Filter Advice For New Tank
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ShinySideUp
Fish Herder
I would guess about 400 litres. In fact 453 litres but since dimensions are the whole of the tank and we don't fill them to the top, I revert to 400 litres.
So, perhaps a Fluval 406
So, perhaps a Fluval 406
I shouldn't be lazy, did the math it's 453 Litres, sooo you could go with an AquaOne Advance 1250 Series II (good for 300-600L), Fluval 406 is good up to 400L so i'm not sure how it'd go with yours being 453..
Other brands i'm sure cater but those are just two suggestions.
The AquaOne would be a very good choice i reckon, they make good products and unless someone here has a horror story about the mentioned filter i think it'd be very safe to say if you bought it you wouldn't be disappointed.
My tank is only 165L, but i went with Fluval, they seem to be a step above the AquaOne's with a little bit more in the features and tech department.. Fluval do make bigger filters like the FX5 (up to 1500L), and their fancy new G6 but both of those will cost you a little more.. the AquaOne 1250 Series II is value for money I would say.
Other brands i'm sure cater but those are just two suggestions.
The AquaOne would be a very good choice i reckon, they make good products and unless someone here has a horror story about the mentioned filter i think it'd be very safe to say if you bought it you wouldn't be disappointed.
My tank is only 165L, but i went with Fluval, they seem to be a step above the AquaOne's with a little bit more in the features and tech department.. Fluval do make bigger filters like the FX5 (up to 1500L), and their fancy new G6 but both of those will cost you a little more.. the AquaOne 1250 Series II is value for money I would say.
ShinySideUp
Fish Herder
I have an FX5 (now replaced with the FX6) in a 640 litre tank. Good filter, not the quietest but easy to maintain and fit. Pretty big though, like a huge bucket!
I am currently using a Tetratec Ex1200, pretty good, massive filter and very quiet too. Pretty good value for money I thought.
Good for anything between 200 to 500 litres (1200 litres per hour) and has a flow control valve which is pretty handy to control how much flow you want in your tank.
Here's a pic to give you an idea how big the filter is...........
Good for anything between 200 to 500 litres (1200 litres per hour) and has a flow control valve which is pretty handy to control how much flow you want in your tank.
Here's a pic to give you an idea how big the filter is...........
snazy said:
Not a bad idea. Sounds good, maybe 2 Fluval 406's or something like that, plenty filtration and flow.
ShinySideUp
Fish Herder
The FX6 pumps 3500 litres an hour and you want two of these?! 7000 litres per hour! You must want spawning salmon to run upstream. I have a 640 litre tank and one FX5 is coping without problems.
Yes, I know that with filter material installed the flow is not as high as claimed.
Yes, I know that with filter material installed the flow is not as high as claimed.
That's the pump flow rate I presume, not the actual filter's flow rate and certainly not with media and hoses. I read the actual advertised flow rate is 2130 litres/hr(563G), take from that media and hoses. With two of them that makes the flow just about 10x the volume. I didn't suggest two FX6's but if it were me and I can afford them, then I'd definately wouldn't hesitate, especially in a planted tank.
Mattlee had 2 FX5s on his tank and no one was blown away, neither he kept salmon in them. I think his tank was way smaller than yours SSU. I've got several tanks with 10x flow despite not FX5s or FX6s and there's absolutely no problem with the smallest fry or fish.
I just hate seeing underfiltered tanks, especially happening to larger tanks due to cost, in which one has to be careful about the number of pellets during feeding or the odd uneaten one, or even a dead leaf can cause a spike. I won't even mention an accidental dead fish....
I once got a forktail rainbow stuck in an ornament it couldnt' get out from, which I found in a few days partially decomposed and the stats had not blinked one bit when I tested the water. But I overfilter the tanks. Every one makes their own choices I suppose.
Have to agree with snazy there.
My Tetratec EX1200 is too powerful for my tank set up but with control valves and filter media etc the flow output is vastly reduced and the flow is extremely good and controllable with excellent filtration. I have Threadfins in my tank which prefer weaker flow and live plants, all thriving!
So I presume FX6 would have a similar setup and flow controls as well so should not be a problem any way you look at it really.
My Tetratec EX1200 is too powerful for my tank set up but with control valves and filter media etc the flow output is vastly reduced and the flow is extremely good and controllable with excellent filtration. I have Threadfins in my tank which prefer weaker flow and live plants, all thriving!
So I presume FX6 would have a similar setup and flow controls as well so should not be a problem any way you look at it really.
Yes, and also one has to make a difference between velocity and flow too. The more flow the better in a tank but how much velocity is certainly dependant on what the fish prefer. These two are connected of course but one can create greater velocity with very little flow. For example open the tap and put your finger to block half of it while the water is running. What happens to the water? By doing that you are reducing the flow but the resulting water is coming out flying and strong/with more velocity which can certainly knock a fish out of the way. One can easily reduce velocity but increasing the holes in the sprabar, or outlet, or install wider hoses, but that in fact will actually increase the flow rate itself which is a good thing. But then you also may need enough velocity so the water flow is spread better and reaches all parts of the tank equally at about the same time.
Yup, 100% agreement there, thats one of the reasons why got a large external for my tank.
Good flow and no 'dead spots' in my tank due to flow and velocity but creates a happy medium for my Threadfins and plants!
Good flow and no 'dead spots' in my tank due to flow and velocity but creates a happy medium for my Threadfins and plants!
ShinySideUp
Fish Herder
A filter that is mature and well-kept will cope with ammonia spikes caused by excess food or dead fish. Maintaining a good flow through the filter is important and regular cleaning of the filter media is crucial to get rid of dead bacteria and to clear the pores for the living bacteria to get nutrient. This requires washing in tank water at regular intervals. Dead spots in the tank are one thing but more important is avoiding dead spots in the filter, I don't wait until flow reduces before a filter clean as by then there are dead spots inside.
Flow in the tank is irrelevant when it comes to filter effectiveness and should be altered only to suit the type of fish kept; Hillstream loaches like fast flow, Cories not so much. I prefer to have an optimum flow through my filter but add powerheads to the tank to create flow where needed.
See the various papers on the Hamburger Mattenfilter for discussions as to flow rate through filter material but generally high speeds through filter material are to be avoided.
Flow in the tank is irrelevant when it comes to filter effectiveness and should be altered only to suit the type of fish kept; Hillstream loaches like fast flow, Cories not so much. I prefer to have an optimum flow through my filter but add powerheads to the tank to create flow where needed.
See the various papers on the Hamburger Mattenfilter for discussions as to flow rate through filter material but generally high speeds through filter material are to be avoided.
These are very nice ponts SSU. But I slightly disagree with a couple of them. First some of my corys have been doing great in a tank with 20x flow. Second, despite what maybe written about Hamburger Mattenfilters, for external filters that's not exactly applicable because the limitation to filtration is oxygen. If not enough is reaching the media fast enough, then it won't be fully functional and you can only get that via enough flow. Ammonia and nitrite are abundant in a tank but that bacteria needs oxygen to break each one of them. Hamburger mattenfilters are normally in tank filters where they've got immediate access to oxygenated water unlike externals which rely on enough oxygenated water reaching them via flow rate.
Also a filter is populated with many types of bacteria, some solely decomposing the dead organics/bacteria too. Also a tank can have micro-organisms that prey on the filter bacteria which is actually at the bottom of the food chain. So many processes are involved. Clogged filter means reduced flow, leading to anaerobic pockets in the media, which in itself means no oxygen. That's where the problem lies because with no oxygen ammonia to nitrite to nitrate conversion ceases. We flush debris and mulm and whatever else dying in there so flow can reach those areas too bringing more oxygen. Also the decomposition process of dead stuff/organics is highly oxygen demanding, therefore again we eliminate that/reduce the themand for oxygen by throwing out the organics from the tank and filter via cleaning, so the good filter bacteria has a better chance of receiving/competing for oxygen.
And of course, because of that the bigger the filter/the more filters, the less chance they can get de-oxygenated due to debris, lack of flow when not cleaned on time, etc..
And dead spots in the tank are as important. It's like passing through a toxic cloud. It can't be healthy for the fish and promotes all types of harmful organisms to flourish.
Also a filter is populated with many types of bacteria, some solely decomposing the dead organics/bacteria too. Also a tank can have micro-organisms that prey on the filter bacteria which is actually at the bottom of the food chain. So many processes are involved. Clogged filter means reduced flow, leading to anaerobic pockets in the media, which in itself means no oxygen. That's where the problem lies because with no oxygen ammonia to nitrite to nitrate conversion ceases. We flush debris and mulm and whatever else dying in there so flow can reach those areas too bringing more oxygen. Also the decomposition process of dead stuff/organics is highly oxygen demanding, therefore again we eliminate that/reduce the themand for oxygen by throwing out the organics from the tank and filter via cleaning, so the good filter bacteria has a better chance of receiving/competing for oxygen.
And of course, because of that the bigger the filter/the more filters, the less chance they can get de-oxygenated due to debris, lack of flow when not cleaned on time, etc..
And dead spots in the tank are as important. It's like passing through a toxic cloud. It can't be healthy for the fish and promotes all types of harmful organisms to flourish.
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