# Thought on filters



## pjones (Jun 5, 2011)

Ive gotten a 65 gal tank that i plan on doing a community tank with. 20 to 25 fish, no bigger than 2 inches (most less than) with 4 or 5 different breeds. Ive did a lot of reading on the different type of filters and have not found any thing consistent on the best way to do it. Some say power filters are the way to go while others say you need to add an under gravel filter with the power to make it work properly. Im pretty sure I dont want to spend $100's on the canisters or even more on the wet/dry filters. So i would like to get opinions from actually users like yourself. Your thoughts........
*c/p*


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Well, I have two tanks with two canisters.I have two smaller ones with sponges,but thats not really relevent.OK so both my canisters came from Craigslist,one for 35(same price as a power filter rated less flow)And one I traded unused equipment so basically free.I honestly think canisters are the way to go.I have the intake on one end and the outflow on the other,creating great flow through the tank.No real "dead spots" so to speak.The filters hold more media than a power filter,and its easier to get to,IMO.MAny come with quick disconnects,which can also serve as flow regulators,where you can turn the flow down and still get great filtration.Also The are hidden under the tank so all you see is the pipes,which can also be hidden easily behind plants,or using the acrylic or glass clear pipes,makes them less noticeable.


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## Rohkey (Apr 25, 2011)

From what I've read and heard, undergravel filters are not a good idea. Canisters are the way to go but if you don't want to shell out extra cash HOB power filters are perfectly fine. Emperor, Penguin, and Aquaclear are good HOB filters and I use the Aquaclear myself after a few people recommended them to me. They have 3 slots for different media which allows you to personalize filtration to what you need and also is good for maintaining a good colony of beneficial bacteria. As for the other two I mentioned, they are (I believe) a little more expensive and have their own benefits but you'd have to get information off the web or from others as to what those benefits are.

As for current...the Aquaclear allows you to control the output by how position the intake, and proper placement and such should be sufficient for the little fish. You could always get two filters instead of one big one which would allow for further personalization and such, and would minimize current and the like. If you're worried about fish getting sucked up, the Aquaclear has small narrow slits in the intake and with other HOB filters you can put a mesh/netting on it to prevent these things.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

The great thing about a canister is the amount of media that can go inside of them. My canister on my 29g holds enough media that it would fill up an Aquaclear 110 HOB (biggest they make) probably close to 4 times. The media is obviously where all the nitrogen exchange occurs. Bigger the area, safer the tank, IMO. I paid $130 for my Eheim Classic 2217. Eheim is the most expensive model out there for the most part. There are less expensive models out there that are comparable. The cost diff isn't that great.

If you go with a HOB, I would put on 1-AC 110 and 1-AC-70. Or 2-110s. I prefer to overfilter by a lot for the above mentioned reasons.


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## phys (Feb 4, 2011)

HOB filters work fine on their own depending on the bioload of your aquarium. The more fish, the more filtering you'll need. i would suggest what jrman suggested, two filters running more than is recommended. If you run two, then you can also alternate between filter material changes. If you cant afford two upfront, then buy one and keep a low bioload until you can afford another to go with it.


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## pjones (Jun 5, 2011)

Looking at a Penn-Plax Cascade 1500 Aquarium Canister Filter 350gph. It's for a 200 gal tank. Im guessing it will do for what I plan on doing 

Penn-Plax Cascade 1500 Aquarium Canister Filter 350gph | eBay

*chicken dance


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Yeah.Look up sun sun on ebay too.They are pretty good and affordable as well.


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## glassbird (Feb 2, 2011)

I like undergravel filters. But I know a lot of people do not. To be successful, you absolutely must run it with powerheads, and use at least 1 and 1/2 inches of gravel. The gravel can not be too fine, or too big. I always used gravel of about 1/8 inch per piece, and 2 inches deep. And you need to be able to use a gravel cleaner the right way. 

They are best used in conjunction with another filter, either a HOB or cannister. If your HOB or cannister dies, an established UG filter can keep your tank going until you can get the other filter fixed or replaced. The drawbacks are that the powerheads are visible if you put them all the way up to the surface of the tank, which is the way to do it for maximum effectiveness. And you can not (apparently) use them in a naturally planted tank. (I have never had real plants, so that statement is based on info from other people.)

I solved the visibility issue by shortening the height of the tube under the powerhead to about 6 inches in a 75 gallon tank. At that height, they hid behind the plants and rockwork. I aimed the discharge nozzles on the two PHs to create a circular current. This kept debris stirred up enough so that the cannister filter could eventually snag it.

I removed the UG system from my 75 gallon when I bought my Eheim 2028, but the next time I decide to re-landscape that tank, I will be putting it all back in. I have noticed that some debris just sits on the gravel now, instead of being sucked down in, or getting blown to the cannister. The UG plates are also a very convenient thing to tie plastic plants to with fishing line...then you can gravel clean with enthusiasm, and not "uproot" the plants!


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

pjones said:


> Ive gotten a 65 gal tank that i plan on doing a community tank with. 20 to 25 fish, no bigger than 2 inches (most less than) with 4 or 5 different breeds. Ive did a lot of reading on the different type of filters and have not found any thing consistent on the best way to do it. Some say power filters are the way to go while others say you need to add an under gravel filter with the power to make it work properly. Im pretty sure I dont want to spend $100's on the canisters or even more on the wet/dry filters. So i would like to get opinions from actually users like yourself. Your thoughts........
> *c/p*


My thoughts: use live plants. thriving plants will filter the water better then any mechanical man made filter.

Just my thoughts.

worth at most .02


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## pjones (Jun 5, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> My thoughts: use live plants. thriving plants will filter the water better then any mechanical man made filter.
> 
> Just my thoughts.
> 
> worth at most .02


Dont think I am up to trying to do it the natural way yet 

This filter is interesting

Amazon.com: JBJ EFU-25 Reaction 4-Stage Canister Filter & UV Sterilizer: Kitchen & Dining


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## fishman81 (Jan 12, 2011)

glassbird said:


> I like undergravel filters. But I know a lot of people do not. To be successful, you absolutely must run it with powerheads, and use at least 1 and 1/2 inches of gravel. The gravel can not be too fine, or too big. I always used gravel of about 1/8 inch per piece, and 2 inches deep. And you need to be able to use a gravel cleaner the right way.
> 
> They are best used in conjunction with another filter, either a HOB or cannister. If your HOB or cannister dies, an established UG filter can keep your tank going until you can get the other filter fixed or replaced. The drawbacks are that the powerheads are visible if you put them all the way up to the surface of the tank, which is the way to do it for maximum effectiveness. And you can not (apparently) use them in a naturally planted tank. (I have never had real plants, so that statement is based on info from other people.)
> 
> ...


I have a UGF in a 55 gallon w/ 4 powerheads each pushing about 170/gallons /hr, it works well. i forgot several times after doing a gravel vac to turn my AQUEON 75 HOB Filter back on for a couple days and all is well, h20 is clear and fish seem fine. not that it was a good thing but it does the job well!


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I agree,that is a very interesting filter,and a great price for it as well.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If you are looking into that brand, this is more where you should go...Amazon.com: JBJ EFU-35 Reaction 4-Stage Canister Filter & UV Sterilizer: Kitchen & Dining General rule of thumb when buying a filter is buying double the rated capacity for whatever tank you're buying for. You have 60g tank, this filter is rated for 150g. The one you posted a link to is only good for 100g.....not quite double. You'll be better off later with the larger filter. It will also turnover water about 4 times a hour, which is a good figure to be at also.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

The reason most people don't like undergravel filters is twofold - one, if you go with live plants most plants don't like moving water around their root systems, and two, UGF's require a complete overhaul once a year or so for maintenance.

With that being said, in my opinion a UGF is THE BEST biological/mechanical filtration method out there, because it turns your entire gravel bed into a giant sponge filter. They're also one of the cheaper methods of filtration.

So really it's a matter of your willingness to deal with the downsides.


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