Equipment Review and Discussion :: Rena XP3 vs FX5

[gabloo]

I am planning to purchase xp3 or fx5 for my turtle tank. My tank is kind of small now but i will be upgrading it to bigger tank in the future. Beside the price, are the pros and cons about each product that i should consider? Which one will you guys recommand? If i can get some pros and cons about each product that would be awesome. Is it worth to pay 70 dollar more for fx5?


thanks

[VeipaCray]

The Xp4 would be a closer comparison to the FX5.

The FX5 is larger and can handle more media... so time between cleanings would be less. The FX5 is rated up to a 400Gallon tank, is self priming (much easier to start) and will work some magic to release trapped air once a day. The downsides of the FX5 are the price, it's physically a huge canister (think 5 gallon bucket) and it doesn't fit under a 55G tank... needs a 75G tank or larger to fit under the tank in the cabinet. Because it takes so much media... it takes some $$$ to fill the canister up. No matter what size tank you have in the future for a turtle.. this filter will be up for the job. The filter is $200 new - buy it now on ebay. 51 watts of power to run this guy

The XP4 is rated up to a 265 gallon tank... using the 3x filter to tank size ratio for recommended turtle filters... 265/3 is good for about a 90 gallon turtle tank. The XP4 is slightly quieter than the FX5. It's also self priming and has the option of the Rena Smart heater which can be attached via an optional kit to the filter's intake. This filter is available on ebay for $160 and comes with media. The Xp4 is a no-bypass style filter. The water MUST pass through the media. 31 watts of power to run this guy.

It's really a toss up. They are both excellent choices. $160 or $200 isn't that far apart in price. The media to fill the FX5 will double the price gap (so they are really about $80 apart in price) Hagen Fluval vs. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals (API), two very well known companies in the industry. The "hidden" heater on the rena is a nice touch. If you can swing the extra $ for the FX5 and the media... the FX5 is a beast and gets my vote. If your turtle ends up being a female... and grows to 12"...and you follow the 10 gallons of water per inch of shell guideline... the FX5 will get the job done. The XP4 would fall short.

[vear]

I love my XP4. but I've never tried the FX5, so I really can't say. The only complaint I would have on the Rena is the plastic clips.. they're flimsy and i'm afraid they're going to break one day. I haven't seen the FX5 so I don't know how the construction is. My XP4 keeps the tank really clean and it's ridiculously quiet, which I love.

[prettykitty]

no way a xp3 can beat fx5.
the fx5 is a beast, i have never had any problems with mine, its quiet as a church mouse

[steve]

My XP3s are quite too. I think someone said that the XP4 is identical to the XP3, that the motor and water flow are similar. The XP4 has an additional media tray but the overall cost is about an extra $50.

[rsour24]

i've never used an fx5 but id have to say fx5 just by the stats and everythign ive heard. plus the xp3 is much smaller. u should compare fx5 and xp4 which was suggested above. id still say fx5 tho

[VeipaCray]

More media in the fx5 than the xp3 or xp4 should mean less frequent cleanings on the fx5.