2nd Filter?

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bob320

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Mar 19, 2003
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I`m looking at purchasing a second filter for my 4 ft tank which currently hosts 2 oscars a severum and a big plec. (I know I`m over-crowding, but am hoping to move them to a larger tank when they have grown).

The problem seems to be the amount of poop my plec produces which is litered around the bottom of the tank.

I currently have an interpet IPF4 duo filter
http://www.theaquariumshop.co.uk/ishop/1029/shopscr125.html.
Will there be any benefit to purchasing another filter or pump or whatever and what would you recommend to acompany this one?
 
I'm pretty clueless about filters - we have 2 on our 29 gallon - 1 that came with the tank start up kit (top fin) and a Tetra Whisper 30.

It's been my experience though, that filters don't pick up poop, they're more for water cleaning. You have to vacuum out the poop.

Maybe someone else will have some info on a poop filtering filter... Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

~Tara
 
Yeah, I've never seen a filter suck poo from the bottom...So I guess a vaccuum and a bucket would be a better bet, and cheaper as well...If money's not an issue, go for both. An extra filter never hurts, and is good to have in case one goes kaput.
 
Agreed on the fact that filters won't round up the pleco sausages, I have an emp 400, an ac 500, an oerfug with two 1140 penguin powerheads on my 115 and my pleco still wins.

I also agree that more filtration is usually better, especially with Oscars. Oscars don't like river like current, but a lot of filtration, will help. I am not at all familiar with the filter you have, and a 4 ft tank could be anything from 38 gallons to 120gallons so lets just say that I would reccomend about 15 times the volume per hour through you filters. current can be controlled via intake sponges, diffusers and return water placement so as not to create too much flow. I'd reccomend an ac 500 if you have room on the back, or an EMPorer, or a canister of some kind.
 
Well thanks for your responses again guys, in the end I bought a small EHIEM (or something like that) filter, the man in the lfs said the waste build up was due to a "dead spot" in my tank, it was the same price as a pump but does filtration too. Very impressed by it and seems to have done the trick.

Its good to know that mine isn`t the only plec with "sausage" syndrome. Did anyone else buy one to get their tank clean!! false economy. Still live and learn.

Thanks again.
 
For my Gold Nugget Pleco, I use a turkey baster to clean out fish waste in between regular water changes/gravel vacs. I just can't stand to see little strings on the bottom of my aquarium for a whole week or two, so I make sure to use that baster tool to get it out. It works well. :D
 
Thanks for the tip. Remind me not to accept the turkey dinner invitation!!
Click to expand...
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

With my 115, I do the same thing, I just added a long lift tube to the outside of my baster, and run around the tank stirring things up. I'm lazy so I just stir up the stuff and let the filter get it while it's free floating. Then do my weely vaccuum and change my sponges. As the tank is maturing, it seems the sauges are becoming less and less prominant. the pleco still eat very well so I really can't explain it.
 
Originally posted by bob320
Thanks for the tip. Remind me not to accept the turkey dinner invitation!!
Click to expand...

haha. That would be something... too bad April Fool's day doesn't fall near Thanksgiving. I could inform the family after they had their great meal that I had used the baster in my aquarium for fish waste collection. :p

No. I wouldn't do that. ;) [wink wink]
 
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