are fluidiszed beds really that good?

[kYle223]

i ame very intrigued by what people have to say abot fluidised bed filters
i have been doing some reading because i think my tank needs some extra biological punch and i stmbled across a type of filtration called a fluidized bed
and frome what ive read i sounds to good to be true:bs:

aperntly a filter smaller than my canister filter
quieter than my canister filter
and $150 cheaper than my canister filter ( = $60)
is powerfull enough to filter up to 300 gallons (200 gallons more than my canister filter)

:worthy:requires zero maintenance untill something breaks:worthy: (my favorate feature)

i am verry close to getting one for my 46 gallon but there is one thing that is bothering me
i went to a big als and sevral other BIG petstors
and none of them have one in store or wearhouse
Wich has me wondering WHY DOESENT EVERYBODY HAVE ONE IF THERE SO GOOD ?
CAN THEY REALLY DO ALL THEY SEY THEY CAN?
IS THERE SOME HIDDEN FLAW THAT IM NOT READING ABOUT?

CAN SOMEONE FILL ME IN ON THIS SUPPOSEDLY PERFECT FILTER AND WHY I CANT FIND ONE?

[sapphire384]

lol. well, a fluidized bed filter is very good. big als sells them, i think under the filter heading where its listed under fluidized bed filters...dr fosters and pet solutions sell them too.

it is a commercial system that has been modified to become part of the aquarium hobby. water treatement plants use tower filters that use foam, rocks, sand, and other material to filter the water. here, it is the same principal except scaled down to the size of a canister filter.

for this one, the only trick is that you need something on the intake of the bed filter to keep debris out.

[CWO4GUNNER]

Here is a simple DIY plan to make one
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_fbf.php

[mott]

i ame very intrigued by what people have to say abot fluidised bed filters
i have been doing some reading because i think my tank needs some extra biological punch and i stmbled across a type of filtration called a fluidized bed
and frome what ive read i sounds to good to be true:bs:

aperntly a filter smaller than my canister filter
quieter than my canister filter
and $150 cheaper than my canister filter ( = $60)
is powerfull enough to filter up to 300 gallons (200 gallons more than my canister filter)

:worthy:requires zero maintenance untill something breaks:worthy: (my favorate feature)

i am verry close to getting one for my 46 gallon but there is one thing that is bothering me
i went to a big als and sevral other BIG petstors
and none of them have one in store or wearhouse
Wich has me wondering WHY DOESENT EVERYBODY HAVE ONE IF THERE SO GOOD ?
CAN THEY REALLY DO ALL THEY SEY THEY CAN?
IS THERE SOME HIDDEN FLAW THAT IM NOT READING ABOUT?

CAN SOMEONE FILL ME IN ON THIS SUPPOSEDLY PERFECT FILTER AND WHY I CANT FIND ONE?

FBF's are great for bio but I believe most people use them on SW setups.

You will need to buy a pump as I think most don't come with one and I would think some kind of pre filter to keep the debris out of the FBF.

[accord728]

I just recently setup a Rainbow 300 FBF in my new FW 120g tank. I wanted something better for the bio load and decided to try this filter out. You will need to prefilter it with a sponge or a canister filter. I have a Rio 1700 powerhead with a sponge prefilter running the FBF. A lot of people run them inline with the canister filters. I decided against that because of how quickly bacteria die without the water flow when servicing the canister.

In my research, I have read conflicting stories about the nitrate that these filters can add/remove from the tank. They are also great for the planted tanks because they do not remove CO2. They can also disastrous results if it clogs or power outages. Toxins can build up quickly which will kill the fish.

They sound very promising if setup right with very little maintenance needed.:thumbsup:

[IslandHopper]

As near as I can tell, the fluidized bed filter is ONLY a biological filter... you still need to add some other form of mechanical filtration (a HOB or can).

It seems it would make a great biological SUPPLEMENTAL filter for a large or particularly delicate set-up.

I'd guess most PetCo type stores don't carry them because MOST folks buying there have <75 gal set-ups and a canister or HOB filter system seems to be more than adequate for such set-ups.

(Opinions based on my own research to replace my aging/noisy/squeaky TopFin 400's... I'm going with a Canister this time.)

[kYle223]

like i said a want it for a 46 gallon
you can never overdo biological
and if i had this i culd dedicate my canister to mechanical and chemical
wich wuld be great

[accord728]

Yes, you will definitely want to keep your canister filter. Maybe run the FBF inline with that. You should not need a powerhead if you this route.

[kYle223]

anyone have a good cheap place to get one?
big als online doesent have them in stock LoL

[accord728]

Check out http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/10600/product.web. Its a little bit more but its a good company to deal with. I usually go back and forth with Big Als and That Pet Place. Good sites!

[accord728]

Forgot to mention that it takes about 5-8 weeks for the bacteria to grow and mature. Its a very slow process. However, this maybe quicker in your system since you already have an established tank with a filter.

[kYle223]

yup its already established

[kYle223]

does that pet place even ship to canada?
im in ontario.

[RodInCALIFORNIA]

I have 3 Merlin fbf and 3 coralife sea storm fbf. The merlin is the best since the top comes off and its easy to service/clean or replace the sand media. The coralife sea storm is a sealed unit that does not come apart and is not serviceable and I picked them up cheap on ebay is why i bought that brand. But in the future I will only buy the Merlin brand. and the sea storm is very tricky putting the hoses on for intake and return since they are molded into the top lid they will crack at the base if your not really careful when sliding on or taking the hoses off a real pizzer since its a sealed unit and not replaceable. unless you can pick sea storm up really cheap i would not advise getting one.

[67chevelle]

As near as I can tell, the fluidized bed filter is ONLY a biological filter... you still need to add some other form of mechanical filtration (a HOB or can).

It seems it would make a great biological SUPPLEMENTAL filter for a large or particularly delicate set-up.

You can add different media to them for different things.Carbon,phosphate removers,sand.

like i said a want it for a 46 gallon
you can never overdo biological
and if i had this i culd dedicate my canister to mechanical and chemical
wich wuld be great
You can't have too much bio,but then your bio filter will only support how much waste is in your tank too.So if your water parameters are fine,I would not waste your money on one.

[CWO4GUNNER]

I have 3 Merlin fbf and 3 coralife sea storm fbf. The merlin is the best since the top comes off and its easy to service/clean or replace the sand media. The coralife sea storm is a sealed unit that does not come apart and is not serviceable and I picked them up cheap on ebay is why i bought that brand. But in the future I will only buy the Merlin brand. and the sea storm is very tricky putting the hoses on for intake and return since they are molded into the top lid they will crack at the base if your not really careful when sliding on or taking the hoses off a real pizzer since its a sealed unit and not replaceable. unless you can pick sea storm up really cheap i would not advise getting one.
Of course the important question is, based on your experience with them did you notice any measurable and appreciable difference that makes it worth using them, considering it takes yet another powerhead or pump to run one?

I mean this type of filter supposedly just adds more nutrifying bacteria to handle a large amounts of waste at treatment plants that look like chocolate milk have to be dealt with, or perhaps for a super over crowded bait tank, or live fish market tank where fish huge fish barley have room to swim. But for the average home aquarium where the water is kept relatively clean by mechanical means which includes the natural cycling processes in the aquarium, how can this type filter be of any value in a freshwater aquarium?

I mean sure you cant have too much Bio to the point of harm but unlike more mechanical filtration which can always be improved upon since it is not a naturally occurring process, Bio is a living organism that is limited by its food supply and if there is not enough demand or food for it to live (waste) it cant possible multiply or over populate. So I just don't see how it can possibly help unless your maintaining an over crowded tank like in a saltwater tank where almost everything is alive including the rocks are producing waste.

Perhaps this is the answer to the 1" fish per gallon rule where with this device you can potentially keep 5" fish per gallon. Of course this device does nothing for Nitrate de-nutrifying bacteria, so your right back to 1 inch fish per gallon and weekly/bi-monthly water changes. I just think the whole perceived need for additional Bio filtration for the average freshwater aquarium is morbidly over emphasized by the retail establishment and in reality just isn't possible in most cases. Its like trying to raise 75 chickens with only enough food an water for 25, it just cant happen IMO.

[kYle223]

my 46 is borderline overstocked (or atleast it will be when my fish grow)
so i wanted to improve my mechanical by dedicating my canister

so again where can i get one big als online is sold out
and i dont even know if that pet place ships to canada

[CWO4GUNNER]

my 46 is borderline overstocked (or atleast it will be when my fish grow)
so i wanted to improve my mechanical by dedicating my canister

so again where can i get one big als online is sold out
and i dont even know if that pet place ships to canada
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=fluidized+bed+filter&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=4576685935&ref=pd_sl_69u0j488vh_b

[dundadundun]

if you stock high enough and use the fbf i'd think you might be able to say goodbye to dosing phosphates and nitrates. at least you'll be able to lower your dosing. just make sure your mechanical filtration is plumbed in before your fbf and kept pretty clean to catch the debris. i'd hate to have to clean crap out of one of them.

[RodInCALIFORNIA]

yes i'd say they are helpful and only require a small power head and can be hid in a sump or hung on tank which ever you prefer, what can it hurt to use one? and i never paid more then 20.00 for one shipped on ebay in fact i picked up the less desirable model sea storm for under 10.00 shipped. The merlin can be used with carbon or other media instead of the sand so it has other uses the sea storm doesnt offer that choice since its a sealed unit you cant open it unless you want to break it then it would be useless.