Starting Again After 40 Years! Filter Advice?

[*pete*]

Its only Guppies I cant seem to keep, my swordtails and Platy's are fine !

I was a cichlid nut up until 3/4 years ago when I decided to go back to how it all started for me.

A bit of advice I would pass on as an 'oldie' that I learned early on in the hobby is keep them hungry and regular partial water changes.

 

[major]

sound advice! I wont let the grandchildren be in charge of feeding then!

 

[Mowbz]

Somewhere on this forum is a pic of what happened when someone let their kids feed their fish. Its a shame there isnt a way to search by picture content, because (aside from nearly killing the tank of) , it looked absolutely hilarious.

They tipped an entire flake tub into what looked like a 100ish litre tank. Looked like it had snowed in there. Major work sucking it all out!

Thankfully i think it all worked out ok!

 

[minnnt]

U4's are great big chunky filters and 2 will take up masses of space... Unsure what else you could go with though.

 

[major]

Having a major rethink and may now try and make an external filter work and make the space!

Can you have the filter and heater all in one? What sort of size space do you need for external filter/heater etc?

 

[Mowbz]

You can buy filters with built in heaters, would recommend checking out ebay for these. You can also get inline heaters to go into the pipework of an external (outlet side normally i think), looking at these myself now.

If you can fit an external, it would be much better, as said before. More flow, more media room = more potential stocking.

Not to mention, as Minnnt has said, more space in the water column.

 

[major]

Thinking of an Eheim? any good? which one for a 300ltr tank four feet off the ground?

 

[AmazonFTW]

Eheim are an incredibly good make in my opinion, I have two filters made by them (one internal and one external) and both are working great, with plenty of space for media + flow.

Some good options for you are:
Eheim Proffesional 3 (350 or 600),
Eheim Ecco pro 300,
Fluval External Filter (306 or 406).

I've got a 305 of the Fluval External range too - which is also incredibly good.

I think (provided you have the money and space) the larger the turnover the better. This will mean you can keep more fish, too. So it's worth the extra investment.

AmazonFTW

 

[major]

thanks for that, keeping reading about the Eheims leaking but good to hear you have had good results from them.

Going out this weekend to see what is out there, then probably get one online.

 

[Mowbz]

Thats the best way to go for most stuff in fishkeeping in my opinion. Seek out the info and have a look at it in a shop, then buy online where its cheaper

 

[major]

I went off there on a tangent, saw a marine fish aquarium and looked into it and found another world of expense and heartache!

the equipment alone looked like it could run a swimming pool!

back to common sense now!

 

[colleen0309]

From one "old timer" to another (boy I hate saying that) Welcome! Alot has changed, but I still use some of the old methods of doing things. Sometimes new is not better. Good luck and hope you have fun.

 

[major]

I know what you mean, all seams a bit scary coming back to it. Back then the walls of the fish shop where full of fish and then a few shelves of produces/treatments etc. now the walls are full of produces/treatments etc and then a few shelves of fish!!

 

[balajake]

eheim heaters are £20 on zooplus