1 canister enough?

[AcTwisted]

for a 150 gallon tank (72"x18") would a 2250 Canister (Eheim) filter be enough filtration? The 2250 has a flow rate of 264 gph, and is recommended for tanks up to 265 gallons.

should I maybe add a Aquaclear 500 hanging on the back too??


the tank will hold assorted Malawi/Tanganikan cichlids. approx 30 or so.

 

[NJ Devils Fan]

Yea, I would get either an AC 500 or an Emperor 400 also.

 

[Harry Tolen]

The AC 2250 is a relatively old design, and I think you would have some better alternatives available to you which would be both easier to maintain and better filtration alternatives. I have several 2260's myself, and have to say they are no longer my favorite canisters, although they are BIG, BIG, BIG.

Although some of this would depend on the kinds of fish you are planning on keeping in your tank, a Fluval 404 (or the equivalent Eheim product), plus one or two Aquaclear 500's, would give you excellent biological and mechanical filtration. You would load the canister with only bio materials (i.e. noodles and bioballs) and put a prefilter on the intake to reduce the amount of gunk that gets into the canister (because it is harder to clean a canister than an Aquaclear). Then use the Aquaclears primarily for water circulation and mechanical filtration. Load the Aquaclears only with sponges, and rinse them out thoroughly and frequently. This will remove solid waste from your tank quite effectively.

Good luck with your new tank.

 

[Tightdog1]

agree with HARRY TOLEN.

 

[AcTwisted]

thanks for the tips Harry!

I think I will go with the Fluval 404 filter & 1 (maybe 2) Aquaclear 500s on my 150gal.

are the setup instructions pretty straight forward for the fluval? NEVER used a canister type filter before.

I've only ever used "hang on the back" filters like Aquaclears & Penguin Bio Wheels.

 

[AikidoGuy]

on my 150 i have 1 Ehiem 2260 and 2 Emperor 400s. Crystal clear water! so with your 2250 add 1 or two ac 500s or emp 400s and you should be fine. Also, I have to agree with Harry as well.

 

[wishmaster]

On my 125 I have 2 canisters, eheim pro 2028, and a fluval 404, I use a power head for additional water circulation and my water is crystal clear.

 

[Tightdog1]

if you know how to read the setup for the fluval is easy, at least mine was, i had a 304 but it is the same design as the 404.

 

[Tyler718]

On my 150 I have a Fluval 404 and a Filstar XP3. I have the Fluval setup for bio filtration and the Filstar for mechanical. My water is crystal clear.

IMHO I prefer the canisters over thr HOB because then I'm able to put the tank a lot closer to the wall.

 

[wishmaster]

Hey Tyler718 how do you like those filstars, I've been thinking about getting an XP3 but don't know much about them. How would they compare to say a fluval 404?