I'm planning on setting up a 75 gallon tank for an oscar, and maybe a couple other fish. I know that a wet/dry would be best, but it probably won't work due to my DIY stand, and the fact that I'm nervous about setting up too much water on a 2nd story apartment. I've already invested in a marineland magnum 350 canister filter. I was wondering if I need to set up anything else for aeration and/or biological filtration? Quiet filters would be optimal. Thanks in advance.
Aeration with canister filter?
- Thread starter bluegryffin
- Start date
echoofformless
Peat Advocate & Defender Of Snails
I second the second canister. Always safe to have the redundancy both for advanced mechanical/biological filtration and as a failsafe in case of failure.
wet/dry filters are in my humble opinion, relatively pointless in all cases except where you have a ridiculously large amount of bioload. And in truth, having a bioload so large that you would require such a device is probably a pretty bad idea anyway.
An oscar and a few other fish in a seventy five gallon tank wouldn't require any more biological filtration than would be provided by the canister filters and the surfaces of the inside of the tank.
Aeration is only needed when there is no other means of surface agitation. If your outputs are placed within a few inches of the surface, there will be more than enough. Have fun.
wet/dry filters are in my humble opinion, relatively pointless in all cases except where you have a ridiculously large amount of bioload. And in truth, having a bioload so large that you would require such a device is probably a pretty bad idea anyway.
An oscar and a few other fish in a seventy five gallon tank wouldn't require any more biological filtration than would be provided by the canister filters and the surfaces of the inside of the tank.
Aeration is only needed when there is no other means of surface agitation. If your outputs are placed within a few inches of the surface, there will be more than enough. Have fun.
What about getting the Bio-wheel attachment for the canister? I bought it without that part. 
The surface area inside the canister seems WAY smaller than an aerated bio-wheel attachment, or even an under-gravel filter (which btw I know probably isn't a good idea with an oscar). Is there a possibility that I can put some extra "Flossy" material inside the carbon chamber of the filter to aid bio-filtration? It seems like the bacteria won't get as much air inside the canister... Thanks if anyone else replies!
The surface area inside the canister seems WAY smaller than an aerated bio-wheel attachment, or even an under-gravel filter (which btw I know probably isn't a good idea with an oscar). Is there a possibility that I can put some extra "Flossy" material inside the carbon chamber of the filter to aid bio-filtration? It seems like the bacteria won't get as much air inside the canister... Thanks if anyone else replies!
A use of RUGF with Oscars is what I do, makes the substrate a big bacteria colony and keeps debri in the water column to be removed by the canisters.
If there is sufficeint surface agitation, the air in the water will more than keep canister bacteria alive.
Bio-wheels are highly overated IMO.
If there is sufficeint surface agitation, the air in the water will more than keep canister bacteria alive.
Bio-wheels are highly overated IMO.
I agree, Bio-wheels are very overated. If you have a canister filter, bio-balls, pot scrubbers, ceramic rings or old carbon works very well as Bio-filtration. Also, I have found that whatever the water hits first, the bacteria will establish itself most on.
I will also suggest a second canister, and since you have an Oscar (heavy waste), use a Reverse Under Gravel Filter to help keep the waste down. It will also make an excellent bio-filter.
with canister filters however, You could try placing it just at the water level, should disturb the surface, allowing
I will also suggest a second canister, and since you have an Oscar (heavy waste), use a Reverse Under Gravel Filter to help keep the waste down. It will also make an excellent bio-filter.
with canister filters however, You could try placing it just at the water level, should disturb the surface, allowing
would it be a cheaper alternative to use a pair of powerheads and a DIY undergravel plate? One powerhead to push water down and one to agitate the surface? Then what about the mechanical filtration/debris removal? Ideas?
Thats how RUGF works, however debris removal would be done by your two canister filters (I would suggest two for that size). This could also be accomplished by two HOB filters, but I like canisters better.
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