Filtration for a 125 - how much turnover?

[CrohnieBoy]

I have been reading many past articles on here and seeing lots of different numbers on what a good turnover rate is for filtration (gph.)

With that said, what would be a good filtration solution for me?

125 gallon community tank (possibly - there is a thread under my name where we are all trying to decide what to put in my tank...)

Planted w/o CO2 for now.

Funds are limited, so be gentle. :)

Thanks.

[Andy16]

you should have a turnover rate of 8-11 times per hour. I would put a wet/dry trickle and a big cannister on it, like an eheim pro series or filstar xp3. Co2 will be harder to work with becasue you cant have to much agitation, and i dont know how those wet/dry filters are.

[Matt W]

This isn't going to meet a lot of peoples recommended flow rates, but I think a pair of Fluval 404's will do the trick. $90 bucks a piece at Big Als...

[Andy16]

I would never cheap out on filtration. Thats just my opinion on it but i would spend the most on that.

[cdawson]

Two fluval 404s are not even close to proper filtration. Never go less than 8-11 times the tank capacity for an overturn rate. I spent more money on filtration for my 135g than I did on the tank!
you really need to set aside alot of funds just for filtration. I've got really limited funds and it took me 3 months just to get all the necessary equipment for my 135g.
I've got an aquaclear 500, rena cal xp3, an aquariums systems maxi jet mp900 on my 135g.

[Andy16]

What cdawson said was very helpful. Except the AC will make the co2 gas off if you get it. So you could get three cannister also. I would get different brands just to mix it up a little imo. If it were me i would be the xp3 and the best pro series eheim. Then just a smaller cannister with like 200-250 gph.

It is were me, i would go with the wet dry and hte xp3.

[carpguy]

I'm not sure where the 8 to 11 times volume figure is coming from. I've seen it and other figures from time to time (like 5 times an hour) but it seems to me… it really depends on what you're talking about.

What kind of filter? What kind of tank (planted or FO)? What kind of bioload? What kind of fish?

My Eheim 2213 is rated at 116 gph, turning my 30g over roughly 4 times an hour. Eheim recommends it for a 66g. They seem to think 1.75 times an hour is sufficient. They have a filter that would turn my tank over 8.8 times an hour… they recommend it for 250g tanks.

They recommend the 2217 for tanks up to about 160g. I'd get that.

I'd get the 2328 if I had more money and wanted to go in for the bells and whistles. (I'd add CO2 before the bells and whistles).

I wouldn't put an HOB on a planted tank or on a big tank.

[cdawson]

Unless you're going marine or discus, eheim is kind of pointless because their canister filters are beyond expensive. I never bought a 2217 just because the price of it almost matched price of my tank. I spent 270 bones and I've got more of an overflow rate per hour than the 2217 alone. Remember carpguy chronieboy is on a budget and eheim will not help in that cause.

[CrohnieBoy]

See my other post: :)

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16063


These look like a good solution. Can add on when money permits and I can add any pump I want (thus any flow rate I want).

Comments?


PS: thanks for the backup cdawson ;) (no offense carpguy)

[ROLLIN]

I would put 3 emperor 400s on it.

[carpguy]

I realize Big Al's can be more of bargain for those of us south of the border, but they've got the Eheim 2217 (with media) for $100. $10 more than the XP3.

Three Emperor 400s will be noisier, blow off any CO2 he may want to supplement with later, and cost $14 more.

A pair of Fluval 404s will run $80 more.

An aquaclear 500, rena cal xp3, and an aquariums systems maxi jet mp900 should set him back about $150 (USD).

Andy's suggestions are well north of there.

The Pentair seems like a nice system, but any two modules are going to cost a $100 before you add the pump. A pump that's going to turnover a 125 gallons even 6 times an hour is going to add another $50. The modules themselves will have finite flow capacities. You can't blow an unlimited amount of water through a system. The Pentair "Quiet One" they recommend for their system all run at about 500gph for the module sizes Chronie would be looking at.

The Eheim 2217 is the least expensive of the solutions being offered here. And they're nice filters. Add a powerhead for some additional circulation and its still competitively in the middle.

I don't think there is a magic number for turnover rate and I think 10 times an hour is a lot. I'm sure there are circumstances where its appropriate, but in a lot of cases its going to be overkill.

RTR offered some thoughts on efficiency and flowrates in this recent thread (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16011).

[Andy16]

I spend a lot of money on my filters, so i might go a little overboard. You should definantly get a cannister, and a rena is what i would lean towards. An AC 500 like carpguy said would work nicely too. But if it was me. I would get an additional Ac like the 200, just to get you out of the minimum turnover rate.

[The Gipper]

Crohn Dude my man,
what fish are you going to add??

If they are not big & dirty, hang on back would do fine. Two Aquaclear 500, or emperors of same gph, around $75 TOTAL at Big Al's. This is 1000 gph! This was not posted on the plant forum, so I assume you are not going big into plants., so don't worry about CO2 gas off. On a budget, go this way. IF you got more $$, go a canister plus an AC500, more $$ go two canisters.

DIY wet -dry using a 20 or 229 gal tank, rubbermaid trash can to hold bioballs or other bio media, and $80 pump to pump back into tank, a$50 for overflow would get you into wet-dry cheaply.

You can alwasy keep the fish load down and thus keep the filtration cost down as well.

[NickH]

OK, nobody's paying attention to this guy's needs except for Carpguy.

Filtration is not only about how big the tank is, it's about the bio-load of a given application. This setup is obviously going to be heavily planted, because CO2 injection is involved.

Therefore, mechanical filtration is not as imporatant here as, say, a large cichlid tank. There's no reason to turn over a planted tank 10x an hour. Biological filtration will be the primary concern. As was previously mentioned, a large canister filter(s) will do the job. If more circulation is needed, just add a powerhead or two (mounted significantly below the water line).

[The Gipper]

6 AC500's, that's 3000 gph!!!


(sorry, got carried away in the heat of the moment!)

[CrohnieBoy]

Gipper:

[CrohnieBoy]

Gipper:
that is the subject of another of my posts ;)
( http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=15610 )

I am leaning toward 4-6 bala sharks, 4-6 clown loaches, some angelfish, and maybe some rainbows

NickH:
I am not planning on using Co2 right now, maybe just some hardy plants


Right now due to cost considerations, I am leaning toward 2 HOB power filters


Thanks all for the help :)

[matty150]

I agree with nick and carp, some of you guys are going a bit overboard with the gph. i currently have 2 aquaclear 500's on my 150 gallon tank and they're working just fine. I have a pretty hefty bioload aswell with my oscar and gar but ive never had a problem. Aquaclears are cheap, especially at big al's. the ac 500's only run 30 bucks a peice.

[NJ Devils Fan]

I would go with 7 AC 500s, 6 Emp 400s, and a model T4 Titanium Velocity Water Pump(1225gph). I wouldn't go with ANYTHING less.;) :p ;) :p

Seriously, I would go with 2 rena xp 3s and an wither an AC 300 or 500. That way, if you are planning on getting plants, not too much CO2 will gass off. You would have an 8-9.6x turnover rate.

[CrohnieBoy]

All:

Thank you all for your input. Sorry it took me so long to respond (man time flies.) Currently, I have 2 aquaclear 500's running and things are great. They keep the tank nice and clean. The only think I am thinking of adding now, would be a powerhead to circulate the water a bit better at the bottom. ANyone have a favorite powerhead (I know you all do)? ;-)

Brian