From Internal To External

[jimmy_veal]

Hi everyone.
I have a Juwel Vision 180 and have had it now for nearly a year - i love the tank and am happy with it, however thought i might take out the internal filter and use an external one instead. I have a couple of questions:
1. Are the external ones any better?
2. Is it easy to remove the internal filter? (It will still have fish in it though, as i don't have another tank)
3. Is it really worth it?

Seen a Eheim external filter £50-£70....

I do have a bit of a limited budget - so any suggestions will be greatly received.

 

[DrRob]

1, generally, yes.

2, fairly easy, it's held on by a few dots of silicone, so should pull away with a little coaxing.

3, that depends entirely on your perspective.

Cost wise, the eheim classic is difficult to beat, and is a nice little filter. Recommendations though would depend on what you plan to do with the tank. Flow rate demands vary on stocking and on planting levels. I run tanks around the 10x turnover because I plant heavily, and never drop below 3x unless I'm dealing with delicate flowers.

Other option would be to add in an external and keep the internal as a back up, would depend if you're looking for the aesthetic of removing it, or simply for the extra filtering power.

 

[Essjay]

2. Is it easy to remove the internal filter? (It will still have fish in it though, as i don't have another tank)

If I can do it anyone can. Use a bendy knife to saw through the silicone blobs, being careful not to damage the corner sealant. Pull the box away from the glass as you saw. Once it's out a stanley knife blade held almost flat against the glass will get rid of the remains of the silicone.
I removed it with fish in the tank, do it half way through a water change as all that sawing creates a tidal wave.