Which filter choice should i pick? Fluval vs EHEIM

[chesterchuen]

Hi guys. Am building up a 2 feet x 1.5 feet x 1.5 feet tank as my new setup. Before hardscape water volume is at 121L. After hardscape, water volume is estimated to be around 100-110L. To achieve a 9x or 10x filter flowrate(in consideration of possible future addition of Chillers), i need a canister that can pump out around 900 - 1000L/h. As such i've shortened my choice of filters into the following:

Fluval 306:
Flowrate : 1150L/h
Media Capacity: 6.6L
Power: 15W
Valve: In-built lever based
Valve lock assembly: Lever lock based, push lever down or up to lock and remove assembly for maintenance.
Priming: Small piston "pull-push" type.

Pros: Cheaper than EHEIM Pro 4+ 350 & 250. Contains more media volume than EHEIM Pro 4+ 350. Higher flowrate than EHEIM.

Cons: Valve lock assembly is lever based, could be prone to breaking if not careful. Priming is by means of using a "push-pull" piston movement, more tiring to operate than EHEIM's push type. Might be difficult to get spare parts compared to EHEIM.

EHEIM Professionel 4+ 350
Flowrate : 1050L/h
Media Capacity: 5.5L
Power: 16W
Valve: In-built lever based.
Valve lock assembly: Button based. Push into canister to lock into place or push button to remove assembly for maintenance.
Priming: Button-push type. Press on button continuously to operate priming.

Pros: World reknown EHEIM reliability, easy to purchase spare parts. Valve lock assembly is button, click-lock based. Very reliable design over the lever based design of Fluval. Priming is also easier as it is button based. Comes with proven EHEIM Filter Medias such as Substrat Pro.

Cons: One of the most expensive canister around. Lesser media capacity than Fluval. Lower flowrate than Fluval.

EHEIM Professionel 4+ 250
Flowrate : 950L/h
Media Capacity: 4L
Power: 12W
Valve: In-built lever based.
Valve lock assembly: Button based. Push into canister to lock into place or push button to remove assembly for maintenance.
Priming: Button-push type. Press on button continuously to operate priming.

Pros: World reknown EHEIM reliability, easy to purchase spare parts. Valve lock assembly is button, click-lock based. Very reliable design over the lever based design of Fluval. Priming is also easier as it is button based. Comes with proven EHEIM Filter Medias such as Substrat Pro. Lesser power consumption than Pro 350 and Fluval.

Cons: One of the most expensive canister around. Lesser media capacity and flowrate than Fluval and Pro 350.


I've been using EHEIM's for my 2 other smaller tanks, one is 2211 another is a AquaCompact 40. The 2211 been running for 6 months without any issue except replacing the impeller due to magnet coming loose from impeller shaft. The Fluval is the cheapest amongst the 3 canisters definitely, so i'm actually quite interested in trying out the Fluval as it is cheaper and many people are quite happy with it based on foreign country reviews. However i dont hear much people using it here. So i'm actually wondering, is it really worth trying out the Fluval 306? My only concern is the lever based valve lock assembly. By pushing the lever down to lock the assembly onto the canister, using too much force if the assembly is not in place properly can actually break the lever. Spare parts availability is also another concern. EHEIM definitely can get from almost anywhere, not so sure about Fluval.

What are your comments?

[BFG]

Do you really need the Pro series ? Priming wise, just use the Eheim Installation set for your priming need. The Eheim Installation set ( inlet set or both inlet and outlet set ) + a pre filter + a Classic canister filter (2215 or 2217) might still be under the cost of the Pro 4, if budget is a constraint. 2nd hand set might even lower the cost, just that you need to replace the seal and maybe the impeller set if it was used for a long period of time.

Just take your time in making your choices, the extra money you save can be used somewhere else like lighting or co2 equipment.

[chesterchuen]

I have the 2217's smallest brother, the 2211. While it's a great filter that is incredibly silent with powerful flow, i find that maintaining the filter can be a messy business. Reason being the Classic series do not have media baskets. I must use media bags for my bio media otherwise when i pour out the contents everything becomes mushed together in a pool of dirty water. However the mechanical media still have to be poured out into a pail, sifted out and cleanse again with tank water. And because its a small canister, digging out the media can be a problem. This shouldnt be an issue for the huge 2217 though. The plastic tray at the bottom of the medias is also pretty tricky to slot back into canister. Requires a few tries to get it into position. Else it will flip upside down.

Priming the 2211 is very easy for me though. I just hook up the inlet with the outlet of my gravel cleaner(ensuring the cleaner of gunk also), and hand pump tank water in. I pump it until i see water coming out of the outlet then i turn on the pump.

In short, the Classic series is a great product. But i wouldnt want to maintain another one again. I would love to sink my money on the Ecco Pro 300, but i can only achieve a 7x flowrate instead of 10x. Hence my choice of the above filters. 😊

[vannel]

Priming a filter shouldn't be given too much consideration as the problem is easily negated with a set of double taps. Sure, it comes in handy and you'll sometimes need to use it if you are cleaning out the whole assembly, but, that's not going to be too often.

The Eheim series are well known workhorses and are fairly reliable. However, the Fluval series isn't too shabby either. In fact, their larger filters (FX5 and FX6) are the canisters of choice for larger tanks. Assuming their technology is also applied on their lower end models, you are almost assured of a quality product as well. Their hang on series is also one of the best in class.

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[Urban Aquaria]

I guess when comparing the prices of the latest Pro 4+ models, the cost will be much higher in comparison... maybe consider the Pro 3 models instead?

The Pro 3 models have pretty much the same features (except the new bypass function) but with equivalent (sometimes higher) flow rates/media volume for comparatively lower prices. You could find good promo prices at places like Seaview or Petmart. It'll be a good idea to put those models into consideration too.

You also have the option to get 2nd hand eheim filters too, which makes the cost outlay much lower (Fluval filters tend to be rare in the used equipment market, so limited choices with that brand). The availablility of spare parts makes restoring used filters easy.

Case in point, i recently bought over a used 5+ year old Eheim Pro 3 600 (1,250 l/ph) that had a leaky seal for $140... just had to replace one of the seals and it resumed operation like new again. Overall saved quite a fair bit from the new filter price.

Most of the Eheim filters i currently use are 2nd hand units, some are more than 10+ years old.

[happydanio123]

I have one of the Classic Series, the 2213 and I feel that it works great for a small tank like urs. The only problem with Eheim is the cost and that cleaning the filter is messy and tiring. About the priming, I don't think it is s major issue as if all fails, just suck the end of the inlet tube to pull down the water. You should consider a sump if you have space because generally the flowrate is higher and it is way easier to maintain.

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[chesterchuen]

Thanks to everyone for their input. After some considerations, i've went ahead with the Fluval 306 which i bought brand new for $198. I hope i dont disappoint the EHEIM supporters. Don't get me wrong, i'm actually an EHEIM supporter. However being born as a curious kid, i would love to try something different. Just like photography, some people swear by Nikon glasses, while i use both Nikon and Sigma, which the later also produces outstanding lenses for a cheaper cost.

That said, i've test run the canister for 24hrs (without media) to check for any leakage and no leakages have been detected. Running noise wise, it is actually slightly louder than my EHEIM 2211, with a slightly louder hum. However the noise is completely negligible. You have to place your ears 10cm away from the canister to hear the hum. In fact my desktop computer is 5 times louder than the canister.

However i have one question: What lube do you guys use to lube the o-ring during cleaning of your canisters?

[BFG]

Chesterchuen, its your money and your choice. You ask for opinion and you got it. For me personally, the ease of finding spares as well as accessories was the decision maker. My first water filter, an internal one was from Fluval before I found out about Eheim at Aquarama. Do not worry about us ' Eheim supporters '.

As for lube, there are those packs that look like chilli sauce sachet or the spray type in a can. Get those that specify for aquarium usage. Eheim has these for sale.

[chesterchuen]

Thanks bro BFG. Indeed, spares was an important factor when deciding the choice of canisters. For Fluval, i did a search on Amazon and found an abundance of spares in case of no availability of spares here. I order stuffs from Amazon sometimes thats why i looked there.

Alright, lets see if LFS stock them up. Thanks!