What To Replace Filstar Xp Large

After 10 years, one of my Filstar XP filters does not push water anymore. A black stopper seems to have fallen off. I went to go buy a new one and didn't realize that Rena now own them and reviews of their filters show that they are now junk.

I am looking a replacement filter and also to have a backup since I have two on a 90 gallon tank and one on a 55 gallon tank.

I'd like to stay in the same budget friendly confines, but if a good filter is considerably more money, I will have to suck it up. I just don't want to go from $150 filter to $400 filter.

 

I am a fan of Sunsun 304b canister filter - you can get it around $80 price tag, has tons of space for media and a good flow rate as well. I am sure though it will not last as long as your prev one

 

I second the sunsun 304b, I have 22 of them running and they are quite and reliable.

 

I am looking for other suggestions. This Chinese made filter has poor instructions with grammatical and spelling errors. I'd prefer something else. I never heard of this brand until this post. If I had a choice of a cheap Chinese brand vs. expensive American brand, I'd go with the latter.

 

Not sure there are any American brands anymore.
I use the Fluval 406 . I can get replacement parts for it very easy.
With that said, the internet is rampant about the sunsun, and at 1/2 the price, you can buy 2 at the price of one Fluval.

 

I am looking at the instructions, but they don't make any sense to me. What is that "thing" on the intake tube that looks like a tophat? And is it showing that the water level must always be within 3cm of that tophat?

 

I also don’t belive there’s any made in the USA any more and even Eheim isn’t what it was. For the price sun sun makes a good product I’ve got 2 now. I remember when filstar came out and they also were frowned on and cheaper than the others. But they worked well.

Forget 5he instruction and just look up a utube video. There’s hundreds and they all make it easy.

 

are you talking about the surface skimmer attachment ?

 

Forget 5he instruction and just look up a utube video. There’s hundreds and they all make it easy.

Thank you. That is what I should have done in the first place. Hahaha, that's what I did for the Filstar anyway.

are you talking about the surface skimmer attachment ?

I think so. I never had a skimmer on any filter and I don't see mention of it in the instructions.

 

Yeah for that just put the cap on and leave it on. That filter comes with an internal uv steralizer. Now it’s not the best and you shouldn’t leave it on all the time. But for a few hrs after a water change it’s great. Also if you get ick it’s good to have. I left mine at n for 3 weeks with an ick problem. Ick was gone in 4-5 days and I just left it on to make sur3 it was all dead. Nice option. All in all the filter is easy to work with and has good flow and big baskets for media. I don’t use the white polishing pads they give with it for every basket because they do slow down the flow of water.

 

Well just get a Fluval FX 6, You have lots of instructions and it's well built. one will run a 90 without a problem. I run 7 of them, and they work well.

 

All in all the filter is easy to work with and has good flow and big baskets for media. I don’t use the white polishing pads they give with it for every basket because they do slow down the flow of water.

Thank you for all of this.