# Is this a good Canister filter?



## MCKP (Aug 17, 2009)

My husband has been doing research and likes this filter. It is for our 125....
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ct ... 217pluskit

We have 3 HIGH priority things we are looking for in a canister filter...

1: Something that can work good for a 125

2: Something that does NOT leak at all

3: HAS to be SILENT

So, is there anything out there that fits those criteria?? Is the one he picked out a good one? I am looking for first hand experience vs ad writers promises....


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

If your getting Eheim I would go with the Eheim Pro series, they are more ekspencive but if it's silens your after I would not buy the classic line. Personaly im ventureing away from Eheim and buying cheaper canisters now days, but I have swaped the classic modles I once had to Pro series. Befor I found out that, Eheim get there canisters made in china like everyone else and there is just as many failures on there products as the cheaper modles. (According to my friend who sell them)

I run several AM Top canisters now and they are just as silent as my Eheim, but only Ã‚Â½ the price for the same volume and GPH. The quality of the products seems to be equaly, not takeing in mind that the last Eheim I got was broke when I opend the box. The store swaped it for a bigger model, with out any arguments as they did'nt have any more of the model I payed for.

If these canisters leak, both eheim and AM top. All you need to do is change the rubber sealing, unless you break the bucket or something.

Hope it helps


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## Jum (Apr 7, 2010)

I have an Eheim Pro 2080. It's a big filter and it's big noise imo. I have a Fluval FX5 as well and although they are very loud, I find if I keep my tank topped, it's more reasonable then the Eheim. I am not aware of any large canister that is silent. Perhaps you should consider a sump tank and pump being you have a decent size tank. I have a buddy with a 220 gallon and his sump setup is very quiet.


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## DGT (Mar 28, 2010)

I have a single Eheim 2217 on my 55 gal. It's well made and very quiet, but I don't think it is big enough for a 125 gal. You could use 2 or look at other options.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

try the classic 2260 at least, or the pro series like mentioned


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## fox (Jun 11, 2009)

Jum said:


> I have an Eheim Pro 2080. It's a big filter and it's big noise imo.


Not from my experience with them. Mebbe yours was made onna monday. :roll:


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

fox said:


> Jum said:
> 
> 
> > I have an Eheim Pro 2080. It's a big filter and it's big noise imo.
> ...


 :lol:


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## areuben (Jul 17, 2003)

I am confused as to how an Eheim 2080 can be said to be big noise. Where are you getting noise from - if it's running right and it has no air in the system, the filter is dead quiet. If you are talking about noise from the spraybar, then maybe it should be adjusted as to the spray angle. Any of the Eheim Pro filters or Classics are dead quiet and should not leak. 
MKCP - the 2080 would do a real nice job on the 125. If you are going with the 2217 classic which is a great filter, I would go with 2 of them. Personally, I always like 2 filters on a tank should anything happen to one, you always have a back-up, PLUS, you can rotate cleanings.
I have no negatives to say about any of the other recognized brand names, however, Eheim is top quality. If you find other filters that are "just like" the Eheim and the price seems too good to be true, then it is too good to be true and you will eventually realize this in the long run. You can't go wrong with an Eheim and they run forever with very little maintenance. Just a final comment, should you go with the Classic series, and I run many of them, just be sure that you know that these don't have baskets for the media - to make life easier put your media in media bags. And sumps aren't always dead quiet either - as you can get some noise/gurgling from the bulkhead intakes. Good luck.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

If you want a low noise filter, you went on the right track! Canister filters are very quiet. Even the cheap ones; how well they're made, how long they last, do they leak, are a bunch of other issues. :lol:


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## Jum (Apr 7, 2010)

I really can't stand elitists. My 2080 is loud. There is no other way to describe it. There is no air issue nor is there any issue with water spray. It is simply loud. Louder then the FX5. I bought my first canister (Eheim 2213) in 1997. I still have it today and although I change the rubber seal every year or so, I have never had it leak. Of all the canisters I've owned, the only leak I've had was one I created my self by not sealing the top correctly. Perhaps my 2080 was defective from the beginning, but either way it was loud. My wife made me replace it within the first month. It was in the livingroom at the time and we had to turn the TV up so loud that it gave you a headache eventually.


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## areuben (Jul 17, 2003)

So now we have resorted to name calling - elitists??. I guess the 4 people that reviewed the Pro 3, the 68 that reviewed the classic and the 80 that reviewed the Pro 2 filters on this site in the reviews section are all elitists because they love their filters and aren't afraid to say so. Yeah, there are always going to be some people that aren't happy but for the most part the reviews speak for themselves. Jum, it seems you took offence to my suggestion that your filter was loud because of air or your spraybar. There was no finger pointing intended in my comment and if it came across that way, my apologies. We submit information and comments on this forum to inform people and try and give them a balanced view. As MCKP posted looking for help with a filter, I just felt your comment about the Pro 3 and the Fluval being "very loud" needed some balance. Air can be an issue, and I suggested your spraybar because you said "I have a Fluval FX5 as well and although they are very loud, I find if I keep my tank topped, it's more reasonable than the Eheim". That comment led me to believe a possible issue with the spraybar because why else would keeping a tank topped up or not affect noise of the motor.
MCKP, read some of the reviews in the reviews section and you'll get a good cross-section of information. Good luck.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

Hey call me what ever you want I'm just speaking from experience and my answer is directed toward the OP's questions.


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## Jum (Apr 7, 2010)

Perhaps I got a bad filter as suggested above. My topped off comment is based on the fact alot of people are bad about keeping their tanks filled thus confusing water noise with motor noise. I believe personal experience is valid. I was certainly not responding to your post LSBoost.


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## DGT (Mar 28, 2010)

Descriptions of loud vs quiet are relative and subjective unless we have data from a controlled experiment to compare. These subjective descriptions are useful though. When I say my Eheim 2217 is quiet, I have to listen closely to hear it during the day when standing in front of the tank. The tank is just outside the bedroom and my wife, who can hear a pin drop at night, sleeps peacefully. Good enough for me!


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

I have 3 canisters in my liveing room and you can't hear any of them unless you sit next to them, up close to the tank or you are all along and no TV, computers or anything turned on.

1x Eheim Pro 3 and 2x AM top Pro 1200

The sugestion about running 2 smaller canisters rather then 1 big is not bad at all, both my AM top's are connected to the same tank. Less cleaning is needed and I can clean one and not have to worry about loosing the bacteria culture.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

the larger the filter the louder the motor, doesn't mean it's loud, but it's louder than the smaller version.


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## fox (Jun 11, 2009)

Jum said:


> I really can't stand elitists. My 2080 is loud. There is no other way to describe it.
> >SNIP<
> It was in the livingroom at the time and we had to turn the TV up so loud that it gave you a headache eventually.


How did it go in that movie "Lighten up Francis". Mebbe you got a bad unit, I do not see how that makes others elitests but you come off as a snob with your accusal. Me thinks you just *protest* too much.

I have a 2080 that is close to 6 years old now and it is so quiet I would have to describe it as silent. Scary silent actually, as I have on a few occassions stuck my arm in the tank to make sure it is working it is so silent. Does that mean they are all as silent? Prolly not. I am sure if they were giving others headaches with all the racket this would be common knowkedge.

I guess what I am inferring is you prolly gots a bad unit and that happens at times. That was the levity I was trying to imply by suggesting it was made onna monday. If'n I stepped on yer toes ..... opcorn:


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

I think that all canisters are quiet. If they aren't, they either have trapped air or are in need of new impellers. I have a pair of Eheim 2028s that have been running for 8 years now. I recently replaced the impellers in each and they are back to smooth quiet operation.


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## MCKP (Aug 17, 2009)

We have opted to just add another U4 in the tank for right now, and will upgrade it later on. We are really happy with the U4 and I LOVE the no noise/no leaks aspect. The only down side is the unit in the tank but for now, it will work having two of them, we will later on decide on a canister filter that will work and put the U4s in other tanks but for now, this is our most affordable option that still gives us a clean tank.

I appreciate everyones opinions, and will keep them all in mind when we decide to go for a canister.

The 'quiet' I was refferring to, was based on comparison to a HOB filter, we had a emperor 400 and a tetra tech 500 and both were HORRIBLY loud. I will probably never buy them again. The U4 makes no noise at all, the fish like the current, and it seems to do a good job. I think we will just have to actually see some canisters in use to actually see how loud they really are..

Thanks again for the help!


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