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I order all my stuff here. Prices are tough to beat.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/




My Scapes

You have to scoop the media out with a cup to clean it. What a pain in the butt.
I guess your not familiar with the design of the Eheim Eccos. The media is all on separate interlocking trays. That have a pull handle on the top to easily lift it out of the cansister. Since everything is in a separate try it's very easy to change different media and leave others one intacted. It' the easiest filter I've ever had to maintain and not pay a fortune for.



My Scapes

I vote Rena XP2.
I just got one and couldnt be more impressed with it!
It was only about 500 times easier to set up and get
going than the Eheim 2217 I have.
The media is also wayyyyy cheaper for it.
I espescially like the little baskets. Makes
it easier to change media. My 2217 I have to scoop
the media out with a cup to clean it. What a pain in the butt.
Eheims are great sure - but the Rena seems equally as
good. And its just as quiet.



Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
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If your budget will run to it, get the Eheim.

Eheim have had a Rolls-Royce reputation for quality for decades. Spares are available in quantity even for older models, and chances are if you get an Eheim, it'll last a lifetime. Indeed, the top of the range ones will probably outlast you and be useful to your children!

Needless to say, if I had the funds, and I was in the market for a power filter, an Eheim model would be at the top of my shopping list. Bomb proof engineering and oozes quality the moment you take it out of the box. And your fish are worth it, surely?


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Someone say Eheim?

-- Gomer

Thanks Babel! I am leaning way toward the ECCO. I have also heard that it is the top of the line, especially for biological, which is basically what Tetratech said. The price is looking pretty good too.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Ecco !

Cause I love mine ! Honestly I was scared to get one cause I'd heard canisters were noisy...ninjabill convinced me otherwise So quiet you almost dont hear it even with your head in the cabinet!

I chose the ecco based on reports of how quiet it was and the fact that aparently the other filters have a different water flow pattern. I wanted one that was going to be good for a sand tank.

^_^
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I would get the Eheim ECCO, I personally like Eheim, and I have found they are very good filters.

Very cool Tetra, thanks for the info!

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Okay, the choice is Rena Filstar XP2 or the Eheim ECCO 2233??

Each has merits. The ECCO 2233 is rated for up to 60 gallons and says it will do 145 gph, but I have heard that the Eheim ECCO is an awesome filter.

The XP2 is rated for a 75 gallon tank and is purported to do 300 gph (probably not). Whichever filter is going on my 55 gallon set-up with an Aquaclear 70 that is rated for a tank up to 70 gallons and is said to do 300 gph.

Vote on which filter you would buy if it were up to you!! Thanks.

Unless you want to send me a check....don't consider price, just the quality of each filter.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Cool, where can that be ordered? I am leaning toward the ECCO because I have heard outstanding things about it. One site I went to a while back listed it as the #1 cannister filter out there.

I think more people have experience with the XP2.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Biological substrate:



tetratech attached this image:


My Scapes

Yes, it's the same filter, one comes with filter pads and the other comes with the biological media.

Filter pads:



tetratech attached this image:


My Scapes

Can I get that later and put it in the 2233? This is up for bid on ebay, so it's def. the 223 instead of the newr model. Is that bad?

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Crazyred,

Nothing against AP, but I there's nothing like an Eheim.
I have the Eheim Ecco 2235, which is now called the 2236. I had it on my 46g and now on my 72g. It's just a great filter. Doesn't make hardly any sound at all.

Also the flow rate thing is a little misleading. Eheim's work more on biological filteration so their flow rates are less when you compare a filter for the same tank size. The slower flow passing thru all the media allows better biofileration.

The difference is price between an xp and the eheim is probably a couple of dollars. I bought mine at bigalsonline.

BTW - the 2233 is now the 2234. Same filter, but eheim now includes the "efhisubstrate" instead of sponges. So make sure you get the newer version. Much better biocolonization than with the sponges.

Last edited by tetratech at 17-Jan-2006 11:08

My Scapes

Not sure yet, I'm eyeballing both on Ebay, and you know how those things go....changes by the day. Right now the ECCo is really cheap, but it has 3 days to go so I don't expect it to stay cheap. The XP2 is pretty reasonable too ATM, but it has 5 days to go, so there's no telling. :%)

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

i personally have the xp2 myself and the rate is preety much in between 250-300gph which is correct, u can set how much on the spray bar, it is a fantastic easy to set up canister. i lvoe it so quiet and u have the option when setting it up to go with spray bar or power head, just a great lil filter, how much by the way?