View Full Version : How much filtration should I have?
sparky
09-18-2003, 8:35 PM
My tank:
36 gal
6 harlequin rasboras
4 cories
1 ram
4 ottos
How much filtration should I have on it? I keep reading about other people putting much more powerful filters on their tanks than the manufacturer's ratings--so I'm starting to worry. I currently have an AC200--Hagen says this is good to 50 gal. Is this a bunch of hooey and I should get another filter? Or am I okay? Thanks for your help.
NJ Devils Fan
09-18-2003, 9:02 PM
Well, never go by what the manufactures say things are good for. You pretty much judge by the gph it pumps and your tank size. I would say that an AC 200 on your tank is a little on the light side. I would buy maybe another small filter and use both or not add any more fish and be sure not to over feed.
HTH
Andy16
09-18-2003, 9:41 PM
You have a turnover rate of like 5.6 times per hour. Another fliter with around 150 gph should do the trick. Thats puts you at around 8.5 gph.
sparky
09-19-2003, 4:53 PM
Thanks for the replies! An extra AC150 or AC200? I'm not adding any more fish, and I hope I'm not overfeeding (once a day, fish eat food in about 30 sec.)
famman
09-19-2003, 6:21 PM
A second ac200 seems to have a lot of advantages. Same parts and supplies, interchangable biofilters, familiarity etc.
However, in my opinion I think you should get an eheim 2213 classic. $50 on ebay new. But then again, I'm an eheim fanatic.
good luck
:)
PmAn2k3
09-19-2003, 10:28 PM
what would be wrong with a fluval 304?
NJ Devils Fan
09-20-2003, 8:18 AM
Because that would be crazy, nearly 13x turnover rate, especially since there isn't a lot of fish in there. Honestly, I would get an AC 300 and take out the 200 and save it for another tank. I mean, it's only $20 on Big Al's Online.
aquariumfishguy
09-20-2003, 8:34 AM
I forget the EXACT rates with the various aquaclears but if I was in your situation, I would get an Aquaclear 300 -- or maybe a 500 and take the other filter out of the tank. I know this costs more money but look at it this way...if you ever need a backup filter, you'll have one waiting for you. Its not a total loss and your fish will thank you for the new filter!
...Anyway, its better looking when you have one filter than 2 so I am just trying to go by my expirence with your situation. ;)
NJ Devils Fan
09-20-2003, 8:41 AM
Nah, and ac 500 in a 36 would be kinda ridiculous, nearly 14x turnover. Just one AC 300 would be great for the tank, 8.3x turnover rate. You don't want a too strong current for those fish.
aquariumfishguy
09-20-2003, 8:46 AM
I am sorry...your right----I am on 3 different forums at once, this is what I get for trying to post at the same time. Correct, a 500 is silly but I stand by the 300...it will work great!
sparky
09-20-2003, 9:26 AM
Thanks for all your replies--I think it sounds reasonable to replace the current filter with a 300 (I can put the old 200 on a different tank that needs more). I'm glad you didn't insist I get a 500--those suckers are HUGE!!
sparky
09-20-2003, 9:37 AM
I have thought about going with a cannister, but in Canada they're incredibly expensive (even at Big Al's). Maybe when I'm more firmly entrenched in this fishy hobby I'll think about getting one of those eventually.
ROLLIN
09-20-2003, 11:28 PM
I would get an emperor 280 or a penguin 330. If you got an emperor 280 you could put your aquaclear 200 sponge in it to avoid a mini cycle.
aquariumfishguy
09-21-2003, 7:29 AM
Well for a tank under 55 gallons, I always say a cannister filter is not needed. I mean, for a 55 gallon I would go with an aquaclear 500...after that, I would say to get a cannister filter but in all honesty, its usually not needed in smaller tanks. ;)
sparky
09-21-2003, 10:50 PM
Well, I don't think I'll be getting anything bigger than my current tank for a long, long time. :rolleyes:
On the other hand, I didn't ever think I'd have THREE active tanks going at the same time--Multiple Tank Syndrome strikes again!
Make sure to use that old filter media in the new filter so that you don't have to loose all that good bacteria. Starting the cycle anew would be a bad thing.
JSchmidt
09-22-2003, 7:01 AM
Originally posted by aquariumfishguy
Well for a tank under 55 gallons, I always say a cannister filter is not needed. I mean, for a 55 gallon I would go with an aquaclear 500...after that, I would say to get a cannister filter but in all honesty, its usually not needed in smaller tanks. ;)
What relationship is there between tank size and the usefulness of canister filters? I have a number of 30s with canisters and they work fine. I don't understand why a smaller tank would be less of a candidate for a canister than a larger tank... as long as the filter was appropriately sized...
Jim
Slappy*McFish
09-22-2003, 5:33 PM
I agree^...probably just a cost relation issue. But Eheim makes a good small canister filter...the Eheim Ecco. Then there is the Fluval 104, and the Rena filstar xp1.
Harry Tolen
09-22-2003, 10:49 PM
Just to contribute my $.02 worth: I'd add an extra AC200 or 300. They're not expensive (especially if you buy them online), and if one fails you automatically have one already operating to take up the slack. Load them with double sponges for maximum biological filtration.
Good luck.
carpguy
09-23-2003, 12:36 AM
I'd skip the filter entirely and just get a big enough pump to turn that thing over 20 or 30 times an hour… the flow rate is the thing you want to look for.
:D
;)
:rolleyes:
:(
You're fairly lightly stocked and well within the range of your filter. Redundancy never hurts, but it'd be a back up more than a supplement.
I just did that recent blackout thing… no filter for 28 hours and more heavily stocked than you. I'm sure my plants help more than a little, but you'd be buying peace of mind more than anything else.