# Suggestions on new canister filter purchase



## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

Hello all,

I have a 60 gallon mbuna tank that has already a Marineland c-360 running and up until this weekend also had a penguin 350 hob filter...

well... the somewhat inevitable happened and the penguin sucked up some sand and it got stuck in the impeller. I tried cleaning it out... but alas... it was a lost cause... it still runs but it's loud as $^&*!!!

So anyways... I decided that this is as good a reason to replace it with another canister (which was my original plan anyway... just not today) as any...

So what do you guys think?

I'm looking for reliability... easy (not that often) maintenance... durability... and hopefully a combination of biological and mechanical filtration.

And I would really like to be as economical about it as possible... in other words... I would like to spend less than I did on the c-360.

Thanks!!!


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

You can get another C-360 for $127 at Kensfish.com, its on sale. I don't think there is any other quality canister that will beat that price by much. Well, actually you can get an XP-3 for $114 from Kens. Just print out the page and take it into petsmart. They'll price match it and you'll save $ on the shipping. Best of all, you'll get it right away. Petsmart carries both the marineland and XP-3. HTH. :thumb:

Khris


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## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

I actually thought about doing another c-360 or the c-220. One of my favorite things about the c-360 is that the intake and output blend right in with my black background.

I never understood why rena uses blue and eheim uses bright green...


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

I'm really happy with my C-360 as well. I actually didn't like the output design of the C-360 so I just made a spray bar out of pvc. It turned out REALLY well and is great for surface agitation. I also went with the C-360 because it comes with all of the media. From my understanding the XP-3 only comes with minimal media and more is highly suggested. I've really had an itch to buy a second C-360 ever since I saw this sale. But I just got out of the military and haven't started my new job so I'm not having much success convincing my Fiancee (sugar mama) that I need one. :lol: I'm currently running the same combo you had. A C-360 and a penguin 350. I don't like the bulky intake of the penguin. I want a second C-360 so I can put both intakes in opposite corners for a much cleaner look. IMHO if you're gonna get a second cannister, go for the C-360. Don't bother with the C-220. You never know when you may upgrade to a bigger tank and this way, you'll already have all the filtration you'd need. :thumb:

Khris


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## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

> IMHO if you're gonna get a second cannister, go for the C-360. Don't bother with the C-220. You never know when you may upgrade to a bigger tank and this way, you'll already have all the filtration you'd need.


Good Call :thumb:


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## gtsum (Feb 25, 2008)

get another c360 (I have 2 of them on my 75G). I did ditch the output tubes though (junk quality imo) and I am using the Eheim output spraybars...the tank is in much better shape now (more water movement, more surface agitation, and I can use my PH to come on a couple hours a day to get the dung off the sand). I really like my C360's, but the input and output tubes are not good imo....use a spraybar, or make your own, and you will be good to go


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

I have a C-360 on my 58 and am happy with it. I don't know much about spray bars. (not to hijack, but . . . Can you give me some insight into why they are better and how to convert to them?)


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## gtsum (Feb 25, 2008)

spraybars allow you to have more directional ouput from the output tubes of the canisters. The c360 does not come with a spraybar...the thing it comes with does not do a good job of agitating the surface imo (oxygen exchange) and the eheim spraybar sets allow you to control your output a lot better (angled up for surface agstation, down, across the tank, lenghtwise, widthwise, etc). They are just better all around imo.


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## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

I agree the intake and output tubes are poor quality... but they are black... and that makes me happy 

I use a powerhead pointed towards the surface to create more agitation/oxygenation... however... it is getting kind of annoying because it's definitely louder than the c-360... it may be worth it to do the spray bar... hmmmm... now you got me thinking.


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## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

gtsum,

do you have the grey/black eheim spraybar set or the green one? I'm really only interested in the grey/black... Also, what size did you get to fit the c-360 tubing?

And do you know how long the spraybar attachement is? is the length adjustable?

Thanks!


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## gtsum (Feb 25, 2008)

edouthirt said:


> gtsum,
> 
> do you have the grey/black eheim spraybar set or the green one? I'm really only interested in the grey/black... Also, what size did you get to fit the c-360 tubing?
> 
> ...


I have this one...it fits 5/8 and 3/4 inch tubing - you have to reverse the locking collar around to make it fit the 3/4 inch tubing (it comes setup for 5/8). The length is adjustable - there are three pieces to it, so you can make it 3 pieces long (or even longer if you got two of them), or shorter and only use 2 pieces. I run both of mine full length (3 pieces long) and it fits across the top of my 75 gallon (18 inches) on the side..I am guessing the 3 pieces are about 15 inches long.

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/211270/product.web

I really think the C360 is a very good filter for the price, but when you take into account that I have bought these output tubes (I still use the intake tubes from the C360), and then take into account that I bought the Ehfi Mech and the Seachem Matrix to use in 2 of the baskets, and I could have just got an eheim pro canister with the media included and the spraybars for almost the same price (not quite, but you get the idea)


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