# New tank setup & adequate filter?



## carboncopy (Jul 26, 2009)

I have just purchased a 46 Gal bowfront, and it comes with a topfin 40. The pickup tube only looks to come down into the water about 6 inches. Is this adequate? I have another 20 gal filter, that perhaps I should run as well until I can afford to get a canister style designed for this size of a tank? I only have 4 barbs, 2 algea eaters, 2 small cichlids (electric yellow, and some blue striped guy), a krib, and 2 giant danios.

I am looking to move these from a 20 gallon tank that has been running for a year now, but don't have room to maintain 2 tanks for the cycle time. It will be entirely new substrate (pool filter sand) and a bunch of new rocks that I will soak for a while before, as well as a couple existing items, plastic plants, rocks, and a chunk of wood. Once this appears to have settled down form the new setup, I plan on moving in a handfull of other cichlids.

Any opinions, recomendations, words of warning?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I would put the 2 filters on it. In fact I would put both filters on the 20 for a couple of weeks to let the bacteria build up on it also, that way the filter would be cycled when you move both to the larger tank. When you get the new filter let it run on there for a couple of weeks before removing the other 2 or take all the media out of the 2 and put into the new filter.


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## Saprobic (Nov 14, 2008)

I would tend to agree with Susankat. It is very difficult to overfilter. 
That being said if you keep your bioload low you can get away with less filtration. To a point the biolaod is more relevant than the size for filtration but water movement may be an issue with an undersized filter also. 

Good luck.


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## carboncopy (Jul 26, 2009)

There won't be any issues with the pickup tube not coming down into the tank far enough?


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## JIM (May 27, 2009)

*Some folks, including me like to have the pick-up tube all the way to the bottom, so youre constantly turning the water completely over, but i dont think its an issue, and ive never seen anything etched in stone about that theory, its just my theory, which dont make it right * just makes it my theory LOL


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## carboncopy (Jul 26, 2009)

Well I said to heck with it, and just got a new Emperor 400, and sent both the old filters with the 20 gallon. The 400 is a little louder than I was anticipating since it sits in the living room about 5' from the TV, but I will get used to it until I have a house with a little more room.


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## JIM (May 27, 2009)

*I ran the 400 on a couple of tanks for a long time, i like the bio-wheels, although there is conflicting info on their true value, at the very least they add a lot of o2 to the water, BUT they were noisy so i wound up using them on tanks in my fishroom til they finally gave out, now i use the HOT magnum.*


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## spawn (Sep 21, 2009)

you may buy 1 ethim external filter...


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## Oldman (May 25, 2009)

Unlike Jim, I find the Marineland filter is great when it comes to noise as long as the water level in the tank is fairly high. I position the tube that sprays on the wheel so that it creates rotation without making a lot of noise. My HOT Magnum is reserved as an emergency cycled filter and is usually left running on my big community tank. It is quite noisy unless I spend a lot of time trying to strike the perfect balance of position of both the filter and the return tubing.
As far as the concept of SusanKats post, I think you would be fine just moving the filter and all to the new tank, along with the fish. Since that filter is presently taking care of your fish, it should be able to take care of their bioload in the new tank too. While both filters are running on the new tank, the bacterial colony will start to become established in the new filter too. That means that anytime after about a month, you could start increasing the total stocking of the 46 gallon.


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## spawn (Sep 21, 2009)

what kinda fish you have in your tank?


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