I have very minimal experience with canisters so I am not the best one to ask. We do have many knowledgeable people here that can answer though.
Newbie here first time 150 gallon tank
- Thread starter pogoforeman
- Start date
Just an up date I got rid of the ich with two treatments, higher water temp and a parsal water change. I got home from work lastnight to find my freshwater dolphine being pulled under a rock. The eel had it by the tail and already bit it in the stomach so needless to say it died. Then this morning I found a head of a mollie and half a bala shark. I was told these are not known to be fish eaters of big fish. I think I have a monster. He stays out of ider alot more now but he is killing every thing. I only have my flounder, a few mollie / platties, GSP, 1 bala shark, and that stugion looking thing which I have to post a picture of for positive ID. I want to put bigger fish but scared too.?.?.?
Might I offer a suggestion on filtration. Instead of looking into multiple canisters why not consider a wet/dry unit? If you're not concerned about looks (it can sit under your stand) you can build one for less than $30 and all it take is a large tub (like a storage tub) or even a fish tank that is pretty big and a couple buckets. After that you need your filter media (generally bio balls but there are others), a return pump, and an overflow. Don't be intimidated by it and feel free to ask how to do it.
If you don't want to mess with that you can always buy one and they offer very good filtration for larger tanks, not to mention a place to put your heater and stuff so it isn't inside the tank and easy access to water to add to the tank or do parameter testing.
If you don't want to mess with that you can always buy one and they offer very good filtration for larger tanks, not to mention a place to put your heater and stuff so it isn't inside the tank and easy access to water to add to the tank or do parameter testing.
Instead of putting bigger fish I would probably get rid of the eel and then you can enjoy a wider range of fish. Now if the eel is your favorite that's definitely fine. Just do a lot of research and make another topc on this forum asking for some suggestions of what to keep with him.
Basically except for one difference. The bio media isn't completely submerged. The water drips over it. Take out the bio media and it is magically a sump =)
Ok, now I'm intrigued. Can you point me somewhere to get more info, like pros, cons? I'd hate to pull this to far OT but this has got me curious.
No problem. It shouldn't be too far OT as I'm suggesting the OP do it. Here is your basic wet/dry in the smallest scale
Water comes out of the tank and drips over those bio balls (that's your bio media and where your beneficial arterial lives. Then sinks into the tank and gets sucked out by a return pump back into the tank. The reason it is called a wet/dry is because the bio media is ever fully sub,edged. Now most setups (especially for larger tanks) are larger, have multiple compartments (for taking out micro bubbles and hiding your heater and stuff), and must be a certain size depending on your tank. They are highly spoken of as the best for bio filtration (obviously that is debatable but generally considered better than canister and HOB).
As far as a sump goes, take out that bio media right there and you have a sump lol. A sump still has compartments though for putting your protein skimmer, having a refugium, having a filter sock for mech filtration. Many sumps I see still have bio filtration in them it is just fully submerged but from what I gather live rock and sand does most of the bio filtration and that is why you don't really need the extra bio filtration.
I also have a few YouTube videos I could probably dig up bit just searching "wet dry filter" or "DIY wet dry" will yield all the results you want.
Layout can also build one just with a 30g tub and two 5g buckets, add a $65 return pump, an overflow (can DIY this also), and the pipe and tubing for it and you're set.
Layout can also build one just with a 30g tub and two 5g buckets, add a $65 return pump, an overflow (can DIY this also), and the pipe and tubing for it and you're set.
