Filters

[Fishy3]

I am getting an 80 Gallon fish tank soon and I wanted to know what filter you all recommend I get. In my 40 Gallon right now I have an Emperor 280.

And what would be the difference of getting one filter that does the job as opposed to getting 2? besides the obvious of filtrationing faster?

[Tiburon]

You could sell the Emporer to help pay for a Fluval 404 which would easily filter an 80.

[Glenstorm]

what kinda fish you hoping to stock this tank with?

Regarding Gallons per Hour: The rule of thumb I was recently quoted here, was that you want to cycle the water 5-10 times an hour. So that would be 400-800GpH. Everybody has their own experience with different brands so you could search the forums fto find out what people have already said about them.

I just set up a 75G and have an Aquaclear500 and a Whisper3 running on that. No complaints yet but it hass only been a week.

Dan

[Skittyfish]

I have a 72 gallon with an Eheim 2026 canister and an Aquaclear 402 powerhead w/quickfilter. Seems to work wonderfully, and I was able to put my tank all of the way against the wall for added stability.

[NJ Devils Fan]

You could go with:

2 Emperor 400s

2 Aqua Clear 500s

2 Fluval 404

2 Rena Filstar XP3s

80gJoe's method- 1 fluval 404 and 1 rena filstar XP3.

You can also do some mixing and matching.

[candygrrl]

I have a 75 gallon tank and one aquaclear 500. Do I need another one?? :eek: I also have a maxijet 1200 that I was going to put in there for more water movement.

[NJ Devils Fan]

I would recommend getting an Emp 400 for more filtration. Even if you are not overstocked, it will be good to have. If you do want to get one, order from big al's. They are only $36.99 as opposed to the $79.99 at an LFS

[beviking]

Opinions vary and "overfiltration" is the norm here.
Two filters allows you to use each for a more specific type of filtering (ie. mechanical or biological). With two intakes you'll most likely find less waste in the gravel (maybe not desireable if you have a planted tank). If one stops working, you have a backup. More than one filter allows for more area for beneficial bacteria to grow on and may allow you to keep more fish. Although if one is strictly mechanical and you're rinsing it every week in tap water, its a moot point.
Fishy3, if you like the emp. 280 and it's working on your 40, you could just get another and use both on your 80. Unless you're keeping the 40 of course!
candygrrl, you don't NEED another filter. You could get another for the above reasons if you wanted.

[sillymikey]

sorry to butt in heh, but I was thinking of getting a Penguin Bio-wheel for my 35 gallon, but I havent heard much about them here. Should I go for a different brand?

[Fishy3]

Beviking: Thank you. If I wind up keeping the 40 Gallon what filter do you recommend I get for my 80 Gallon then. Someone mentioned that I should get Eheim Filter 2217. Would one of those work or would I be better off getting 2 of those?

[JSchmidt]

Fishy3, the bottom line is than any of those filters would work. HOB filters (Emps, Aquaclears) tend to be less expensive to buy but generally are noisier, more visible and perhaps less long-lasting than canisters

Canisters cost more to buy, but are quieter (totally silent, in the case of Eheims), less visible and some brands will last decades.

Which you buy is controlled chiefly by your budget, your sense of esthetics, and your maintenance habits.

How much filtration you need is determined by the type of fish and how many you will keep. Also, some filters are tend to be more efficient; I think a HOB that is rated at 300 gph would most likely be less efficient than a canister that was similarly rated.

There are many happy Aquaclear and Emperor owner. Almost everyone who gets an Eheim loves it, many (most) who buy Fluvals like them, and there are others, too.

If you could give us some specifics on the tank's intended inhabitants, we could probably give you some specific advice.

HTH,
Jim

[Fishy3]

Well Jim I intend on putting Badis, Rainbowfish, and my current Gouoramis in the tank. Along with 2 bristlenose or maybe Rubber Pleco's I have not decided yet. I do not want my pleco's to get more than 6" so I have chose either one of those.

My budget is pretty much flexible since I will also be getting my income tax check back and would have a decent amount to spend on fish things (plants, decorations, etc)

So pretty much anything is open. :)

TIA,
Amy

[JSchmidt]

In that case, Amy, my preference is always toward two filters (redundancy = safety). I prefer to set up one filter to chiefly provide mechanical filtration and the other as primarily a biofilter.

For mech filtration, my favorite is the HOT Magnum with a sponge prefilter. These are reliable, quiet filters that really move a good deal of water. I also like the Eheim internal canisters (they are SUPER easy to clean), but if this is a display tank, you may not want the sight of an internal filter in the tank.

For biofiltration, I like the simplicity and low maintenance cycle of a prefiltered canister packed with only ceramic noodles (I use Ehfimech). I'm a big fan of Eheim canisters. Although they are pricey, they are totally silent (not just quiet, but completely silent; the only way you can tell they are running is to put your hand on them). They are also well made and many aquarists have Eheims that are decades old and still running well. RTR has written a great article on the use of canisters as biofilters; it's well worth the read: http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cannister.html.

There are lots of different ways to get acceptable filtration. My preference is to get stuff that is quiet, long-lasting and allows frequent and quick maintenance (e.g., cleaning prefilters regularly helps avoid time-consuming canister cleaning). There is no single correct way to filter your tank.

Good luck,
Jim