Equipment Review and Discussion :: Filter for a 20 Gallon Tank

[puiyanpuiyan]

Hi,
I two separate 30 Gallon Tanks for my two turtles (they have to be separated due to bad fights). So I've been using Fluval 3Plus and basically need to change the water weekly and it's still dirty.
I am ready to upgrade to Canister Filters but got some questions:
1. Which one would you recommend considering I have limited space (I live in NYC)? Is Fluval FX5 or FilStar XP3 huge? Since I need to buy two filters I like to keep it at lower cost if possible....but at the end of the day I don't mind the cost since it'll make my life so much easier!
2. How often do you change the water with these canister filters? Would my life be easier than using the Fluval 3plus?
Thanks so much!

[VeipaCray]

The larger the canister filter, the less of a headache. That being said, the FX5 is quite a bit of overkill for a 30 gallon tank. The upside is, you can dial down the flow on the FX5 and as your turtles grow you don't need to replace the canisters as they move to larger and larger tanks.

XP3 is a good choice it will scale well to a 30 gallon tank. The XP3 won't do any of the 100gallon+ tanks like the FX5 can.

XP3 is roughly $130 online and the FX5 is $200-220 online depending which way the wind blows.


The FX5 can go for months on a 75 gallon tank if you use the correct media. Ideally, any canister you get you'd want to do regular monthly maintenance on.

[Tasha2455]

Where online can you find an FX5 at that price?
I was looking around and couldn't find many cheaper than 300-350$.

We need an upgrade as well and have been shopping around but I unsure of buying one used on Kijiji or something which is the only place I can find one fo $150.

If I get the Fluval FX5 which media would you recommend would best filter out the turtle water?

I feed in my tank.

Thanks.

[VeipaCray]

eBay stores have them brand new with warranty and free shipping for $230.
The online retail price fluctuates a bit. Cheapest I've ever seen the fx5 was 180 plus shipping. I think I paid 200 for mine with free shipping. New item from an eBay store.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hagen-Fluval-FX ... 2172wt_758

As for media...
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145

[Mom2RES]

Amazon carries them too with free shipping. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I1 ... 00_details I bought this one on December 28th for $210.00. The price has increased a little since then but could always go back down.

[VeipaCray]

It's funny how the price of these filters fluctuates 10-20 dollars from week to week.

[Mom2RES]

I know. All I can think is supply vs demand. Maybe they sell a few in a short period so they think they can bump the price up.

[Tasha2455]

Thanks guys! I will be getting mine hopefully this week