Canister filters.

[Rocksor]

Save your money, and don't put carbon or chemical media in the canister filter.

Just have a coarse sponge and bio-media like fluval bio-max or seachem matrix or eheim equivalent (the name escapes me). You wouldn't need to rinse the sponge for at least 3-4 months or if the water flow on the canister gets cut in half.

the 2213 is good, and I'm assuming the inline heater that you are talking about is a hydor. Place the hydor at the output of the canister.

[fishguy125]

Save your money, and don't put carbon or chemical media in the canister filter.

Just have a coarse sponge and bio-media like fluval bio-max or seachem matrix or eheim equivalent (the name escapes me). You wouldn't need to rinse the sponge for at least 3-4 months or if the water flow on the canister gets cut in half.

the 2213 is good, and I'm assuming the inline heater that you are talking about is a hydor. Place the hydor at the output of the canister.

Ok thank you for clarifying. I do not know which inline heater I was planning on using, but will look at the Hydor.

[Goes to 11!]

I love EHEIMs and have several of the classic series. Although they do test their filters with media [A rarity amongst filter manufacturers] I would suggest you step up to a 2215 for the additional biomedia capacity to help with the overstocking that tends to be required for cichlid tanks. It's worth it.

Your maintenance schedule will depend on your stocking.

I rinse my course filter sponges [I don't use the fine ones] under hot tap water as they do not easily come clean otherwise, A dunk in dechlor water afterwards and they are good to go. This does not affect my BB colony as that is colonized in the Ehfisubstrat and it is only rinsed in old tank water.