Habitat - Indoor :: Filter Choice?

[g29w]

Which filter would be better choice the aquaclear or the fluval ?

Aquaclear
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/P ... 2004&Nty=1

Fluval
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/P ... 032+113827

also just to double check, I won't have trouble runnning these in a rubbermaid tank?

Thanks

[marisa]

Given those two choices, I'd go with the Aquaclear. How many gallons is the Rubbermaid?

Either should work with a Rubbermaid, but the Aquaclear will probably have to supported (on something like books or bricks) to keep it level.

[cam722]

I had used my Aquaclear on a rubbermaid container and didn't put it on anything but I did put something between the filter and container to keep it "straight". It also took the pressure off the lip of the container. Where I had it, I didn't have the room to put things under it.. and this worked great for me.

[g29w]

Okay, so i'm looking to buy the aquaclear.

Rubbermaid is about 20gal.

Btw, why do you prefer aqua over fluval?

What media bags will I need - is the biomax sufficent?
What should I also buy (stock up w/) so I don't need to rebuy anything for 6months or so.

Thanks.

[cam722]

whatever comes with the filter should be sufficient. You could buy another sponge and charcoal. I'm not sure how long the biomedia (the white things) will last. I kind of just had at least one extra of everything and a bit more of the charcoal.

I like aquaclears because of the gph rating. They filter a lot more water and faster than a lot of others, but that's just me

[marisa]

I think putting something under the Aquaclear does the same thing as putting something between it and the Rubbermaid (keeps the filter in a level position). I have one on a stock tank that has a slant to it now, and I've got the Aquaclear sitting on blocks of wood.

G29W, the two filters you're considering are two totally different types of filters---the Aquaclear is a power filter that hangs off the tank. The Fluval you're looking at is an internal filter.

I've used both---the Fluval will take up room in the tank and will not have the capacity for biomedia that the Aquaclear has. With the Aquaclear, you'll need to keep the water level up; it's a much noisier filter than the Fluval because of the waterfall effect it has. You can quite the noise by keeping the water level higher and adding a piece of plexiglass to quiet the fall of the water. Also be aware that if the power goes out with the Aquaclear, it's likely not to prime itself when the power goes on (the motor could eventually burn out unless water is added). I used an Aquaclear 70 in a 20-gallon tank. If you do the same, you might need the plexiglass to reduce the pressure from the fall of the water. Whichever one you get, you want the filter to be rated for a tank/container that's at least 2X (3X is better) the size of the one you have.

[Kai.]

so it's either but a piece of plexiglass on a horixontal to reduce the gravational pull or fill up the tank with water... but doesn't that mean that the basking area must be outside of the tank?

[marisa]

No, the basking area can be inside the tank. The filter (Aquaclear) will be outside the tank (hang off the side of it), and the water will spill out over the filter's lip into the tank (a waterfall). A higher water level means the water falls a shorter distance (and would be quieter). If the water level is lower, adding a piece of plexiglass would allow the water to travel down it, reducing the noise and the pressure from the water falling into the tank.

[PeaceOut]

I have a whisper in-tank filter from petsmart. Currently only 20gal for my 10g tank. I like it because it has suction cups so it'll just stick to the side at any height. But then again you're using rubbermaid tub so it might not stick. This filter was also very quiet when clean.

I'm upgrading to a 20gal tank and I went to a small pet store and they recommended me the a RIO brand filter. Is this any good? I was looking to the fluval 4 plus but I've also been hearing about Rena xp's.

I'm also looking for something that I can just clean instead of spending more money on filters that go inside. With the whisper, I had to change the inner filter at least once a week and in the long run that costs a pretty penny.

[Muirner]

XP's are the way to go IMO. I have an XP3 on my 55gal tank, and it was crystal clear all the time with 2 RES's in it. It's now getting converted to a Freshwater tank, pictures to come, but my vote... XP anything. Of course pricematch at petsmart.

[PeaceOut]

XP's are the way to go IMO. I have an XP3 on my 55gal tank, and it was crystal clear all the time with 2 RES's in it. It's now getting converted to a Freshwater tank, pictures to come, but my vote... XP anything. Of course pricematch at petsmart.

how loud is the xp series? and how much did you pay for your xp3?

[Pizza]

If used without malfuction, then xP filters are very silent in their operation. The only noise that may occur is the water being sprayed out of the output, but that is easily countered by submerging the output into the water. The sound it emits is nearly unnoticable, you can really only hear it soundly if you're a foot away from the filter.

xP filters (depending on model) cost 50-200ish USD. Most people here use the xP3, one of the higher rated filters in this line of filters, and it costs anywhere from 100-170 USD. However the recently released top model the xP4 is also out, and it's in the market of 165-220 USD. I personally don't recommend the xP1 or xP2, they may be cheaper at first, but they won't be handle large enclosures or large turtles as well and you may end up upgrading again. Also the xP1 and xP2's suggested tank capacity is comparable to a good hang-on filter, which is more compact, and sometimes cheaper.

One last point of advice, if you didn't know, it is strongly recommended you buy a filter for your turtles rated 3x your tank, since they crap a lot more and it's way bigger than fish waste (which is where the filters are rated for on the box).

[marisa]

When used as directed, my XP3 was totally silent. The only sound I heard sometimes was a slight wooshing sound if air got into the tubing.