Deciding on filter (living room tank)

[dougall]

Unless you have a reason to use chemical filtration... Why are you worried about carbon?

If you have an occasional need, just fill a box filter in with some for a week or two.

If taking media out of a canister and replacing each couple of weeks or a month isn't too much, I would get a canister filter with 1/2 biological media, and then 2 lots of poret foam for the other half.

Then to clean out the filter, replace the foam with the other set, and run the dirty through a cycle on the top shelf of the dishwasher without any detergent. But that is more work than a power filter... But quieter water movement noise.

 

[mygoldendoe]

No.. iv never seen one for a larger tank so if they are the same size, I'm not quite sure how such a small surface area carbon filter would properly filter that large amount of water. When I clean my hang over carbon filters regularly they have some gunk. I couldn't imagine something a 3rd the size filtering that much water. I mean I know the graveyard catches all that with the underground one but my mind tells me it can't catch it all..I haven't seen nor owned one so I have lil experience with it

 

[dougall]

i Have used them on 10, 20, 29, 72 and 90g filters without a problem, using air and powerhead in normal flow, and in reverse flow using a powerhead and a canister filter. All without a problem.

If you are going to make choices, try to be as educated as possible, fish waste is unlikely to float long term... The only place it should go is down. Where it will get trapped in your gravel where you will vacuum it out.

Unless you can say specifically why, you do not need carbon.

You can set up the tank for now, and do whatever you intend to do to establish your colony of beneficial bacteria... It does not need to only be inside your filter...
.

 

[dougall]

Apparently According does not like me...

Anyways, add an airston to move water and spend some time reading up on types of filter.

My personal thought is that the husbandry of the livestock is tantamount, then in no particular order would come ease of maintenance, cost and noise.
I cannot remember the last time I used carbon, nor worried about turnover rates when it comes to filtration.

Perhaps if you want a different perspective, try looking at how well a Hamburger mattenfilter works... See how low their flow is, how little maintenance, how effective they are. For a more educated view, try looking for recordings of lectures by Dr Stefan Tanner on the subject, or some of his papers.

 

[mygoldendoe]

Having a carbon filter for those just incase, prepared for anything to happen, was my way of being taught to raise them.
But things had changed a lot since I last bought one so I didn't even know about internal ones until this one's impeller started going out and I seen it online. Then I was like "what is all this stuff" so figured suggestions of filter types and why ppl liked them would help narrow my research to something less overwhelming.
Thanks for suggestions on those and that lectures on them. I don't keep up with the "fish community", for lack of better words, so this will really help out.
Appreciate it

 

[dougall]

You can use carbon temporarily in another filter, or just in a filter bag near the current... You really do not need to consider using it all the time, nor allow for its use... Having it in a box filter temporarily works as well as anything. And remember it is really only effective for a week or so after first using it... After that it will be colonized by bacteria that will be lost if you decide to remove it or to replace it.

 

[PVC filter]

Different things work for different ppl due to a gazillion variables. How you reduce nitrates is a mystery

 

[dougall]

Different things work for different ppl due to a gazillion variables. How you reduce nitrates is a mystery

Plants or water changes are perhaps the 2 biggest options.

There are chemical options too, but I am not aware of anyone who uses them on a regular basis.

 

[FreshyFresh]

I wouldn't recommend a Seachem Tidal hang-on-back style filter. I've got a Tidal 110 on my 75g and don't care for it. It's no quieter than any other HOB I've used and media size and flexibility is just much better with AquaClear HOBs. The weird intake design of the Tidal is such that most of it's intake water gets drawn in the surface skimmer and not the lower intake. I much prefer my AC110s over my Seachem Tidal 110.

My personal choice for a 30gal filter would be a mail-order Sunsun 302 canister. I love them and have two. One is on my 29g.

 

[Finster]

My personal choice for a 30gal filter would be a mail-order Sunsun 302 canister. I love them and have two. One is on my 29g.

Sunsun 302 for sure! You can clean it every 6 months whether it needs it or not. I'll make my own canister or use a sump for really large tanks but Sunsun canisters are the best option (IMO) for anything from 10 to 75 gallons.