External Filter Question...?

[antere07]

I'm looking at getting an external filter for my 60l tank

I was wondering if say i got a 200l filter would it be better filtration than getting a 100l
or would a 100l be ok.

Diffrent question at the bottom!!!

 

[Gilli]

Better to go for the more powerful one if you can afford it. Filters never quite perform to the max anyway and the more powerful filter you get the easier it can cope with the bio load and keep the tank cleaner and healthier.also if you ever want to upgrade your tank to a bigger one you wont need a new filter.

 

[fishyfeet]

I have a fluval 304 external fitted to both my 25 gal and 50 gal tanks, the only difference it would make would be the flow might be too strong, with fluval you can fit a venturi to the outlet pipe which allows you to restrict the flow accordingly, so i get the bigger one.

 

[antere07]

there is a 400l or tanks up to 400l one my mate has got that wasn't too expensive. is the general rule of thumb the bigger the better like?

 

[waterdrop]

The average TFF recommendation would be 5x turnover (5 x 60L = 300L for you) unless you are going for a planted tank or particularly want a quieter 4x turnover tank. It can be a bit tricky finding the technical specs that actually show turnover rate at the manufacturer web sites but these number sometimes lead you to a different (next model up usually) filter than the "recommended for tanks of size" numbers that the advertising personnel put up.

The range of what can work for people is wider than the picky hobbyist spec above. Having really good turnover rates and circulation are mainly about eliminating dead pockets that can cause algae, not about the more fundamental things.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[raptorrex]

I'm looking at getting an external filter for my 60l tank

I was wondering if say i got a 200l filter would it be better filtration than getting a 100l
or would a 100l be ok.

An eheim 2213/15 would fit the bill. and, probably, not break the bank either.but a Tetra ex600, would do, as well. oddly its no more powerful than the 2215.

 

[fishyfeet]

what about this

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/322042-fluval-305-external-filter-brand-new-and-boxed/

 

[antere07]

http/www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/aquarium-external-filter-1000-l-h-1212-0.html

that was the one i was thinking of getting i cant get it straight away at the moment which is why i havnt got one off ebay or what ever because of going on holiday i was just asking the question now for future reference

 

[antere07]

and would i have to run the filter i have now and the new one for a while before i can get rid of the one i have now?

 

[waterdrop]

With a nice big external cannister filter it will be easy to clone the filter over the proper way, which is to fit all of the biological media (sponges, ceramics etc.) into some areas of the trays of the new filter. You may have to be creative, using scissors on sponges etc. and you may have to cut or leave out some of the "new" biological media to make space.. but that's ok, you can gradually work back to the standard shaped media of the new filter later after 6 months or so.. never changing more than 1/3 at a time.

Running two filters together on the tank hoping the autotrophic bacteria will migrate from the old one to the new one is time consuming and dodgy.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[antere07]

so to prepare the new filter should i like put the filter media off my internal in the external?

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, if you move all of the biomedia from one filter to another filter on the same tank, it should continue right along supporting the same bioload (fish) its been supporting all along. There is a very small risk that the biofilms of the bacteria might be disturbed somewhat by the move, so its very important to be testing twice a day to see if any mini-cycles occur but usually this sort of "Clone" is quite reliable.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[antere07]

ok cheers ill get one as soon as i get back from holiday

 

[antere07]

I didn't see the point in making a new thread for this question so here goes

I'm looking at getting more plants making it into a planted tank at the moment I've just put in an external filter.
I'm hoping to get more plants sometime next week i was wondering if putting too many or certain plants by the inlet for the filter if it would restrict the filtering process.
I'de imagine it would but I see these tanks and the amount of plants you cant see any filters anything just looks like plants and fish no technical things.

cheers ant

 

[waterdrop]

If you want to get really technical about it then yes, covering up the filter inlet with too many plants can be a factor in slowing down your circulation in certain ways and good circulation is something you very much want in a planted tank as one more tool to use to try and combat algae through a balance of things. Actually, maybe Truck or one of the other planted folk will come along and make comments about it. Its true that the planted tanks you see in pictures always/usually have the filter inlets well covered up but its also true its the planted hobbyists who work hardest at good circulation.. so I'd like to hear comments.

I forget.. I assume you're already up on lighting and such and are planning to do "low-light" technique.. stuff like that?

~~waterdrop~~