I don't think my filter is cutting it.....

Ballyhoo said:
I think I am going to go with the Magnum 350. I found it for 95$ shipped
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Wait.

Make sure it's the same thing.

There's two versions; one with biowheels and one without. I believe the non-biowheel version is just the regular Mag350, while the version with the biowheels is the Mag350 Pro.

You DON'T want the version without biowheels. That version has no real biological filtration capacity. I should've mentioned this in my original post but it totally slipped my mind. :(

As far as the water changes goes... As long as you're dechlorinating the water and matching it to the temperature of the tank, frequent water changes aren't going to hurt a thing.

So if you're worried about it, or if your water quality is testing poorly, you could probably go to 20% two or three times a week with no ill effects to anything.
 
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The filter lid tells you what kind of filter you have, a Topfin 60. How much media do you have in it, is any part clogged? I had two of those and they were pretty good, just needed better media for it.
Either way, keep the filter you have and add the new one, extra filtration is always a good thing!
 
you just added a massive piece of wood to that tank. Let the bacterial bloom subside in a week or so and you'll be all set. :)
 
Ballyhoo said:
http://www.entirelypets.com/magnum350.html

that is the one I found.
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Yeah, that one makes no mention of whether or not it comes with the bio-wheels; they say it's "available with or without" them, but they don't say whether that one comes with them or not.

Given that according to Marineland (http://marineland.com/sites/Marineland/products/productdetail.aspx?id=2054&cid=1988&mid=3226) it's only the Pro system that comes with the biowheels, and given that the one you linked is a good $20ish cheaper than the one I found, I'd say that it probably doesn't come with the biowheels. =/

If you've already ordered it and don't want to/can't cancel it, it's not the end of the world; the 350 does have a small media container that you could put something like Eheim's Ehfisubstrat in along with the carbon they meant to be used in there to get minimal biological filtration out of it in exchange for giving up a little bit of chemical filtration, but it's not ideal.

I did some searching myself and the cheapest I found the Pro system for was that $112 at ThatPetPlace, although there's a chance you *might* get cheaper shipping by buying it from them through Amazon ( http://www.amazon.com/Magnum-System-Aquarium-Canister-Filter/dp/B00025YURM ) instead. *shrug* ED: Here you go, DFS looks to have the Pro version for $105, not sure what their shipping is like though: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3595

The filter that WeedCali and Slappy linked to might be a viable option too. I haven't used one and while it looks like either a clone or OEM version of the Marineland C series, because it's so cheap I'm personally hesitant to recommend it until I play with it myself. I mean, the C series had some issues with canister warpage and leaking when they came out that have since been fixed, and there's always the chance that these are NOS OEM stock of the old style that had leakage issues, or that they weren't updated like the Marineland version was.

That may not be the case; they may be every bit as good as the C-160/220/360/530, in which case they're a hell of a good deal. But until I've had one in my hands and taken it apart and played with it, I don't completely trust them, and thus I wouldn't recommend one to anyone else right now. It's just an unknown; it could be awesome, or you could need to replace it three times in the first five years (or five months :uhoh: ) you own it due to leaks, pump failures, or whatever. And at that point, since people have gotten 10-20 years out of their Magnums and Eheims, you would've been better off just buying one of those in the first place, y'know?
 
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Just chiming in here: I got the same starter filter with my 55. It's cause it's from a kit in Petsmart, and it's just a classic Whisper 60 filter from Tetra, built for 60 gallons running at 300gph.

I, too thought that it was inadequate filtration. I instantly added a RENA smartfilter 30, and I'm not sure why iv'e never heard about it at all in AC. I found it to be a fantastic HOB and it worked like a charm. It's built for a 30 gallon tank and runs at 150 gph. I had it and the Whisper 60 on my tank for a long while, until I added a Rapids mini canister which runs at 80gph and is rated for 20 gallons. I find it all to be adequate, and I never thought that I would need another filter. A real canister for anyone I would support, Iv'e always wanted to have one, but I can't put one anywhere near my 55 because of space restrictions, so I just use those 3 filters to filter my 55. Never had any ammonia or nitrites come above zero, and nitrates remain low. If anyone thinks that my setup doesn't cut it then tell me, cause then I'll get another filter. But Iv'e found my setup to be fine, but that's just me.
 
I would definitely get a different filter as the model you have is not of very good design. Personally I would also add an AC110, much better filter then the magnum 350.

Just curious how long has you tank been set up?
 
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