I am the Master Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 I have a 90 gallon with 2X AC110 filters,wondering if a XP3 would be better than using 2?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfishal Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Personally I much prefer HOB filters from canister. I have tried using canister filtration before and found that they dont give off as much circulation in the water. For your 90 gallon 2-110 AC is plenty good enough. I have 19 tanks running and they all have HOB filtration and I have never had a problem. Also the HOB's are very quick to clean just pull the basket out and rinse and put it back in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I am the Master Posted May 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Personally I much prefer HOB filters from canister. I have tried using canister filtration before and found that they dont give off as much circulation in the water. For your 90 gallon 2-110 AC is plenty good enough. I have 19 tanks running and they all have HOB filtration and I have never had a problem. Also the HOB's are very quick to clean just pull the basket out and rinse and put it back in! Thank you.I will go with the 2 HOB's!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegrandpoohbah Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Your 2 AC110s are sufficient but given the choice, I would go with an XP3. bigfishal is right in that they do not have as much flow as your ACs. However, they don't need it due to the much larger capacity for filter media which provides much better biological filtration. Also, they do not need to be cleaned anywhere near as often as a HOB filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corrosionjerry Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 I started using canisters about a year ago... xp3's / I have found that they do a great job... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogFan23 Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Ditto on the canisters. The Rena XP series are as easy to clean as as the AC hobs and you definitely do not need to clean them as often. Also, I've never had the intake pipe plug up as often as it does on the ACs. Canisters also work better with sand substrate than hobs. The one negative is that the XPs must be two feet below the waterline to work properly (although I haven't tried bending Rena's recommendation to confirm). This is not true of other canister brands, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocker85675 Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 get yourself an overflow box, a pump and a 15 gal tank and build yourself a trickle filter. superior in every way. i gave up on canisters years ago, built my own sump and now all my tanks but one have trickles on them. each to thier own i guess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 (edited) If you already have two AC 110's, there's really no point in going out & buying another filter. If the proper bio media is used, those two filters will provide enough bio filtration to support a small pony, far more fish than what you could ever place in a 90 gallon. The 350 gallon display tank behind the counter at Gold's is filtered by three AC 110's, and that tank is typically always stocked on the heavy side. The plus side, and one that hasn't been mentioned in this thread, is that two filters are always better than one. Every make & model of filter out there has failed at some point, and no matter how much bio or mechanical filtration one has in their tank, if the 02 levels drop off the chart you risk losing everything. The heavier the tank is stocked, the quicker the fish will suffocate. Redundancy is always a good idea when it comes to filtration, especially if the tank is stocked on the heavy side. If you use sand as your substrate, a simple pre-filter will resolve any issues with jammed impellers. I've been using AC filters for as long as I can remember (and I'm an old fart), and I have yet to have an intake tube plug up? I run 3 AC 110's on a med-heavy stocked 125 gallon full of African cichlids, and I clean the filters every 3-4 months. My pre-filters catch a good deal of any solid waste, and are sucked clean via the small tube on my Python every week during water changes. As long as the flow rate is good on the AC's, I don't bother cleaning the filter media itself. Filtration definitely boils down to personal preference, but the two AC 110's that are already on that tank will provide more than enough filtration for anything that you stock your tank with. HTH Edited May 20, 2008 by RD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegrandpoohbah Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 I've been using AC filters for as long as I can remember (and I'm an old fart), and I have yet to have an intake tube plug up? Hehe... you've never tried using an AC on a heavily planted tank have you? I think that's what FrogFan was referring to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Planted yes, heavily planted, no, but then again the OP never stated they had a heavily planted tank. If they had, my response would have been different, as I would have recommended a filter with a slower flow rate than an AC 110. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CORVETTE Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 I must agree the AC 110s are a great easy to clean filter ( not good for a planted tank) But if you want clean water, alot of movement, and easy cleanning they are the best. I'm running 2 FX5's and a Fluval 404 on my 220 and if i could get a couple of A.C.s over the Erobracing, i'd run out right now and buy 2. I've been running 2 on a 90 for about 10 years and its the cleanest tank i have. IF more flow is what your looking for add a goos little power head to the tank to cirulate the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seajays Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 I like the XP3's. Never had a problem with my 3. I did have a Aquaclear back up on my 20 gal in the middle of the night. Made a real mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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