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Re: Filters
My experience with filters:
I have an Eheim 2215 on a 55g. I bought it used on eBay for about $35. Says
"Made in W. Germany" so it's at least 11 years old. It still runs great and
if you're not averse to getting a little aquarium water in your mouth, it's
also easy to prime. I have 3 Fluval 103s and one 104 on smaller tanks and
have likewise been very happy with them. I had read comments regarding the
new style Fluvals stating that they had poor "flow through on the full
complement of filter media, but I have a 104 on a goldfish tank (poop
machines) and I can go 3 months between filter cleanings and still maintain
good water quality. It's got a quick disconnect and a quick prime feature,
which is nice. The downside of this (and by association, all the '04 Fluval
filters) is that they use custom ribbed hoses, which means you can only
replace those hoses with Fluval-brand equivalents. Bear in mind the new
Eheim filters also auto-prime, if that's important to you. It doesn't bother
me to suck on a hose for a couple of seconds, and if you turn off your hose
taps correctly, this only needs to be done when initially installing the
filter and if you clean the hoses.
Pick what's important to you, check the prices online and then go shop on
eBay. There are fools there who will actually set the initial bid at higher
than you'd pay for a new product at a reputable online dealer, but if you
have the time, you'll eventally stumble on a good deal.