Filter Question

[shrimply]

At the minute I have a tank of cichlids in a tank but I am probably getting rid of them pretty soon.

At the minute the 4ft by 18 by 18 ,60 gallon tank, is filtered by a fluval 304 ( not my choice it came with the tank) and a fluval 4+.

What I am wondering (being one of these people who hates equipment in the tank). Do you think that that external will work well enough on its own?

The tank will probably be an understocked low light planted tank so no substantial waste producers. If I had the money I would probably add a ehiem classic 2217. But money is kinda tight at the minute and I have my heart set on a new 3ft tank. So if I manange to find the £450 I need for that I won't be buying much else for quite a while.

Thanks for the help

 

[Jozlyn]

I go by 5 times water volume per hour for my filters. So that would make it 300 gallon per hour for your 60 gallon tank, by my calculation.

Others will say more or less depending on their own opinion, but I find that 5 times works good for me with weekly water changes.

 

[shrimply]

Well 300gph is 1364lph and the filter is rated at 1000lph. So its not that bad.

I don't know is it pushing it a little.

 

[shrimply]

Any more opinions?

 

[shrimply]

anyone?

 

[yvez9]

It all depends on the stocking

i bought a 90 gallon tank for my oscar with a filstar xp3

when the oscar was little, the canister would cope on its own but afetr a few months, the water was always dirty so i added an aquaclear 500. after about a year, the water was still blurry and i had to do maintenance on the filters every month so i added another aquaclear 500. so right now the filter ratings add up to 1360 gph and the tank is 90 gallons. the tank is filtered nearly 15 times an hour

I have a 50 gallon tank fully stocked with low waste producers and the aquaclear 300 manages it very well at 6 times the volume per hour

I guess you can try and see with one filter, you will need to keep it very clean though. Worst comes to worst get a second filter

 

[Jozlyn]

Just rinse it out once a week in your used tank water.

 

[yvez9]

washing the filter is a good idea, however the filter needs to be able to move the water in that tank. If it can barely push the tank volume once an hour, you will most certainly have dead spots. if that is the case, i highly recommend you add an airstone in the stagnant areas of the tank, this will somewhat help