Jump to content





Posted Image

PCS & Stuart M. Grant - Cichlid Preservation Fund - Details here


Photo

Filters: What brand/type are the popular filters of choice?


  • Please log in to reply
36 replies to this topic

Poll: What Brand of Cannister filter do you use?

You cannot see the results of the poll until you have voted. Please login and cast your vote to see the results of this poll.
Vote Guests cannot vote

#1 dazzabozza

dazzabozza

    Life Member

  • Admin
  • Joined: 16-March 07
  • Location: Beeliar, Perth WA

Posted 14 April 2007 - 12:40 PM

Gday

I'll be looking at buying some filters for my new two 6x2x2 tanks.

I was wondering what's the brand/type of choice? Ehiem and Aquaone seem to be well known brands.

I'll probably go external cannisters for ease of access instead of internals. I have a WEIPRO cannister on my 5ft at the moment. Even though it was very well priced it's also quite noisy at times.

Cheers,
Darryl

#2 SynoAngel

SynoAngel
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 02-July 05
  • Location: Armadale, WA

Posted 14 April 2007 - 12:53 PM

Hi Darryl,

I have found Aqua One (or in my case Pro Aqua and Aqua Nova) to be most effective. They are moderately priced, and because of this dont have all the bits and pieces that Eheims usually come with. If your not made of money then with Aqua One IMO, otherwise try Eheim.

Regards

Daniel

#3 Cawdor

Cawdor
  • Admin
  • Joined: 26-December 05
  • Location: Byford

Posted 14 April 2007 - 01:04 PM

Hey Darryl,
I use Eheim, Fluval and Weipro. The Eheim and Weipro I got second hand with my tanks and the Fluval I bought new.
If you can afford the Eheim range then go for it, otherwise the Fluval or Aqua One are good too. I found that buying online can save you $150-$200 in some cases!! When I looked at the Aqua One, online it was around $120 and in the shops here it was over $300.

The Weipro I have was terribly loud in the beginning, but once the air was out it's almost completely silent now. The Fluval is great, a touch more expensive than the Aqua One but with 6 years warranty! That was the deciding factor for me. Runs almost 100% silent, you have to get real close to hear the humming.

#4 2FasT-2FuriouS

2FasT-2FuriouS
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 16-December 06
  • Location: Mount lawley

Posted 14 April 2007 - 11:16 PM

i just came back from sydney for a 2 weeks holi and picked up 2 aqua one CF1200 canister filter plus extra media for only $120 each...what a bargain... here most shops sell them for around $250

online they go for 130-200

#5 nick

nick
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 01-July 06
  • Location: Noranda

Posted 15 April 2007 - 12:10 AM

I think aqua nova/pro are great filters for money but not sure how long they'd last. It's been 10moths and I have no problems so far. Like daniels said it doesn't come with complete media or fancy automatic self primer, but again you get what you paid for.

The only think I find with the locking mechanism is abit flinzy and sometimes the clip pop out and if you're not careful it could break.

The tap is also located in the orcward place (build into the head like a lever) where you'd have to take the head off to clean the media. It could get quite messy.

So if you're going aqua nova order extra bio ball or ceramic noodle, and extra pads. I've got a aqua pro and they're the same. You need to get more media. Hope this helps with your decision.

Cheers Nick

#6 nick

nick
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 01-July 06
  • Location: Noranda

Posted 15 April 2007 - 12:22 AM

(Cawdor)
I found that buying online can save you $150-$200 in some cases!! When I looked at the Aqua One, online it was around $120 and in the shops here it was over $300.


Retail shops have overheads, wages etc and I understand that they need to make money to cover all that and abit of profit but having 200 -300% in some cases even 500% mark ups is just rip off. And when you ask them if you can be more competitive and match the price of so and so places they get pretty offensive and get rude about.

I'm not going to mention those places but good luck to them. Well that's properbly why alot of retails go broke within afew years of opening. Have no ideas on how to operate competitive business.There's a saying. Penny wise, pound fool. Sorry if I'm getting side tracked here.

Cheers

#7 Blackcats

Blackcats
  • PCS Club Member
  • Joined: 04-April 07
  • Location: Waikiki

Posted 15 April 2007 - 12:47 AM

I have always used Fluval. Never had any problems and they are silent.
I have a 403 thats been running for 16 years without missing a beat and I bought it 2nd hand. Also have a 104 and 304.
Recently purchased a new tank set up that came with a Jialu brand. What a rattler. :!: Its now back in the box.

Regards,

Harry

#8 Cawdor

Cawdor
  • Admin
  • Joined: 26-December 05
  • Location: Byford

Posted 15 April 2007 - 10:43 AM

(nick)
Retail shops have overheads, wages etc and I understand that they need to make money to cover all that and abit of profit but having 200 -300% in some cases even 500% mark ups is just rip off.


The interesting thing is that the online shop I looked at is also a retail "brick & mortar" shop over east, so it would have the same overheads as the shops here. I can understand that if the distributor/importer is east, the prices here would be a touch higher due to transport costs, but not $200 higher. That's just an incredible markup.

#9 Vebas

Vebas
  • Sponsor
  • Joined: 15-March 04
  • Location: Cnr Carrington & Forsyth St O'Connor 93147630

Posted 15 April 2007 - 01:52 PM

(Cawdor)
The interesting thing is that the online shop I looked at is also a retail "brick & mortar" shop over east, so it would have the same overheads as the shops here. I can understand that if the distributor/importer is east, the prices here would be a touch higher due to transport costs, but not $200 higher. That's just an incredible markup.


I would guess that you are talking about APW/SLS? Just so that you know, their brick and mortar store sells the CF1200 for $240 (I got bored and called them today) compared to $120 for the online store. I don't stock these myself but I think Terry said Midland have them for ~$208, which is a good LFS price on them. I know the base wholesale price for them is over $150 in WA from the distributor.

An online shop can survive on miniscule margins - hell I have even seen things in OLS that are cheaper than I can buy them for direct from the importer..... and this is with a fairly large amount of buying power - so I can understand if some stores don't want to match a price that might be less than their cost (or even get close to it). Again, every store has different costs and different buying power - so there is going to be a bit of difference in pricing - but expecting a LFS to be able to price match an OLS and stay in business is economically unrealistic.

At the end of the day, people are free to purchase their product from whatever place they want to, same as I am free to charge whatever I want in my store. There are quite a few LFS-attached OLS springing up from what I understand, and I think you'd find the majority would have a different price online than in the store.

Cheers
Pacco

#10 Cawdor

Cawdor
  • Admin
  • Joined: 26-December 05
  • Location: Byford

Posted 15 April 2007 - 02:43 PM

Hi Pacco, it wasn't the store you mentioned, the one I looked at is called The Reef Shop. I don't know if their online prices are different from their store price.
The reason I started mentioning the price difference is so that the OP is aware of the difference and can make his own choice of whether to buy locally or to buy online.
I don't expect a LFS to pricematch an online store, for the reasons you mentioned. In the end - like you said - every store can charge whatever they want for their products. In the end the consumer makes a choice. I am all for supporting my LFS and am happy to pay a bit more, even if I can get the same item cheaper online. But when the difference is THAT big ($349 vs $120 INCLUDING courier delivery), I can't justify buying locally. So all I wanted was to make the OP aware and he can make his own decision.

#11 Vebas

Vebas
  • Sponsor
  • Joined: 15-March 04
  • Location: Cnr Carrington & Forsyth St O'Connor 93147630

Posted 15 April 2007 - 03:22 PM

No worries Tim, I am not sure about The Reef Shop either... although if they can charge their OLS prices in a retail LFS they are much better businessmen than me laugh.gif Athough that being said our Eheim classics are only $10 or so more than theirs.... it all depends on where you can buy from as well as quantities.

I certainly buy a fair bit of stuff online (non-fish related of course) myself... although for me it's probably more a matter of lack of time for shopping rather than financial savings a lot of the time. I always research these products myself. I have no issues at all with OLS, just the people that don't understand the differences in business costs and also the people who buy online then bring in their product to the store to be shown how to use it :evil: That being said, $350 is a bit on the rough side for a CF1200, no matter where you are buying it smile.gif

Although back to the topic at hand, my vote would go for Eheim Classic canisters. Tried and true, high quality build and great filter material at an affordable price. It all depends if you are buying for 2-5 years or 5-10 years though I guess.

Cheers
Pacco

#12 checker

checker
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 27-July 05
  • Location: Secret Harbour

Posted 15 April 2007 - 06:48 PM

hey guys
i always try and support local buisness where i can but hey when you see a lfs selling an aqua one cf2200 for $900 and an online store selling the same one for $260 well have a guess where i am buying my next filter from. then again i havent found an online store that can beat the price on the eheim range at a lfs everyone knows about.

#13 Krystal

Krystal
  • PCS Club Member
  • Joined: 18-December 06

Posted 15 April 2007 - 08:03 PM

Guys you need to remember that you may get a lower price online but where is the after service if something goes wrong? what about warranty? Do you have someone to discuss pros and cons about the filters? what about the postage and return postage costs if something goes wrong? and lets not forget about spare parts postage times?

Personally i would rather pay $100 more and see someone in person and feel like i can ask for their advice. For an average aquarium shop it costs $1500 a day to open the doors, so yes the do need the charge a little more, but that extra money goes back to you because their staff are helping YOU in choosing a filter thats not going to cost you money.

thants my 2 cents anyways biggrin.gif

#14 Adzz

Adzz
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 27-March 07
  • Location: Warnbro

Posted 16 April 2007 - 03:16 PM

Hey Guys

I paid $190 for an aquaone CF1200 from my LPS which i though was a good price. Ive had it for a few months now and i think its a great filter and i have a CF700 on a smaller tank for a few years now and its never missed a beat

#15 dazzabozza

dazzabozza

    Life Member

  • Admin
  • Joined: 16-March 07
  • Location: Beeliar, Perth WA

Posted 16 April 2007 - 04:02 PM

My next question.... smile.gif

Do we have post that lists common tanks sizes, their litres, recommended filters or Litres per hour etc?

Perhaps we could build a table after we establish the more commonly used brands/models that people use.

We could also expand it to include substrate types, KGs needed etc, recommended lighting, the list goes on.... smile.gif


Cheers,
Darryl

#16 Cawdor

Cawdor
  • Admin
  • Joined: 26-December 05
  • Location: Byford

Posted 16 April 2007 - 04:48 PM

I remember googling this a while ago and I think I remember that it's roughly 4-5 times your tank volume per hour, depending on stock levels (more for saltwater tanks). So if you have a 600L tank your filter(s) should do roughly 2400-3000L per hour.

And for those trying to figure out how many litres their tank holds: measure the length, height and depth of the water your tank holds in cm, multiply them together and divide by 1000 to get litres. So a 6 footer would hold roughly: 180cm*55cm*55cm=544500 divided by 1000 = 544.5 litres.

#17 nick

nick
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 01-July 06
  • Location: Noranda

Posted 16 April 2007 - 09:26 PM

Tim's right. It's roughly 5-6times the volume of the tank. Another thing you got to consider is the head of the pumps. This is the maximum vertical lift of the pump. Eg. a 6' head means the pump is rated to pump water up to 6 feet high. Note, however, that at 6 feet the pump would be providing very little water. Most canister filters capacity are rated without the filter media and at head 0m. Hope this help.

I have no issues at all with OLS, just the people that don't understand the differences in business costs and also the people who buy online then bring in their product to the store to be shown how to use it That being said, $350 is a bit on the rough side for a CF1200, no matter where you are buying it


Regarding the LFS pricing of the products, I wasn't trying to attack anybody. I understand the business cost of the having retail shop. Their w/s prices can be determined by the buying power which directly effects the retail price, freight, no. of staffs ...etc. But like Pacco said the customer who bought online products and shouldn't go to LFS to ask them to show them how to use it. And if they did LFS should charge for the time needed to be shown since it's only fair that they didn't buy from them. I always support the LFS/LPS with in mind they give good after sale service such as warranty and spare parts. The only time I buy online is when I see a great deals going on the particular product and when I see the saving is a huge margin that's when I use the OLS. So I appologise if I sounded ignorant. :oops:

I think personally Vebas has extensive range in products and fish than any LFS that I've been to. Staffs are friendly. I would come more often except it takes me 45mins to get there. smile.gif

Cheers Nick

#18 dazzabozza

dazzabozza

    Life Member

  • Admin
  • Joined: 16-March 07
  • Location: Beeliar, Perth WA

Posted 23 April 2007 - 02:40 PM

Help me decide..... smile.gif

I'm trying to decide on the following 3 filters -

Eheim 2217 Classic - Suits 600L tank, 1000L? per hour. Approx $300
Sacem 2000 - Suits up 600L tank, 1850L per hour. Approx $200
Jebo 950 - Suits up to 1500L, 3600L per hour. Approx $300 - $350

The Eheim and Sacem have similar specs and in that case I'd prob go for quality and get the Eheim. The Jebo has a great flow rate and one of the tanks (both 6x2x2 600L) is going to be marine and higher flow rates are recommended (typically double that of freshwater).


Cheers,
Darryl

#19 Cawdor

Cawdor
  • Admin
  • Joined: 26-December 05
  • Location: Byford

Posted 23 April 2007 - 06:38 PM

Just a note about advertised flow rates - I found that the chinese brands in particular (Jebo, Weipro etc) tend to overstate their flow rates quite a bit. I can't believe that the Jebo has 1300L more flow than the MASSIVE Fluval FX5 which is also rated for tanks up to 1500L.

Have you thought about getting 2 filters instead of 1 big one? That way you are not completely f***ed when the filter dies. I realise it may not suit because of budget, space etc - just an idea.

My 2 cents.

#20 dazzabozza

dazzabozza

    Life Member

  • Admin
  • Joined: 16-March 07
  • Location: Beeliar, Perth WA

Posted 24 April 2007 - 10:52 AM

Gday Tim

Thanks for the feedback. 2 cannisters per tank would be nice but at a cost of course smile.gif. Wot I'll look at doing it having alternate types of filtering for each tank. So a canister and a wet/dry trickle perhaps. I've also got some internals to generate some water movement and basic filtering.

Not sure if u've seen the Jebo 950 but it's massive. Looks like a pond filter. But I do agree that some manufacturers overate the flow rates etc where brands like Eheim are more conservative.

Darryl




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users