So, I dont want to rehome this new oscar now that hes almost healed.. hes so calm and gets along with my little oscar now (might have usurped him as king of his territory though). So Ive been looking into better filtration as theyre both in a 60 gallon tank right now. I cant afford the Fluval series (not the FX5 anyway) and the 405 only does up to 100 gallons and seems like a waste.

I found this:

www.amazon.com/External-Stage-Canister-F...uarium/dp/B0035MSROG

Its completely within my budget and can work with a 150 gallon tank, which means its perfect for two messy oscars. or is it?

I do plan on getting a bigger tank here, but its going to take a minute as I have other pressing priorities. Moreover, I want to make sure that when I get the bigger tank off craigslist that it comes with a stand, hood, et al. building my own stand was fun the first time, but I want one that has cabinets and looks a bit better, especially since it will be the 'pride and joy' of the house. And that might take a bit of saving and definitely some manipulation of my 'other half.'

I said all that to say that I dont want to be lumped into the category of 'fishtank over-stocker'
and want to keep the water as pristine as possible coupled with daily maintenance until a new environment is obtainable.

I have no idea about this particular brand, but I say for $60.... Give her a shot!

i use a "Eheim-copy"-filter and it was very cheap in comparison to the original Eheim.
But it's been running for 3 years without any problems.
I aggree with Nicki, go for it.

some great advice that was given to me when I started out with Oscars is buy a canister for your next tank - meaning buy one that is too big for your current setup. If you end up upgrading, the filter will be ready to go!

MeghanR wrote:


That, and the advice to get a tank as big as I could fit in the room , saved me a lot of time and effort of upgrading in the end.

The ones giving that advise were very right!

Im shooting for either a 90gallon or a 120gallon. Im just not sure whether the floor will be able to handle that much weight. A 90 gallon will still work with this canister filter (which I think is a good idea as well, so long as its quiet). Then I can turn the 60 into some kind of cutesy-poo community tank.

looks like an eheim copy to me. go for it but remember that an own brand copy may not be as good or reliable as the original. give it a try given your circumstances!!! its not like its loads of money to risk

Ive rehomed the bigger oscar today. Fluffy just wasnt the same fish, even though they werent fighting as much. I made sure the LFS placed him in a tank by himself since the water I had him in was treated. they were actually going to put him in the convict tank again. :angry: ffs.

I still plan to get this canister filter though, so I can cut out the two Im currently using and put one of the cycled ones in the 20gallon. Plus now I have 35.00 credit. time to deck out the tank!!

the canister filter seem to be perfect. i can only suggest you remove the carbon
media and replaced it with some polishing fiber to give maximum filtration....

If its anything like the 'eheim copy' filter from China I first bought when I got my Oscars, you will experience problems with rubber gaskets leaking under pressure and sooner than later the pump will give up.

I admit when I was new to this I was drawn in by the fancy green body and hoses of my Jebao canister, giving newcomers a fake sense of Eheim-like quality "if it looks similar it must be good right?", but I suppose it depends on how much you love your fish.

I you decide to buy it, start saving for the Eheim or another reputable brand aswell, that way when it craps out you won't be out of cash and out of filter at the same time.

PAUL wrote:


yeah, I'd always remove that first.

Ive also been checking this one out as well... it just doesnt have the same tank capacity if I upgrade.

cgi.ebay.com/Aquarium-External-Canister-...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0

I would go with the bigger of the 2... Just my 0.02...

I have this one on 3 of my tanks and I LOVE IT!
cgi.ebay.com/4-STAGE-EXTERNAL-CANISTER-A...;hash=item45f3b4328e

Several other members have this one too.... WELL worth the money!