external filter advise

[SHARON MCGHEE]

Hi everyone, I've just joined the forum and i'm looking forward to being part of the community. I had a tank many many years ago and things have completely changed and i include my brain in this, so I've just bought a 125Litre tank and i'd like to have an external filter but i really don't know whether i'm coming or going, i was told to try a fluval then two shops have advised me not to use this brand, then one advised eheim the other advised hydor and 3 stores have mentioned a Betta Choice UV 700 canister filter, PLEASE HELP! has anybody tried the Betta Choice and if so whats your views on it?Any advise would be hugely appreciated,I really need Help with these filters. Thanks Sharon

 

[Byron]

Welcome to TFF.

When considering a filter, there is more than just the tank size to factor in. What fish species are intended? And are live plants intended?

Some fish require quiet water, so the filter must not provide too strong a flow/current or it will stress the fish causing further problems. Other species need stronger flow.

Plants generally reduce the amount of filtration you require.

Knowing more about the fore-going will make it easier for us to advise on a suitable filter.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Hi Sharon,

I think it's good to read up the reviews from the internets for the different canister filters where you can understand their pros and cons.

Here are some internet reviews:
https://aquariumadviser.com/best-canister-filters-reviews/

https://meethepet.com/best-canister-filter/

Also, as what Bryon mentioned, it also depends on the type of fish that you keep.
Some fish like slow moving water. For this case, it's better to have two slower filters than one very powerful filter.

For myself, I like hang on filters which are easy to maintain.
Usually I have 2-3 filters with lower(slower speed) power in my tanks instead of one big powerful filter.
I will hang one filter on the left and one on the right.
But hang on filters are definitely not as good/effective as canister filters though they are definitely easier to clean and maintain.

Sometimes I use a few big sponges filters for some species of fish that prefer slow moving water.
But your tanks won't look so good with sponge filters.
Canister filter will give you the best look for your tank as you don't see most of the filter parts inside the tank except the intake and outlet hose.

Regards

 

[SHARON MCGHEE]

Hi, many thanks for your replies

With regards to the sort of fish I would like to keep, In the past I thoroughly enjoyed keeping Tetra, Danios, Guppies,Barbs, Mollies with a couple of Gouramies, and I think once the tank is ready I will probably be
looking at the same sort of fish.

When it comes to plants I will probably have a mix of 50/50 live and artificial to start with, then going forward
I would like all live.

many thanks in advance Sharon

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Hi Sharon,

You have quite a number of fish in your list. You can't have all the fish in your tank as your tank isn't big enough and there are compatibility issues.

For examples, most of the Barbs are very aggressive and they will nip the fins/tails of other fish especially fish with big fins/tails like the Guppies.
You have to check the fish compatibility first and decide which fish to keep and how many of them.
You can search the internets for fish compatibility and the numbers that you can keep in your 125 liter tank.
I guess you can only keep 1-2 species (or 3 species at the most) of Tetra and a few Dwarf Gourami like the Honey Gourami in your tank. Other Gouramies can grow quite big.
Guppies are vulnerable and easily killed by more aggressive fish or have their fins and tails nipped by other fish. It's better to avoid keeping Guppies with most of the fish in your list(my opinion).

In my opinion, it's best to keep fewer species but with greater numbers for Tetras which are mostly schooling fish.
I like schooling fish like Rosy Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, Rummy Nose Tetras which are more hardy and not too aggressive.
Harlequin Rasboras and Rummy Nose Tetras are very tight schooling fish. They will swim very close together and move together in the same direction which make them look great especially if you have at least 10 of them.
They feel more secure and you can see their natural behaviour when they are in a big group.
Cardinal Tetras have nice colours but they are not so hardy.
Mollies can grow quite big which I don't really like(my opinion only).
If you keep Barbs, it's better not to mix with other fish as they are aggressive except for Cherry Barbs(I think).
You might want to consider some low level fish. The list of fish that you mentioned are mostly top to middle level fish.
Your tank will look more "full" and less empty when you have fish that stay in all level of the tank (low, middle, top).

 

[Lajos_Detari]

I think it will be good for you to read on how to select a filter for your aquarium.

https://www.petcha.com/choosing-the-right-aquarium-filter-for-your-tank/

https://www.theaquariumguide.com/articles/choosing-the-right-freshwater-aquarium-filter

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile...-types-how-to-choose-the-right-kind-of?espv=1

https://www.tropicalfishcareguides.com/best-fish-tank-filter/

 

[Essjay]

In addition to what Lajos said, there are also water condition incompatibilities with the fish on your list.

Mollies and guppies must have hard water while most gouramis and most tetras need soft water. Gouramis also need placid tank mates so barbs and tetras which are very active will stress them. Danios are also very active fish, so they don't go well with gouramis - and danios, despite being small, need at least 90 cm swimming room. My old 125 litre tank (Juwel Rio) was not long enough for danios.

Gouramis also need a slow water flow, while a lot of tetras and barbs like a faster water flow.


You will need to cycle whichever filter you decide on and this will take several weeks which gives plenty time to finalise your fish list. In the meantime can you tell us how hard your water is, please. You should be able to find that on your water provider's website. We need the number and the unit, as there are half a dozen different hardness units. If you are in the UK (you use litres and spell the word the English way) you may find they use the unit mg/l calcium which no other country uses - this is why we need the unit
You'll need a test kit for cycling so if you already have one, tell us the pH of a freshly run sample of water and also a sample of water that's been allowed to stand overnight. They'll probably be different.

This will help us to work out which of the fish in your list are suitable and which are not, then decide which fish go well together.

 

[seangee]

You have quite a number of fish in your list. You can't have all the fish in your tank as your tank isn't big enough and there are compatibility issues.

There is also the question of water parameters. The Mollies and guppies need hard water. Tetra, most danios and gaouramis need soft water, so it is unlikely all these fish could co-exist in the same setup. Temperature is a factor too - they have differing requirements.

You should first establish what will work best in your water and then look at other compatability questions.

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Fluval and Eheim are both reliable brands that have been around for many years and they are as good as each other. Some shops recommend Eheim over Fluval because they carry Eheim. Other shops recommend Fluval or another brand because that is what they carry. Personally, I like Fluval because they are cheaper than Eheim, generally easier to get replacement parts for and last just as long as an Eheim. I'm pretty sure they both have the same warranty too.

Hydor do some cool gadgets, one of which causes water to spiral through the tank and is useful on marine tanks, but I have not used their filters and would stay with the older, better known brands like Eheim and Fluval, or Aquaclear if you want a hang on the back (HOB) style filter.

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Don't waste your money getting a U/V filter, they are not necessary or worth the money.

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If you contact your water supply company (by website or telephone), you can ask them what the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH are. Find out what the results are in too (dGH, ppm, etc). Then post the results here.

If you have hard water with a GH above 200ppm them livebearers like platies, swordtails & guppies will be fine. If the GH is above 250ppm then mollies will be fine,
If it's above 300ppm then perhaps look into African Rift Lake cichlids, but beware, many of these cichlids can be very aggressive and are not community fish.

If the GH is below 200ppm then tetras, barbs, gouramis and most other freshwater fishes will be fine.

On the subject of gouramis, avoid buying dwarf gouramis (Trichogaster lalius) or any of their colour forms because they can carry a couple of nasty diseases (the Iridovirus and Tuberculosis), neither of which can be treated and the disease remains in the tank until you strip the tank down and disinfect everything.

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If you can post the tank dimensions (length x width x height) it will give us more information so we can advise on fish suitable for that tank.