I purchased a 180 gallon tank a few weeks ago. My filtration options are HOB, and/or canisters. I purchased 3 Tidal 110s but the canopy on the tank interferes with removing these filters for cleaning. And, it takes two people to remove the canopy. So, I am looking at canisters. What do you guys recommend ?
New 180 gallon tank, filtration
- Thread starter Ken Gallant
- Start date
I like my fluval FX6, but they are pricey. If you can wait until black friday, petsmart has had them 50% off the past two years. Two of them would probably put you in a good place on your 180, though that is a guess given that I don't know what you plan to keep.
Only cans i have kept were eheim 2262 and a fluval fx6. I prefer the 2262 but depending on what they are going for now you may be better off going with the fluval.
Allot of members have had experiences with the sun sun brands and from what i understand the price point is good
Allot of members have had experiences with the sun sun brands and from what i understand the price point is good
Are you completely against a sump? It really is the best option and is definitely the easiest to maintain.
If you're dead set on canisters and want something a bit more cost effective, I would recommend three SunSun 304B filters. They are usually under $100 each on Amazon.
I still recommend you consider a sump though. I drilled five holes in my 220 (same dimensions as your tank except mine is 30" tall instead of 24") and set it up with a 55 gallon sump. I'm so glad I went with that because it is so easy to maintain and was much cheaper to do as well. It takes a bit longer to setup but then it's MUCH easier to do the maintenance on.
If you're dead set on canisters and want something a bit more cost effective, I would recommend three SunSun 304B filters. They are usually under $100 each on Amazon.
I still recommend you consider a sump though. I drilled five holes in my 220 (same dimensions as your tank except mine is 30" tall instead of 24") and set it up with a 55 gallon sump. I'm so glad I went with that because it is so easy to maintain and was much cheaper to do as well. It takes a bit longer to setup but then it's MUCH easier to do the maintenance on.
It is my understanding (have not personally owned one) that the Fluval FX6 has a lot of sponges and not as much room for media compared to Eheim 2260/2262. The Eheims while they are pricier, are very customizable and built like tanks from my experience.
I found this to be true also felt the flow on the fx6 was not as strong as the eheim. Tbh those trays, sponges, and lack of media space were the primary reasons i didnt like the filter
While I much prefer a sump these days, having a 2262 sitting not being used in my basement almost makes me feel like I'm slacking with the hobby. Like I should be using that beast somehow haha. Nice to have "just because" though, I suppose.
If you're near central NY I'd sell my 2262 with ehfimech, ehfifix, and Sera Siporax media for $230. Comes with all hoses, connections, etc.
There are not a ton of high capacity canister filters for large tanks. The three I have worked with are the Eheim 2262/1500XL, Eheim 2080/1200XL and the Fluval FX6.
The Eheim 2262 has been around a long time and has a simple and proven design. If you are familiar with any of the Eheim classic filters it is pretty much a bigger version of that. It is basically just a big bucket with a pump on top. There are a couple of of plastic dividers but very little structure on the inside. It gives you ultimate media flexibility but depending on what you put it cleaning can be a bit of a pain. The pump is on the noisy side but not terrible. Flow is very high. The spray bar and intake are old school Eheim which means they are functional and not much more than that. They are also bright green.
The Eheim 2080 or Professional 3 1200XL is an oversized version of the Eheim Professional series. It adds a second intake and a lot more capacity. It includes the upgraded, modular intake setups and spray bars which are a lot more flexible and come in a dark grey color. It has a series of large removable media baskets that make it easy to work with while still offering a ton of media flexibility and capacity. It is easy to dissasemble for cleaning and includes a tray that can hold the sponge, filter pad or any of the baskets. The biggest problem with cleaning it is that it is very heavy when filled so if you are a lightweight like me it can be painful to get it to your cleaning location. It is much less noisy than either the 2262 or the FX6.
The Fluval FX6 is, much like the Eheim 2262, a tub with an external pump. The difference is the fx6 has a lot more internal structure. Inside are three baskets that are removed as a unit. The outer part of each basket is coarse sponge and the center of the baskets contains flexible media space. One of the center sections is filled with fine foam be default. The others hold biological and/or chemical filtration. The open space for bio/chemical filtration is limited compared to both the Eheim filters. Setup with the fx6 is much easier than with the Eheims because it uses flexible hose that is a lot easier to work with than the vinyl tubing. There are clamps which hold the intake and output firmly in place. There is no spray bar but the output can be pointed in two directions. It uses larger diameter tubing which makes it not obviously compatible with inline heaters without modification. It can easily drain the water in the canister into a bucket to make it easier to move for cleaning. There is an optional cleaning system that uses the pump for the filter to make a vacuum which is very functional. Noise wise, it is louder than the 2080. I have never heard them back to back but I would guess it is pretty similiar noise-wise to the 2262.
Personally, I prefer the Eheim 2080 and the Fluval fx6 to the 2262. I just don't like the open nature of the Eheim classic filters. However, that is just a personal preference. They are all solidly built and do the job well. I recently switched from a pair of 2080's on my 200 to a pair of fx2's and a Eheim pro 4+ 350. I am using the Eheim mostly to run the inline heater and for easy access to the chemical filtration. I miss how quiet the 2080s were but the fx6s will be much easier for me to clean due to the weight.
The Eheim 2262 has been around a long time and has a simple and proven design. If you are familiar with any of the Eheim classic filters it is pretty much a bigger version of that. It is basically just a big bucket with a pump on top. There are a couple of of plastic dividers but very little structure on the inside. It gives you ultimate media flexibility but depending on what you put it cleaning can be a bit of a pain. The pump is on the noisy side but not terrible. Flow is very high. The spray bar and intake are old school Eheim which means they are functional and not much more than that. They are also bright green.
The Eheim 2080 or Professional 3 1200XL is an oversized version of the Eheim Professional series. It adds a second intake and a lot more capacity. It includes the upgraded, modular intake setups and spray bars which are a lot more flexible and come in a dark grey color. It has a series of large removable media baskets that make it easy to work with while still offering a ton of media flexibility and capacity. It is easy to dissasemble for cleaning and includes a tray that can hold the sponge, filter pad or any of the baskets. The biggest problem with cleaning it is that it is very heavy when filled so if you are a lightweight like me it can be painful to get it to your cleaning location. It is much less noisy than either the 2262 or the FX6.
The Fluval FX6 is, much like the Eheim 2262, a tub with an external pump. The difference is the fx6 has a lot more internal structure. Inside are three baskets that are removed as a unit. The outer part of each basket is coarse sponge and the center of the baskets contains flexible media space. One of the center sections is filled with fine foam be default. The others hold biological and/or chemical filtration. The open space for bio/chemical filtration is limited compared to both the Eheim filters. Setup with the fx6 is much easier than with the Eheims because it uses flexible hose that is a lot easier to work with than the vinyl tubing. There are clamps which hold the intake and output firmly in place. There is no spray bar but the output can be pointed in two directions. It uses larger diameter tubing which makes it not obviously compatible with inline heaters without modification. It can easily drain the water in the canister into a bucket to make it easier to move for cleaning. There is an optional cleaning system that uses the pump for the filter to make a vacuum which is very functional. Noise wise, it is louder than the 2080. I have never heard them back to back but I would guess it is pretty similiar noise-wise to the 2262.
Personally, I prefer the Eheim 2080 and the Fluval fx6 to the 2262. I just don't like the open nature of the Eheim classic filters. However, that is just a personal preference. They are all solidly built and do the job well. I recently switched from a pair of 2080's on my 200 to a pair of fx2's and a Eheim pro 4+ 350. I am using the Eheim mostly to run the inline heater and for easy access to the chemical filtration. I miss how quiet the 2080s were but the fx6s will be much easier for me to clean due to the weight.