XP3 enough for a 55?

[cameracorpus]

I finally ordered a decent filter, a Rena XP3.

Here is a picture of my tank:

Partially planted, 10 small Malawi cichlids, (2) 5" catfish.


I'm currently using a Cascade 700 and a small HOB that really helps with floating particles.

My question is whether or not, after breaking it in, the XP3 should be able to handle the tank by itself.

Right now, other than floating particles, the water is great. Tests great also.

Thanks!

[fshfrk]

A DIY guy like you needs to run a homemade w/d & that XP3. Running 1 filter is asking for trouble IMO.

[FrontosaurusRex]

That XP3 will keep your tank very clean. IMO opinion, the perfect combo for that tank would be the XP3 and an Aquaclear 110.

[cichlid1409]

tanks looking great mike! with those plants in there the one filter should work fine but you can never have too much filtration. are those africans leaving your plants alone?

[cameracorpus]

Yes they are ignoring them. Pretty cool. None of them dig, and I guess they like the fish food enough to not mess with the plants. My shovelnosed cat does more harm trying to scootch under the plants. I had to anchor the anubias because of it.

I like the DIY wet/dry idea. I want to keep this as quiet as possible, being in the LR. If the AC 110 is anywhere as noisy as my other HOBs I'd get negative feedback about it.

[FrontosaurusRex]

I have 2 AC 110's running 5' behind me on my 125g and i barely hear a thing. That was one of the big selling points for me, they were so quiet. Tank does look pretty cool. Good luck with your search

[cameracorpus]

I kind of figured that. Too many people like them. There would be more feedback if they sounded like a Penguin 350!

[newb]

AC 110's are extremely quiet...I have 6 of them running in my living room and cant ever hear them. only time you will hear anything(if ever) is if you get sand in the impeller.

[FrontosaurusRex]

only time you will hear anything(if ever) is if you get sand in the impeller.

and that is very easy to take care of. I'm gonna say the AC 110 is the best HOB on the market.

[newb]

+1 on that

[Glass Onion]

I have 4 AC 110's running in my living area and they are quiet enough for me to hear the EVP's when I watch Ghost HUnters!
They rock.
I also have 2 Rena XP3, and while they are my first canister filters, I find them lacking...in flow (I keep my hoses and filter media clean, so they're not clogged). Maybe I'm expecting something other than what they do, since,, like I said, I'm not really well versed in canisters.. I wish I would;ve gone with W/D. Oh well.
Jenney.

[newb]

does your canister have air in it? if you look at the body of the canister and can see the water line inside of it...this means you got an air pocket in your canister. this will slow your flow.

[mgarrido]

The xp3 clogged to fast if you use the filter pads, I have one xp3 and a 2217 in the same tank and the Rena needs to be cleaned every month or so before the flow literally stop, the eheim never reduce the water flow. It's a planted tank.

[geoff_tropheus]

The Rena XP3 is a really nice canister, I believe out of all the Rena Filstar series of canisters, the XP3 is the most optimized of the designs.

AC 110's are the hobby workhorse, in my opinion.

For a 55 gallon aquarium either one of these would be just fine in my opinion as a lone filter.

Just be sure to clean your media, and always clean your bio media in your discarded aquairum water that is relatively clean.

[FrontosaurusRex]

My XP3 flows like crazy. I usually clean it once every 2 months but my flow has never slowed or stopped.