tank quality and canister questions

[stardotstar]

OK I have been reading very widely online before I make my next major tank purchase and it is necessary that I get it right because we are building a house and the tank I buy now for my fish is the one we intend to keep them in for many years. I am about to invest in a 60"x18"x24".

The rationale behind this is that it gives me a good volume of water whilst keeping the length and bredth of the tank to the constraints of the house we are building. Thus I am going 2' hight. I have considered 5x2x2 but it intrudes too far into the room and I would actually rather have a tank that is just adequete for my stock rather than just a very large tank

Don't get me wrong, I would love to be able to accomodate a 6 or 8' tank but our brand new house simply won't integrate well with that size and then when I take into consideration what I want to get out of the tank/hobby I think that 112Gallon is ideal - allows me some large fish and tank mates whilst providing a relatively conservative bioload margin (with appropriate weekly water changes) and a footprint that fits our life as well (as the wlldlife! :lol: )

So...

I have two questions at the moment:

1) I wouldn't buy "brand" and pay a premium for anything - let alone something that is not "rocket science" - so why would I not pay $220AUD for a 10mm 60x18x24 with sufficient bracing and a 12month warranty against leaks instead of a $449 "quality" tank...

I know this is almost impossible to answer but seriously - there is dodgy bros and there is "why would you pay a premium for a brand etc". The "brand" seems to be overklill engineering in order to ensure no bad customer feedback for which you pay if you get my meaning...

What is the likelyhood of a tank failure on 5x1.5x2 with 10mm glass and a 12 mo warranty?

2) I can get the Aqua One Aquis 2200 or the JBL 500 for the same price: which is better - the Aqua One has a 12month warranty I think (maybe 2yr) and the JBL has 4 years and is reputedly a great quality filter. The Aqua One is larger capacity and if it lasts 5 years maybe it is the go... I suspect with mature stock I will go with an intank sponge filter as well as the main canister or a HOB anyway so what do you think?

Any and all opinions and advice most appreciated!

TIA
Will

[FishLover]

Forget about the HOB filter. You will need so much room at the back of the tank for the HOB filter. Use that room to add 2" to your tank instead. That's why cannister filters are so much better. Not only it saves the space for water, it also has bigger bio median capacity to handle bigger bio load in the tank. Also, you may lose water at higher rate due to the high temp of discus tank and open area of the HOB.

You want to get the biggest tank you can afford/fit so you don't have to think about upgrade after a year or so. Believe me, you will if you don't go for the max. I started with a 55 g tank and after a year or so, I kept kicking myself not getting the 125 g tank. Finally, I managed to crack my 55 g tank (long story) and conviced my wife that having the risk of 55g water on the living room floor is not a good idea. So she agreed and I went out to get the 125 g tank. All the money I spent on the 55g tank was wasted since the lighting and stand are of no use anymore. I would have been better off to start with the 125.

Anyway, 112 gallon is fine as is. I would just not waste any space with the HOB filter.

[stardotstar]

You make an excellent point - unfortunately I am still constrained to 18" deep due to the room itself - I had not thought too hard about the ramifications of the HOB and how it would cause the whole thing to sit out from the wall (that would have been a problem in itself!)

It definitely looks like the Aqua One 2200 is the gruntier filter and probably will serve me well for several years.

Still can't get any recommendations on the JBL brand. It's European I believe with a 4 yr warranty.

[FishLover]

If you are that tight in space, you should mesure it carefully. You still need at least 2" space at the back so the hose of the filter can go through

[Stingray]

"Still can't get any recommendations on the JBL brand. It's European I believe with a 4 yr warranty."

The fact that JBL is a reputable German company should answer your question. JBL does not make rubbish and 4 years warranty justifies their faith in this product.

The Aquis are known to leak, and they consume alot of power. You will save quite a few $ each just in power bills with the JBL.

[stardotstar]

It turns out that the JBL is made in the same factory as the AquaOne's and is the same fundamental componentry as the AquaOne 1200 - that said the extra warranty is highly desirable but in the end I feel like I am going to have to go for more power anyway - I have selected the Aquis 2400 which is suitable up to 800L and has 4 levels of media and a larger filter volume than either of the others. At a flow rate of 2340l/hr (which is still good if you knock off 20% for exageration) it is much more suitable for my needs than the 1200 of the JBL.

The point on power consumption is valid - the 2400 is even more thirsty. I hope I don't have leakage problems.

BTW WRT the space - yes I will have the 2-4" to work with as long as I have a tank of 18" deep - at 20" it will get very tight and 24 is really out of the question. hence going to 24 high to get the necessary volume.

This is going to be a cichlid tank - not sure when I am going to take the plunge and dabble in Discus.

[Nathan]

go an eheim cannister filter, trust me u wont be dissapointed

[sharkbaitnemo]

I would also suggest the Fluval FX5 for value for money.

I found you get what you pay for in tanks. You will find a quality tank will have much cleaner silicone work and less of the ugly over filling. Better tanks have polished glass edges all round so no sharp pieces to cut yourself on. The lids on a quality tank will be thicker and a little heavier; this is important if you have larger fish that like to jump. Check the silicone edges where the sides joint and the sides and base join, check for air bubbles as this will be a point of weakness in the joins. Silicone around the bracing should fill right to the edges as moisture can bulid and grow unsightly algae in the gaps.

[stardotstar]

Thank you that is most helpful!

[taksan]

For filters ..... chose the "name" brand
There is only one brand for cannister filters ...... Eheim

[*Chris*]

fluval FX5 may be value for money but how many times do you have to take it back between now and its tenth birthday thats if it gets that far......
eheim pro3s all the way

[Stingray]

"fluval FX5 may be value for money but how many times do you have to take it back between now and its tenth birthday thats if it gets that far......
eheim pro3s all the way"

Very good point. Eheim Pro 3's are actually pretty good value for money right now. Around $600. And the 2250 and 2260 have come down in price, around $400 and $495 respectively. For these prices, I have no doubt whatsoever that Eheim are substantially better value than Fluval, Aqua one etc in the long run.

[FishLover]

$600 for a filter. Ouch, you Aussis are replly paying high price for it. I guess that's $600 ASU. Maybe not that much if you convert it into US dollars. I think you can get it here a bit over $300 USD if it is on sale. You can get a fluval FX5 for about $200 USD.

I wonder if they charge you import tax if you buy on line from US sites?

[Stingray]

Yes, we poor Aussies do have a price to pay for our the peace and serenity that our relatively low population country allows ! If you can get it for US$320, then that works out to be about AU$420. Eheim filters were even more unnaffordable a couple of years ago with the previous distributor. Anyway, whichever way you look at it, they are the best filter on the market and you will always be better off and will save money (power bills, together with longevity) with an Eheim. Alot of people will find this hard to digest, but it is true.