new 150 gallon tank, FILTER help??!

[mclife]

I am new to this forum. I've had fish before, but I've been researching hardcore this past week and learning that I didn't really know much before.

I just got a 150 gallon tank, and plan to set up a tank of rather messy fish (pacu, bala sharks, maybe an arowana etc).

So I've been researching filters and wondering how much filtration I need. I want to make sure I have enough biological and mechanical filtration. Do canister filters like the fluval 404 or eheim 2028 provide sufficient biological filtration?

Or, would I be in good shape running an Eheim 2028 in addition to a trickle filter setup? What do people normally run on a 150 gallon freshwater tank?

 

[N8DOGG]

I would say a wet/dry filter would be good on a tank that size along with a canister filter or 2.

 

[Stephen]

I would say a wet/dry filter would be good on a tank that size along with a canister filter or 2.

ditto...

 

[mclife]

Would a single Eheim 2217 with a trickle do the trick? Or do I really need to have 2 canisters? What canister filters do you guys recommend for a setup like this?

 

[Stephen]

Since you mentioned keeping messy fish I'd recommend as much filtration as possible.

I'd go with the wet/dry and 2 of the 2217's... Maybe even the wet/dry and a Eheim 2250 (which Drs Foster and Smith has on Clearance for $149.99). You're still however going to have to stick with regular water changes and maintenance.

Eheim 2250

 

[mclife]

Wow, I haven't seen that 2250 model. Sounds like a monster. I think I am leaning towards getting 2 2217s. That way I can stagger their cleaning and media replacement.

I'll be attempting to build a DIY wet/dry filter. What are some good pumps that I could use for such a system. How many gallons do I want my sump to hold for a 150 gallon tank? How many bio balls should I use for this?

 

[anonapersona]

I'd guess that most big tanks run on wet/dry filters. Then perhaps a secondary filter of some other sort for increased mechanical filtration, probably a HOB with good flow rate, AC500 or HOT250 perhaps.