# Canister Filters!



## geo20 (Dec 13, 2007)

Hey guys,
Its been a while since ive posted but i have been faced with a dilema. Currently i am running 2 AC 110's on my 90 gallon tank. I want to upgrade to a canister filter. I have been reading around and cannot decide whitch filter is best/strongest for my tank. Any Ideas? ALso, would running a canister and ac 110 work well in order to save some money? Thanks!

-Geo


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## impalass (Nov 20, 2009)

At the very least an eheim 2217 plus one of your ac110s. For maximum filtration a fx5.
Also could consider an eheim 2028 pro II, stand alone or better yet also run with one of your ac110.

If $$$ is not an issue I'd look into the larger eheim canisters for somthing that will be low maintanence, trouble free, highly efficient, and last you a life time, imo.









For a more specific answear we would need to know what fish and how many your stocking.

edit; just re read the "save money" part of your post, eheim 2217, plus one or even both ac 110, depending on your bio-load.


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## Inflade (Mar 24, 2006)

More infor required, then ill give my 2 cents


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## Gaijin987 (Nov 14, 2006)

I agree ^^

I've had many brand name canister filters through out the years... Rena, Fluval, and ehiem, plus a few others. and ehiem's are the best IMO. they just seem to last for ever with minimal upkeep, and if anything ever does break, its easy to find parts online and fix them. the one down side is that they are a little more $$$ then other canisters.

Fluval would be my second choice... a little cheaper to buy but still a high quality canister filter

and yes I would keep one or both of those ac's running with what ever canister you do decide to get depending on your bio-load.


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

2217 plus both ac's since you already have them, but if you decide to remove one just remember to wait a month till the bacteria builds in your eheim before removing an ac


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## geo20 (Dec 13, 2007)

Currently in the tank i have a stingray (he is a teacup and will be out of the in a couple of months) a wild silver dollar and two geo's to sift the sand. Water params are alwaysgood but my tank always seems to be getting cloudy. sometimes is crystal clear and ohers its clear but not right. I do alot of water changes prob 3 a week. Money i wouldnt say is a real big issue. I want to spend 300 or under. I want a filter thats going to last me a long time and be strong enough for whatever is in my tank. Thanks guys!


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

I'd go with 2 Eheim 2217s, could probably get them for less than $250 total if you are patient. If you wanna keep one or both AC110s on there, you could get by with one 2217.


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## impalass (Nov 20, 2009)

To quote JZanni, "Joe I got this, what he said^"

On a serious note, has not been my experience but the 2028s are know to have some issues.
Two 2217s would be unbeatable, and probably last longer than any single 2028. 
big als boxing week is coming up if you can wait.


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## geo20 (Dec 13, 2007)

They seem like great filters from reasearch. So having two instead of a "better" one filter would be the best way to go? How are those filters maintenance wise?


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## Parsa (Nov 12, 2008)

i dont know about maintanance but in my 90 gallon i hav e a fluval 305 and a fluval 404 and they seem to be doing a nice job so far.


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## impalass (Nov 20, 2009)

geo20 said:


> They seem like great filters from reasearch. So having two instead of a "better" one filter would be the best way to go? How are those filters maintenance wise?


2217 are pritty strait forward maintanence wise, but do not have the baskets like the 2028. I find by using a mesh bag for the efisubrate or efisub/pro makes maintanence on any of the classic series EASY.
I have a 2028 pro II approx. 9 yrs. old, no major issues, but have heard of many complaints, leaking internally from the head, and impellars screwing up making the hole go out of round. 
Imo if I had to buy today would go with a 2217 or two. Less complicated head/motor design, much more bullet proof and will out live a 2028, again, just my two cents.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

Yeah, maintenance on the 2217 is a breeze... every few months, I disconnect the filter using the quick disconnects, remove the top, dump the water and Ehfisubstrat Pro into a bucket, remove Ehfimech and coarse filter, then I rinse the Ehfimech and coarse filter under tap water and the Ehfisubstrat in the tank water that's in the bucket. When that's done, you just replace the media and hook it back up -- all in all it probably takes around ten minutes total.


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## geo20 (Dec 13, 2007)

Thanks for the replys! Now just gotta decide whether to get 2 or 1. I would think running the 2 ac 110s and a 2217 would be more than enough. But should i spend the extra and get two? that seems to be what you guys think is best


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

geo20 said:


> Hey guys,
> Its been a while since ive posted but i have been faced with a dilema. Currently i am running 2 AC 110's on my 90 gallon tank. I want to upgrade to a canister filter. I have been reading around and cannot decide whitch filter is best/strongest for my tank. Any Ideas? ALso, would running a canister and ac 110 work well in order to save some money? Thanks!
> 
> -Geo


What do you mean save some money? Do you just mean a cost effective cannister?

if you have a heavily stocked tank id go for somethign liek a eheim 2217 and a ac110. If you have just a serra or something thats not too stocked id say just keep the 2 ac110.


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## geo20 (Dec 13, 2007)

CLUSTER ONE said:


> Hey guys,
> Its been a while since ive posted but i have been faced with a dilema. Currently i am running 2 AC 110's on my 90 gallon tank. I want to upgrade to a canister filter. I have been reading around and cannot decide whitch filter is best/strongest for my tank. Any Ideas? ALso, would running a canister and ac 110 work well in order to save some money? Thanks!
> 
> -Geo


What do you mean save some money? Do you just mean a cost effective cannister?

if you have a heavily stocked tank id go for somethign liek a eheim 2217 and a ac110. If you have just a serra or something thats not too stocked id say just keep the 2 ac110.
[/quote]

By saving money i meant keeping one or two of the ac 110s plus a canister. Or get a better canister and eliminate ac 110s. I want to go with the 2217 but i was being advised that 2 would be a good choice


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

Two would be ideal, but you could probably get away with just one.

Just run the 2217 and an AC110, you can always buy another 2217 down the road if you decide you want two.


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## impalass (Nov 20, 2009)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> Two would be ideal, but you could probably get away with just one.
> 
> Just run the 2217 and an AC110, you can always buy another 2217 down the road if you decide you want two.


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## superbite (Mar 9, 2009)

Im gonna be setting up my 75g sometime soon, i managed to pick up a brand new 2215 in the box for $60.. im planning on using this tank for a serra.. would a 2215 be enough? or should i get a 2217 and make my fish extra happy







what kind of discounts happen at big als during boxing week?


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

I'm running a single 2217 on my 75 gallon rhom tank, it seems to be about perfect... with pygos, I'd probably want 2 on there, but for a solo serra that only gets fed a couple times a week, there's not a ton of bio load to take care of. I would step up from the 2215 tho.


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## rich k (Oct 31, 2010)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> I'm running a single 2217 on my 75 gallon rhom tank, it seems to be about perfect... with pygos, I'd probably want 2 on there, but for a solo serra that only gets fed a couple times a week, there's not a ton of bio load to take care of. I would step up from the 2215 tho.


my 2 cents is fx5 all day long. $200 on ebay


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## geo20 (Dec 13, 2007)

hey guys just a quick update and some questions. I bought the 2217 last night. when i recieve it should i let it run with the 2 ac 100's for a couple weeks then remove one of the ac 110's? and also it says it only comes with 2 types of media, but there are 4 types for it? do i need to buy any additional media for the filter? thanks!

-geo


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

geo20 said:


> hey guys just a quick update and some questions. I bought the 2217 last night. when i recieve it should i let it run with the 2 ac 100's for a couple weeks then remove one of the ac 110's? and also it says it only comes with 2 types of media, but there are 4 types for it? do i need to buy any additional media for the filter? thanks!
> 
> -geo


 Id just leave all 3 dilters on a month then remove a ac110

If your buying it new i would think it would be full of media as mine was. Mine came with mech rings, coarse mech pad, eheim subtrat or subtrat pro bio media, a carbon pad and i think i fine filter floss type pad. All the eheim 2217 i have seen come with all the media so unless you bought a extra cheap one with limited media it should come with everything you need. What media did it say it came with?

Also whats the tank stocking even?


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## SandNukka15 (Nov 16, 2010)

I run 2 acs and a 55 aqueon in my 150 and it works just fine....your water might be cloudy because your tap water needs to be treated. and i change 25% of each of my tanks once a week....my guess is changing water 3 times a week depending on how much you change might cause the cloudynes. I have heard that rena is the overall best for price and quantity but i agree with everyone else a eheim is def worth the money.


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## geo20 (Dec 13, 2007)

CLUSTER ONE said:


> hey guys just a quick update and some questions. I bought the 2217 last night. when i recieve it should i let it run with the 2 ac 100's for a couple weeks then remove one of the ac 110's? and also it says it only comes with 2 types of media, but there are 4 types for it? do i need to buy any additional media for the filter? thanks!
> 
> -geo


 Id just leave all 3 dilters on a month then remove a ac110

If your buying it new i would think it would be full of media as mine was. Mine came with mech rings, coarse mech pad, eheim subtrat or subtrat pro bio media, a carbon pad and i think i fine filter floss type pad. All the eheim 2217 i have seen come with all the media so unless you bought a extra cheap one with limited media it should come with everything you need. What media did it say it came with?

Also whats the tank stocking even?
[/quote]

It said..."Includes the following media: Ehfisubstrat - a large surface area biomedia and Ehfimech - to disperse the water and trap large debris. Includes tubing." i always liked ordering from dr. foster and smith. im assuming all the stuff is going to come. And the tank has a teacup moto stingray (only for a couple months)a wild silver dolar and 2 geos.

thanks for the replies!


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

If its dr fosters smith it will be fine. I was thinking if it was ebay and it said 2 mediad it may only be 2 but from drsfsmith im sure it will be the full media set.


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