a rena xp3 be ok for a 45 gallon tank? would a xp2 be more appropriate?

[tammi]

I have an xp2 on mine and it works great.

[BullDog]

I think an XP3 would be great. It'd be over powered a bit, but when you upgrade your tank you can just transfer the XP3 over.

[PATTI]

I'm a turtle owner who started with a tiny bio-filter and worked up to an fx5. With each upgrade the care and maintainence decreased. The fx5 intake and output is adjustable so I can use it on any size tank and don't have to worry about filter size when the tanks become larger. People told me that when I was starting off but I didn't believe it. The fx5 was cheap on E-bay and I change media much less often so it seems to continue to save me money. FYI

[TurtleKeeper48]

Well, I just upgraded a tank and I'm getting ready to do the other.

I went with a Fluval 405. I use 40 to 45 gallons of water (in a 75 gallon tank)

I'm 20 days into it - I set up my system and I've done nothing. No partial water changes at all and it cycled fine. I haven't done filter maintenance yet. It's crystal clear, I tested water quality myself last night. No ammonia, no nitrites, nitrates are at 5 - 10. I'm getting the result I had hoped I would.

Anyway - I'm becoming a bit of a Fluval fan boy. They might be hard to prime, but worth it. I've been doing a lot of research. What I've come to believe about Rena vs. Fluval.

The Rena xp3 is rated as higher GPH than the Fluval 405 - but I don't believe it's true. That's only the rated GPH - many agree that the Fluval 405 actually has a greater output (even though it's rated as less - some manufacturers use conservative ratings and other are more generous with the rated GPH)

The Rena xp3 has "polishing pads" as part of the filter media that do a great job at filtering out the smallest particles. The do such a good job that they need cleaned every week or they'll clog up and you'll lose water flow.

The Rena xp3 is supposed to be easier to prime than the Fluval 405, which I will admit was not easy.

Based on my research - Those are some of the biggest pros and cons. It all comes down to what you want (do you mind do filter maintenance once a week, or would you rather once a month?)

Also based on my research - the two are in the same class, both good filters, and no - not too much for a 45 gallon turtle tank. (IMHO)