# What filters to get for my 75gal?



## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

So I ditched the idea of getting that 72gal tank, cause I just want more overall floor space.

I am going to make a stand for the 75gal this weekend I think, but all I really need is a filter for now.

I only have about $100 or so to spend... so canisters are kind of out of the question. Unless I went with a eBay one.

But I have seen mixed reviews...

I am leaning away from the AC110 and more towards the Emperor 400, with some minor upgrades.

Can anyone else chime in on this with their experience with these filters? Or what ever you use on your 75gal?

I will be housing nothing crazy at all, some Bolivian Rams and other community fish. Possibly some Angels.

Ohh and I also have a Fluval C4 on my 40gal ATM, which is rated for 40-70gal... would that possibly work on the 75gal?

It seems slightly over powering in the 40.. kind of.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Sunsun/Aquatop CF500 would be my choice, you can pick one up for $99 with media included and free shipping, ill pm you the link if your interested


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## Shizark (Mar 26, 2012)

I vote AC110..


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Definitely interested in that link man!

Thanks so far!


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Either the AC110 or the aquatop would work great. Either way you would probably still want to add some circulation using a power head or circulation pump.


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## AfricanLove (Jan 2, 2012)

Fusion could you PM me that link please


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## S2K_Alex (Jul 2, 2012)

or you can buy 2 AC110 for exactly 100 shipped and you'll have 1000gph rather than just 400gph from the Marineland and being a slave from having to buy the cartridges. or like fusion said you can pick up an Aquatop 500 but thats half the filtration from 2 AC110. 
if your interested let me know and il send you the link.


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## toyster17 (Mar 31, 2012)

Definitely interested in that link as well.


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## S2K_Alex (Jul 2, 2012)

mine or fusions link??? lol


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I am interested in that link S2K.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

S2K_Alex said:


> or you can buy 2 AC110 for exactly 100 shipped and you'll have 1000gph rather than just 400gph from the Marineland and being a slave from having to buy the cartridges. or like fusion said you can pick up an Aquatop 500 but thats half the filtration from 2 AC110.
> if your interested let me know and il send you the link.


$100 shipped for 2 AC110's is a very good price.


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## S2K_Alex (Jul 2, 2012)

yea u can get one AC110 for 50.39 or get 2 like i did for 100.78 shipped


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

VEry cool!

But I was just on Amazon, thought I would see if I can get approved for a CC... looks like price isn't much of a problem now.. well for a month. 

Gives me more time to get that extra mula!

Anyways... what is the best canister filter then for my 75gal?

Still want to be somewhat frugal though.. lol


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

halffrozen said:


> VEry cool!
> 
> But I was just on Amazon, thought I would see if I can get approved for a CC... looks like price isn't much of a problem now.. well for a month.
> 
> ...


Well....if it is all about $$$ then go with the aquatop cf500uv as you will get pretty good flow and it holds a lot of media. I mean a lot. If you can spend $230+ then go with the fx5. It seems to me to be the perfect filter for a 75g stocked with cichlids.


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## S2K_Alex (Jul 2, 2012)

well if price is not a concern i hear Eheim filters are very good but i have never dealt with one before but i do have a fluval 406 (which as a matter of fact amazon has the cheapest price for one new, than any other site) and i am very pleased with it *** had for about over 3 months and its dead silent with very good flow, hasnt gotten clogged, made my water even more clear and i had 2 marineland 350 on a 55 gallon and i added the 406 and it made the water much more clear.
now i upgraded to a 120 and i was not pleased with the marinelands so i finally gave in the AC hype and they are very good i have 3 AC110 with my fluval 406 and they compliment each other very well.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I am looking at the 2217s... From what I have read, I am kind of on the fence about the FX5.... Read alot of bad things about them, mostly after the OP posts nothing but how great it is.. then a few months/years later, it fails.

Where-as the Eheims always outlast Fluval's... idk.. my C3 and C4 are great power filters... but meh.

Would one 2217 be enough for the 75gal?


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I am buying the 2217. as well as a bigger heater. But should I bother buying a 48" light? I have a triple bulb Odyssea and it works GREAT! Has been for the past 6+ months of having it. I am going to do a custom hanging kit for it for the 75 if I DO end up using it.

I am going to post my build in the DIY forum. Look for me there.. you will get a better idea.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

halffrozen said:


> I am looking at the 2217s... From what I have read, I am kind of on the fence about the FX5.... Read alot of bad things about them, mostly after the OP posts nothing but how great it is.. then a few months/years later, it fails.
> 
> Where-as the Eheims always outlast Fluval's... idk.. my C3 and C4 are great power filters... but meh.
> 
> Would one 2217 be enough for the 75gal?


Filtration...probably be fine depending on your load and the media. If you want strong circulation you will want to add some circulation pumps or power heads to help keep debris off the bottom of the tank and to eliminate dead spots. The 2217 is a very good filter and owned one many years ago. Just not real strong flow but good filtration. You just about can't kill them.

As for the FX5 and the 2217....it really is apples and oranges. If you want to compare the FX5 to a eheim I think the 2260/2262 model is more suitable. They are both the eheim classic series design like the 2217. If you could afford one of the 2260's then I would go that route over the 2217 without question. If I could have afforded the 2262 for my 75g I would have went that route over the FX5.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Definitely stay away from the marineland filters tho, especially if you have sand in your tank. The sand is hard on the impeller and they become noisy quite quickly. I'd say get the fx5 and call it a day!


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I was literally moments away from ordering one yesterday that was on Amazon used for $130... but when I go to check out, it says it went out of stock. lol 

But I have a new question for you guys.

I am going to be housing Bolivian Rams in this tank, and they don't like strong currents, so I am thinking of just getting two HOB's.(refer to my DIY thread, about why I need to ditch the canister idea)

Have any of you used that Aqueon Quiteflow 55/75? I had one for a about an hour and it was just too much flow for my 40GB, so I returned it, but what I did notice was that it had a HUGE area for media to be placed.

I think I may order dual AC110's but also a 55/75, for testing purposes. Maybe, if anyone has experience with them, that would be great.. not many people post anything about the 55/75.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Ok, so I am picking up a used 2217 in "new condition" for $50 this weekend.. so woot! lol

I think I will keep the 40GB on it sown stand somewhere else.. maybe the kids room? ha!


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Should I also get a HOB though? or will that 2217 be all the filtration needed for Bolivian Rams and a few Angels?


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Gah! Wish I could combine my posts.. lol

What media should I get for this 2217?

Any good combos that people get good results from?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Good price on the used 2217.

I use 1L of Ehfimech, 2 blue coarse Eheim pads, 1L of either Substrat Pro or Pond Matrix and 1 fine white pad in mine. You can choose any media that you want as long as you don't impede the water flow AND you follow the correct stacking order of the media.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

One AC110 will be sufficient.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Thanks! I got really lucky on that 2217! lol

Picking it up tomorrow, and I cannot wait! 

One thing though, since it hasn't been used for who knows how long.. what do I do about the media that it comes with?

Should I order all new media?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I wouldn't order new media until you pick the filter up. Ask the seller how long he has been using the filter and that may give you an idea how 'old' the media is.

I don't see any reason to scrap any hard media, in my opinion, it can be cleaned easily. Soft media, such as pads, may or may not be cleaned. I wouldn't bother with cleaning fine filter pads.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Got it! The guy actually is a Saltwater Professional for the Valley here in AZ, It was left over from one of his customers setups, it hasn't been used for 2 months he said.

Other than that, it looks great!!!

If this was used for saltwater though, should I get all new media? And also, how do I clean all of the hard media?

I will post a picture of the media it came with in a few.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

For the hard media, I would thoroughly rinse it in tap water to remove any debris residue and to help flush out any salt. Then I would mix a solution of 10% regular bleach/90% tap water and let the media soak for 12 hours. Maybe even mix the media around in the bucket during this time. Drain off the solution, thoroughly rinse the media in fresh tap water until it runs clear. Refill the bucket with fresh tap water, add your dechlorinator, double strength, and soak the media for a couple hours. Drain the water and smell the media. If it smells like bleach, repeat the dechlor step.

If you won't be setting the canister up soon, let the hard media dry before storing it. This is the procedure I use when receiving used equipment and hard media. I also use the same bleach/water solution to clean the canister and all its parts as a precaution from the previous use.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I think I am going to just get all new media.. I mean... this stuff is a bunch of rocks and SOME of those tube things... mixed with carbon pieces.

I need to get suction cups for it though, I forgot to grab them from the guy in the tank.. no big deal really.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I am referring to this for my media setup. 

http://rexgrigg.com/Eheim%20Classic%20C ... ctions.htm


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

That link is the basic setup for a Classic.

Can you post a pic of the existing hard media? If it is the original Eheim media, I'd just clean it as I recommended as that will save you a good chunk of change.

Also, did you get the Owners Manual with the filter?


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Ohh my bad, I uploaded them to PB, guess I forgot that last step. 

It doesn't look like the Eheim media, and also, no Manual, it was his clients.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Yes that IS the Eheim media, the tubular shape is the Ehfi Mech and the gravel shape is Ehfi Substrat. They should not be mixed together, as the Ehfi Substrat is the bio-media.

Here is the manual for the 2215/2217 in PDF form. You may have to mouse a couple pages down for the English section of the instructions.

Check to make sure you have all the pieces and parts. The manual shows what they are.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I wasn't sure it was since it was all mixed up. haha, ok well that solves that. Guess I have some sorting to do. :O

That link didn't take me to anything but a bunch of Deutsche. lol

I have all hoses, connectors, plastic parts(those ones with the legs on top and the bottom one) all clips(one of them keeps having the steel rod fall out, but only when I have it on its side)

Came with the blue pad in pretty good condition, and a fine filter pad that probably needs to be replaced.

One more thing I noticed, was that when all full and "ready to go" was that it was several inches from the bottom o the top pump head part... shouldn't it be pretty much touching the top of the legs of that plastic piece?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Well, it appears their website is down so that is why there is a problem viewing the link.

Regarding the media, the 2217 is capable of holding 2L of Ehfimech (tubular shape), 4L of Ehfisubstrat or similar bio media, 1 blue coarse pad & 1 white fine pad. BUT, you do have a lot of options using the blue coarse pads. You can add more blue pads if you want or more of either the Ehfimech or bio media.

The important thing to remember is that you don't want to compress the media stack when you install the pump head. Also make sure that the bottom green lattice screen has the legs facing down and the top green lattice screen has the legs facing UP. There should be no media between the top screen and the pump head.

I have a broken plastic latch retainer on my 2217, where the steel pin inserts, so that won't be a problem as long as you can still latch the pump head in place.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

So how much space do you leave between the top of the legs and the pump section????

And also, how far from the substrate is the intake supposed to be?

Sorry for all these crazy questions!!! lol I just like asking alot.. as you can tell. 

Also my substrate is going to be sand.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

I would put the intake strainer a few inches from the substrate, especially if you have sand. That way it won't pick any up.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I should prolly check how close it is on the 75 sitting in the garage then.. lol I am not sure if it was cut down or for the tank it was on previously.. looks long though.

Should I get media bags to keep them separate? Or should I just put a sponge between them? All the diagrams I have seen look like it is all poured on top of each other... And I really don;t want them to mix.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

halffrozen said:


> So how much space do you leave between the top of the legs and the pump section????
> 
> And also, how far from the substrate is the intake supposed to be?
> 
> Also my substrate is going to be sand.


I've never measured the space but find that the top of the legs contact the pump head when assembled and latched. I used a bright flashlight to check!

I have very fine sand so I usually leave 3 - 4 inches.

I sometimes use a media bag but only for the biomedia. The blue coarse filter pad is excellent for separating the media and makes cleaning much easier.

Here is a link to a Clear Classic showing the media separation. I don't know where they got a clear canister but I saved the picture to use as an example.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Deeda said:


> halffrozen said:
> 
> 
> > So how much space do you leave between the top of the legs and the pump section????
> ...


Cool pic! I'm guess the clear canister was specially made for that photo or had some sort of post-process editing.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Deeda said:


> halffrozen said:
> 
> 
> > So how much space do you leave between the top of the legs and the pump section????
> ...


Really great picture!!! Helps me so much on understanding how to load it all up!


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Holy **** this thing is SILENT!!!! Had some micro bubbles at first for a minute or two... but now.. this thing on my 40gallon getting it ready for the 75 is going to make mince meat of this fluval C4! lol

So far, so good!


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Glad the filter is working well for you!


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

One thing though... My water is faintly cloudy... not really bad.. but almost like a haze that is left on your glass after putting in a new dirty substrate... but the glass is clean. Is this maybe from the fine dust in the media?


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

From looking around, I may have too much movement.. but usually if it is that bad, I would notice an area of my substrate digging down.. and I don't see anything like that.. weird.

Also, since i have yet to get suction cups, and the intake line is SUPER long, it is resting on the sand.. maybe it is sucking up all the fine particles in the substrate... hmm


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

halffrozen said:


> From looking around, I may have too much movement.. but usually if it is that bad, I would notice an area of my substrate digging down.. and I don't see anything like that.. weird.
> 
> Also, since i have yet to get suction cups, and the intake line is SUPER long, it is resting on the sand.. maybe it is sucking up all the fine particles in the substrate... hmm


Besides the 2217 what else do you have hooked up to move water in the tank?


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

13razorbackfan said:


> halffrozen said:
> 
> 
> > From looking around, I may have too much movement.. but usually if it is that bad, I would notice an area of my substrate digging down.. and I don't see anything like that.. weird.
> ...


Fluval C4 HOB, on its low setting.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

And the flow seems too strong? I have not ever had that problem or heard of it in regards to a 2217 on a tank of 75g or larger. That is the one complaint you hear the most from this filter is that with media the flow is between 130-170gph in regards to current and flow.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I am sorry, I thought I had said it was on my 40gal ATM, I am still making the 75's stand. 

I am just getting the 2217 built up for the 75. I also wanted to make sure it even worked.. lol

But this thing's flow is HEAVY.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

halffrozen said:


> I am sorry, I thought I had said it was on my 40gal ATM, I am still making the 75's stand.
> 
> I am just getting the 2217 built up for the 75. I also wanted to make sure it even worked.. lol
> 
> But this thing's flow is HEAVY.


Oh...ok. Yeah...I didn't read through all 4 pages. My bad. It is a very good filter though. You will really like it.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

No problem at all man!

I am hopin for the best with it! I may end up with that and my C4 in conjunction with it.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I was finally able to find a valid 2217 Manual from the Great Britain website.

Hope this helps. The English instructions are pages 6 thru 10.


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## S2K_Alex (Jul 2, 2012)

halffrozen said:


> No problem at all man!
> 
> I am hopin for the best with it! I may end up with that and my C4 in conjunction with it.


how do you like the fluval c4?? *** been very curious of one, they look nice but the flow is lacking it and its from hagen i hope they would make a c5, so it can be somewhere around the ball park of the AC110


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Flow rate is quite good!

Love my C4, only problem with it is when I do large water changes and I have to re-prime it. But really isn't that big of a deal really.

Very quote too! Was a bit noisy the first day... but it was from the new sand I think. And it is virtually SILENT now, so long as I keep the water topped off.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

The 2217 is a **** champ!

Water is clearer then ever. And it the movement is great in the 40.

I am hopefully finishing up the stand this weekend POSSIBLY for the 75. It is sitting on the stand currently in the garage to see if it was made properly before going into my house. lol(I second guess myself quite a bit)


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

halffrozen said:


> Flow rate is quite good!
> 
> Love my C4, only problem with it is when I do large water changes and I have to re-prime it. But really isn't that big of a deal really.
> 
> Very quote too! Was a bit noisy the first day... but it was from the new sand I think. And it is virtually SILENT now, so long as I keep the water topped off.


What does re-priming it involve? Is it just a matter of filling the filter with water?


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Yeah a few cup-fulls filling it SLOWLY and it will get enough suction to get it going.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Update in my 2217 on my 75 gallon Bolivian Ram/Angelfish paradise.

Did my first filter cleaning last weekend, and man did that thing have some suction! Picked up a **** ton of my sand(though I am lacking suction cups still for my inlet so it is ON the substrate)

But anyways, I would just like to say that this filter works GREAT and am hopefully soon picking up another one! It is truly a great filter!

Just a quick update, since not many people usually say good things about products and only post when something is wrong.


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