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Filter suggestions for 400L tank


Jaide

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The filter I currently run is inadequate so need to upgrade - any suggestions please of what to get instead.

I'd get a pair of CF1200s. If you can get them cheap, otherwise an FX5 is only a little more.

Edit: I see HFF has the CF1200s for $135 vs $610 for the FX5.

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I am using a cf2400 on my 450L with no issue as far as filtration goes. however I dont realy like the way they prime

If you do it right you only have to prime once every, I dunno, 10 years or so. From what I can see of the 2400 it's not really that different than the 1200s. Suck on the outlet hose until water is siphoning into the filter, connect everything up, plug the power in and done.

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If you do it right you only have to prime once every, I dunno, 10 years or so. From what I can see of the 2400 it's not really that different than the 1200s. Suck on the outlet hose until water is siphoning into the filter, connect everything up, plug the power in and done.

I have had to do it more then that dam it! just recently i moved the tank into a diffrent spot in the room, and i nearly threw stuff against the tank because of the frustration of trying to get it going again. I prefer the fx5. much easyer to use

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I have had to do it more then that dam it! just recently i moved the tank into a diffrent spot in the room, and i nearly threw stuff against the tank because of the frustration of trying to get it going again. I prefer the fx5. much easyer to use

How are you trying to prime it? It shouldn't be that hard.

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when i prime a canister i disconnect the out pipe at the top, blow into it to push an water in the pipe into the canister and then suck to create the syphon from the tank into the canister. It seems easier to me than taking the cap off and filling it that way. Occasionally i'll remove the priming cap and let it bleed out any air if the pumps become noisy.

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when i prime a canister i disconnect the out pipe at the top, blow into it to push an water in the pipe into the canister and then suck to create the syphon from the tank into the canister. It seems easier to me than taking the cap off and filling it that way. Occasionally i'll remove the priming cap and let it bleed out any air if the pumps become noisy.

Yeah, I never use that stupid cap, or the priming pump thing on fluvals. All a waste of time and don't work, suck on the outlet, done. It doesn't get much easier or more effective.

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or tastier

You'd have to be stupid to do it that wrong... It's especially horrible when you get all those little chunks of algae or whatever blown into your mouth that filters always seem to release even after cleaning. And you have to run to the kitchen to spit it out because you forgot to grab a bucket.

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Thanks for all the suggestions, I'd prefer to run just one filter as god knows one is bad enough to clean out let alone two. I have trouble pulling the damn thing apart to clean out the media - is there an easy way to break the seal?

To prime the filter, I just pour water into the inlet hose until it starts to come out of the outlet hose. Place inlet hose in the tank and turn the filter on and it's good to go :thup:

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i only clean mine every 6 to 10 weeks, when they start to really slow their flow. if you disconnect the taps there is no suction and the top has never been hard to remove on the CF canisters.

Yeah, unless you're too weak to even lift the filter then you can pull the top off a CF1200.

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I think the FX5 is a little pricey. What about the CF2700 - they're for tanks up to 800 litres and Hollywood have them on sale for $349. Anyone know how much they charge for shipping?

I think an Eheim filter will be far too expensive as well, for the size filter I'll need.

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I think the FX5 is a little pricey. What about the CF2700 - they're for tanks up to 800 litres and Hollywood have them on sale for $349. Anyone know how much they charge for shipping?

I think an Eheim filter will be far too expensive as well, for the size filter I'll need.

Yeah, CF2700 would be good too. Toss up between if you want to have two for redundancy or one for simplicity.

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You could try keep an eye out for a second hand FX5. As far as canisters go they're pretty easy to clean, I had mine configured with the wool in the top basket so all I'd do is once a week during a water change pull the top off, replace the wool and seal it up again. The coarse sponges around the outside I would clean every 3-5 weeks depending on how dirty they look.

I'd never leave a canister filter 6+ weeks between cleans, by that stage there will be so much muck in there that if the power goes off for a couple of hours the water will rapidly deteriorate, then when the power comes back on it will spew all that toxic water back into your tank. I found this out the hard way, I forgot to turn it on after a water change and flicked it back on 3 hours later only to have the tank rapidly fill with brown stinking water. Back to square one with the water change. Thats just another reason I prefer sumps over canisters....

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