Deciding on filter (living room tank)
- Thread starter mygoldendoe
- Start date
Yes I have the multi test kit. (Ph, alkalianity, hardness, nitrate and nitrite) and all stay in the normal range.
Y'all makes it sound like I never do readings. I do. twice a month actually, I vacuum and clean my carbon filters once a month too.
Just because the tank I'm setting up now isnt planted does not mean my past tank were not planted. I mean heck a 50gal with 5 danios, 5neons and 4cories don't put off that much waste. When I did readings they were fine. Considering my oldest fish is 9yrs old and youngest is 4yrs with normal readings I think my way of maintaining a tank is fine.
Guys i am setting up a new 30gal and when it's had it's week for free cycle I will test it and take proper measures like I always have done.
I came here for advice on filters since they have changed in the last 10yrs since I bought one and my town only has that brand of filter that large so I wanted reviews on more options when I drive 2hrs away to the nearest fish store..
Well, you cannot expect to post something that is well outside the norm and not expect some questions. Based on my experience with those that have responded, those questions are coming from a place of wanting to help you out, so please let that temper your annoyance.
I have a low tech planted setup that consistently has 0 nitrates, but I change the water because of tannin buildup. As far as easy filters, the last time that I used a power filter (15+ years ago), I used aquaclear filters with all sponge. I would only clean out the first sponge since it had the debris in it. If you are looking at low maintenance, I would say sponge filters or Hamburg Mattenfilter s are fairly low maintenance. I personally like sumps on my tanks, and in an all fish display, I would probably grow Najas grass in the sump to keep nitrates low.
I'm not the least bit annoyed, just very straight forward and honest with my thoughts. Figured a reminder what the subject of this post was about.
This is the first tank I will have a piece of wood in so I expect this one will need changes. I'm aware of that. I just don't know what my past tanks have to do with my current tank as they are completely different set up.
But I'll look into sump type and see what they are all about
Nitrates aren't the only reason regular water changes are recommended...they're just one of the easiest and cheapest to test for. Without water changes, your fish tank is a completely closed system...nothing that enters it leaves it. This means, without water changes, the concentration of minerals, bi-products from natural reactions (like the nitrogen cycle), and such will continue to grow if you don't take them out. That also means the trace substances in your water that ARE being used get used up and even with evaporation top-offs, you don't always replace them as fast as they're being used.
There's several things that are recommended to reduce the needed frequency of water changes...from picking a manageable stocking level, water volume (using sumps and external filters to increase it, for example), adding plants and such to increase the depth of the biological processes in the closed system and to attempt to fill in missing parts of the "circle of life" found in larger systems found in nature, etc.
In the end, it's all a stop-gap to reduce the need for opening the closed system with water changes, not eliminate the need...and for years (probably close to a decade or more now that I think of it) the "best practices" have suggested weekly to bi-weekly water change schedules (many choosing to do even more regardless) for optimal healthiness, and when many of us read that it isn't happening, we wonder what's going on in the tank that could impact it negatively, both short and long term.
There's several things that are recommended to reduce the needed frequency of water changes...from picking a manageable stocking level, water volume (using sumps and external filters to increase it, for example), adding plants and such to increase the depth of the biological processes in the closed system and to attempt to fill in missing parts of the "circle of life" found in larger systems found in nature, etc.
In the end, it's all a stop-gap to reduce the need for opening the closed system with water changes, not eliminate the need...and for years (probably close to a decade or more now that I think of it) the "best practices" have suggested weekly to bi-weekly water change schedules (many choosing to do even more regardless) for optimal healthiness, and when many of us read that it isn't happening, we wonder what's going on in the tank that could impact it negatively, both short and long term.
It's not like I have never ever in my 20yrs keeping fish have done a water change.
It's just my last tank had normal readings so I didn't want to unbalance anything so left it alone.
I vacummed regularly and I don't think you guys realize how much water comes out when I vacuume it. It's not like it's not happening, it's that I don't purposefully need to do them bc it happens when I vaccume bc a LOT of water comes out when I vaccume. My 50gal tank filled 10gal buckets when I was done vaccuming the whole thing.
I know this completely different set up will require purposefull changes bc it's gonna have totally different set up than my last tank and I'm sure it's readings will be completely different as it's a smaller size and will have same amount of fish as my last tank (last tank was very understocked), tannis from wood and who knows what else.
I was here about filters, thank you for the handful of suggestions. I'll talk more to the fish man about the things I read about them when I drive out there and hopefully it'll help me make a decision
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I think I see where the misunderstanding is.
Most people here and other social aquarium discussions seem to consider the water change as their primary maintenance task, and the thing that all other maintenance tends to revolve around...everything else, the gravel vacuuming, the normal filter maintenance (rinsing out the mechanical media/sponge), etc is all a secondary effect of the water change...might as well use that water you're taking out for something while you're putting in work removing it, after all.
From what you just posted, you consider the gravel vacuuming the primary thing you're accomplishing, and the water change is the secondary benefit of doing it. Just a different perspective.
Most people here and other social aquarium discussions seem to consider the water change as their primary maintenance task, and the thing that all other maintenance tends to revolve around...everything else, the gravel vacuuming, the normal filter maintenance (rinsing out the mechanical media/sponge), etc is all a secondary effect of the water change...might as well use that water you're taking out for something while you're putting in work removing it, after all.
From what you just posted, you consider the gravel vacuuming the primary thing you're accomplishing, and the water change is the secondary benefit of doing it. Just a different perspective.
The fish store I drive to only has undergravel filters for tanks 20gal and under. The carbon filter for those look small I wasn't sure how a one for a larger tank would work out.
