Can you ever have too much filtration

[Andy1966uk]

Hi I have a 330ltr tank I am repurposing for a bare bottom discus tank. I currently have two Ehiem Pro 4+ 600s running on the tank. Probably already over filtered but also some redundancy. I loved a review on the OASE Biomaster, so I just bought a thermo 600, a real beast.
I plan to swap out one of the Ehiems and use as a spare. Will running one of these and the Biomaster be overkill ? I plan to run both with mostly bio home media. thoughts ?

 

[mbsqw1d]

You can have too much in the sense that its going to waste because its not really being used. Bacteria will only exist depending on the amount of nitrogen available to them. If the amount of bacteria you need for the load will fit into one filter, then running more is technically a waste. But there are benefits of running more than one filter for example as a back up if one fails.

The general idea is to convert ammonia to nitrate as quickly as possible. You still have the job of clearing out the nitrate no matter how many filters you run. Personally I'd say plants are the best filter you can get. But that depends on the fish you want to keep and how many etc

 

[Andy1966uk]

I guess once fully stocked I'll get a better idea if I can get away with just the one, in which case the Biomaster 600. I already have plenty of media, but your right in the fact if low bio load, it's a waste, but never had discus before so with 8-10 3-4cm to start with, we'll see how I get on. I guess for mechanical filtration and flow,, it can only be a benefit. (although I understand discus don't like too much flow..

 

[Neleono]

You can have too much in the sense that its going to waste because its not really being used. Bacteria will only exist depending on the amount of nitrogen available to them. If the amount of bacteria you need for the load will fit into one filter, then running more is technically a waste. But there are benefits of running more than one filter for example as a back up if one fails.

The general idea is to convert ammonia to nitrate as quickly as possible. You still have the job of clearing out the nitrate no matter how many filters you run. Personally I'd say plants are the best filter you can get. But that depends on the fish you want to keep and how many etc

Totally agree with mbsqw here. Its always good to have the cleanest water possible, but at some point, there is no need for too much. Also, too much might mean that there is too much flow in the tank and for fish that like still water, that would be bad too. It's really up to you and how your fish react to determine how much filtration is needed. Best of luck and I'm exited to hear some progress updates! Best of luck!

 

[AbbeysDad]

It is a common misconception in the hobby that more filtration is better...when in fact it is not! The Dirty Truth About Filters is that they aid in water clarity, but NOT water purity. Detritus trapped in the filter decomposes and pollutes the water. And more filters, or more powerful filters don't change this simple fact. Good filtration is about how well we filter water, not how much or how fast we push water through filter media.
See The Very Best Aquarium Filter or for a deep dive:

Contact Support

footnote: Adding more filters or more powerful filters wastes energy and $dollars$ and is most often unappreciated by our fish.

 

[mbsqw1d]

It is a common misconception in the hobby that more filtration is better...when in fact it is not! The Dirty Truth About Filters is that they aid in water clarity, but NOT water purity. Detritus trapped in the filter decomposes and pollutes the water. And more filters, or more powerful filters don't change this simple fact. Good filtration is about how well we filter water, not how much or how fast we push water through filter media.
See The Very Best Aquarium Filter or for a deep dive:

Contact Support

footnote: Adding more filters or more powerful filters wastes energy and $dollars$ and is most often unappreciated by our fish.

I do love that Journey Into The Microcosm vid thats linked in your journal. I follow the guy behind the microscope on Instagram: @jam_and_germs .. brilliant stuff. Being able to see the tiny organisms that live in our aquariums from bacteria to algae and planaria is wonderful adds a whole other level to the hobby ?

 

[AbbeysDad]

I've long since lost track of the number of times that I've seen well meaning hobbyist's parrot "there's no such thing as too much filtration"...when filters do nothing to improve water quality beyond clarity by removing particulates.
A more intelligent thing would be to emulate nature and parrot "There's no such thing as too much clean, fresh water." ("The solution to pollution is dilution")