larger filter & smaller tanks

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Turin Turambar

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Feb 27, 2003
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One simple question:

I'm going to buy one canister filter with 600-800l water filtering per hour. However, I plan to use it on relatively small tank with only 60 litres. I don't want to buy a smaller filter - I would like to have more filtering surface, less cleaning and above else - to be able to use that filter if I shift to a bigger tank.

So, water current is what bothers me - with its powerful filtering, isn't it going to stir the water too much? My current hang-on filter moves the water. My fish like that and I like that... but I don't want that to be too much! That's all. Thanks.
 
On my 55gallon I'm flowing 660 gallons per hour (I've dialed it back to approx. 550-600) and that is a strong current, especially when I run my powerhead for an hour or two a day) but my fish are fine with it... they are all good swimmers and enjoy a strong current though...

I'd say you are as high as you could good before dimenishing returns start to play a role. Does that filter allow you scale back the flow just a tad?

600 lph would give you 10x turn over rate 800 and your running 13.8... 600 should be fine, the 800 might be awfully hard on smaller / baby fish, they have to fight that current 24/7...

edit:
If you HOB is working fine, you could just run the canister for a few hours day (definately to start to allow them time to get used to the higher flow rate).

For example if your hob is flowing 5 times an hour turn over rate, jumping to 13 times and hour without acclimating them could leave you waking up one AM to find some fish stuck to the strainer and that would suck... just like anything else, gradual changes or in this case running it for an hour turning off for and hour running for 2 hours turning off for and hour ect. (set your own schedule depending on how well they adjust to it).

I had to do that to help acclimate a betta (used to living in a cup at the store with 0 water movement) to my tank, but he thrived in a tank with 8x and hour water turn over plus a couple hour a day powerhead run...
 
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I have a AquaClear 200 in my 15g grow out tank at full flow. I even have another sponge filter in the same tank! That's over 13x not including the sponge filter. All fishes seem fine in this overstocked tank...

It may sound extreme but none of the fishes seem to complain so I'm gonna keep it that way... :D
 
I have an emperor 400 on a 20 gallon (and Ive had up to an emperor 280 and an aquaclear 200), I wouldnt worry much about what you plan unless you want to have something like a male betta.
 
Also, when I add more bioload (along with more filtration), I always either increase the water change or add more live plants to control nitrate levels.

For non-show tanks, a bunch of java moss works very nicely...
 
Thanks all...
I still don't want the very high current... I don't know if there is some regulating knob to control the output? Is that a common feature with canisters or not?

Also, when I add more bioload (along with more filtration), I always either increase the water change or add more live plants to control nitrate levels. For non-show tanks, a bunch of java moss works very nicely...

I have many plants in the tank as well.... but why are you against java moss (you said for non-show tanks)? I'm asking because I'm planing to buy some moss to 'spice up' the gravel with more green!
 
Oh definitely not against java moss... :D

Most of my non-show tanks are full of java moss so the visual site is not exactly very professional looking even though fishes will like it alot.

My show tank does have them too, but in more controlled way. You should see my platy breeder tank - java moss occupies over 50% in volume! (and still growing). That tank never saw any ammonia, nitrite or nitrate since day one, although I did seed bacteria since day 1.
 
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