# Starting a 30 gallon tank! What filter to use?



## ro laren

I just got a 30 gallon tank off craigslist:








So excited... didn't come with a filter though. What's everyone's favorite filter that's:
quiet (I live in a studio)
good for planted tanks (I heard something about not using a biowheel for planted tanks?)


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## navigator black

I like hang on the back filters - others will swear by canisters. I prefer Aquaclears because you have to buy new media every few years at most, and you can easily use biological media. The other brands can be modified, but they are designed for their little slot cartridges, and they never quite work as well.
My beef with canisters is quality. The manufacturers have been using cheaper parts and some of them, especially the fluvals, seem inclined to break very easily. Add to that they are a pain to clean, and I'll go with the simplest design every time.


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## Summer

Ive been using hang on types as well, mostly because ...im poor :b But they do the job, and hte aqua clears are very cool with their customizable media area


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## Crazy

I highly recommend the Marineland emperor series even though it does have a bio-wheel, but no matter what you go with look for something that will put you at 5-7x filtration or so per hour, depending on what fish you have in there. Some fish need higher filtration and current while some fish need the exact opposite.


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## ro laren

Sounds like I might be getting an HOB- I'm looking at the Hagen AquaClear Power Filter 30. Or should I get the 50?? Do I have to? I plan to stock some RCS, some endler's livebearers, and some celestial pearl danios once it's cycled.
Also, about the Marineland Emporor Bio-wheel, in case I see one at an unbeatable price on craigslist: is that something I have to buy more media/cartridges/stuff for more often?
And does anyone know why exactly the bio-wheel isn't ideal for a planted tank? I plan to grow a carpet of hemianthus.
Thanks!


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## Tomorrowland

CrazyMFFM said:


> I highly recommend the Marineland emperor series even though it does have a bio-wheel, but no matter what you go with look for something that will put you at 5-7x filtration or so per hour, depending on what fish you have in there. Some fish need higher filtration and current while some fish need the exact opposite.


I agree. The Emperor series is amazing. I have two 400's running on my 75 gallon. I planted several Amazon Swords, Anubias, and Java Ferns (totaling to six plants) in there for the first three months to see how they dealt with the filtration. They have absolutely thrived, so I am now in the process of heavily planting the tank. My experience with planted tanks is very limited, but I have been successful thusfar. I place roughly 40 API Root Tabs just under the surface of my substrate (sand) once monthly, dose the tank with API CO2 booster once daily (as I do not have a CO2 injection system) and API Leaf Zone once a week.

Best of luck and enjoy your new tank!


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## BBradbury

Hello ro...

I have a couple of 30 G tanks and use a Hagen AquaClear 50 in both of them. The cost for one is about $35.00 to $40.00. Good quality and very easy to service. No bio wheel if that's a concern.

B


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## ro laren

Hmm, Aqua Clear 50 or Emporor bio-wheel... I guess it will have to come down to price. I'll see what I can find! Thanks all...


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## ElChef194

i use Aqueon QuietFlow50 in my 29 gal. it is super quite--moreso than my buddy's biowheel filter. it is self priming, and super effective. i change the filters (12 for 40USD) once a month and rinse them off (in hot water treated with tank conditioner) every water change. this saves me a bundle of money as my tank is over stocked. i use the same brand of filter except it is the QuietFlow30 in my 20 gal. that tank is also over stocked.


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## ro laren

Yes, I researched a little more and found that the biowheels are noisy no matter the water level, which made me choose the aqua clear. Because my tank is across the room from the bed, my priorities are set for me


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## JonJonHobbyist

I used to use an AC50 on my 30 gallon and it worked amazingly and was quite quiet, the tank was about four feet from my bed and I didn't have any issues sleeping (running water outs me to sleep anyway). If you do for for the AquaClears splurge on the 50 instead of the 30, the flow can be adjusted down anyway if you feel it's to strong at full current. Around christmas I added an AquaTech 30-60 from walmart for around 35$ I think. The AquaTech added a LOT of current to my tank but with the Aquaclear turned down it wasn't really an issue in my tank with the species I have. Just recently I removed the Aquaclear and transformed it into a mini-refugium for my 10 gallon saltwater and only using the Aquatech. So far I havent had any problems with the aquatech but when they say change the cartridges every 2-4 weeks they mean it, the filter picks up so much waste that the cartridge becomes saturated quite quickly (take that however you like but to me that's a good thing, it just means it's doing it's job) but since it has a bio-screen thing you don't need to worry about losing good bacteria when changing the cartridge.


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## beaslbob

I just use plants as my filter


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## ro laren

beaslbob said:


> I just use plants as my filter


lol yes I've heard thx


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## hanky

Get an aquaclear , cant beat the price for the filtration, quiet, flexible filtering options. Take out the carbon media and put in some bio wheels or ceramic media for extra cleaning. Rinse sponge out every so often and replace it when it doesnt hold its shape which will be a long time. No expensive "cartridges" to buy.


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## ro laren

Yup, my order for an Aquaclear 50 is already hurtling its way to the Amazon distribution center as we speak 
I think it's going to be good.


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## piklmike

I use 2 Tetra i20's in my 29g. They are very quiet and hang on the back "inside" the tank,and are fairly inexpensive. The flow can be quite fast so watch what size fish you put in. I hang mine on opposite "sides" facing each other.


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## ro laren

Last night was the first night I spent with the new Aquaclear 50 filter running. The trickling water sound is pleasant– perfectly all right with that. There is kind of a motor "clickclickclick" or "putputput" sound though. I didn't notice it when we first plugged it in, but we had the AC on at the time. It's not really a hum; the components of the sound are a tiny bit too spaced out to be a hum. In the early morning hours I woke and listened and worried that sand had gotten into the impeller somehow, so i unplugged it. (There are no fish and I haven't started the cycle.) But I checked and it's fine. Anyone else familiar with this noise? It's not the cover rattling.


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## FishFlow

I have an AQ70 on a 29, and it doesn't make any noise. It's 5+ years old. Unfortunately, I have recently read reviews of AQ's making odd noises.

Pull the motor off, (be sure no water is in the filter) and remove the impellor. Insure there is nothing in the impellor well.

A second point to check, the fins of the impellor spin in a type of housing that you pull off from the inside. Remove that panel to insure fins are not rubbing against housing.


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## ro laren

> A second point to check, the fins of the impellor spin in a type of housing that you pull off from the inside. Remove that panel to insure fins are not rubbing against housing.


I did remove that housing, but didn't notice any way to tell if the impeller was rubbing against it.
Also, I noticed the impeller sort of floats and when pushed it bobs up and down instead of being secured to the motor. I assume that's normal? Seems like that would make for a quieter filter.


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## ro laren

Impeller wasn't touching the housing, but, I did leave the lid off and was not bothered by the sound at night. Really think it's super quiet with it off. Is there any reason anyone knows why I can't keep the lid off all the time?


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## JonJonHobbyist

I've had the same issues with the rattling lid on my AC 50, unless you've got a cat or some other animal that is snoopy and you don't mind leaving it off visually, it isn't an issue to leave it off. I usually do but sometimes my cats like to investigate the humming and end up splashing the water in it so I put the lid on and set something semi heavy on it to deaden the vibration sound but usually the lid ends up off after water changes until my cats notice again. On my saltwater tank at my girlfriends place the lid stays permanently off as I use an AC 70 as a small DIY refuge and I haven't had issues with it either.


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## Hooperman42

I love biowheels my Marineland and cant imagine why they would not be good for plants. I use two ML Bio Wheel 350's in my 55G - so thats 4 large wheels and 8 cartridges - although I will use less expensive media and use it till it simple clogs as I want all the good bacteria possible. In my 37G I use one Penguin Biowheel (I think its the 250) that has one smaller wheel and two cartridges. And I use a Aqueon 50 which is super quite as you know since the motor is actually underwater so never needs to be primed as well. I have that one full of fluval bio material as well as the filter. Needs healthy bacteria is the key which is why I am suprised at the comments about plants not being good for biowheel filters - or vice versa I should say. All the best! Hoop


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## Hooperman42

Also note that I cut fluval aquarium sponges and slip them between the glasstop and before the outflow on each of the pumps to keep them quiet and to limit the disturbance of the water which is good if feeding flakes of course and some fish simply dont like all that turbulence such as angels and of course bettas.


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## ro laren

> I love biowheels my Marineland and cant imagine why they would not be good for plants.


I guess it's for the same reason they're a little noisier– the splash. The disturbance in the water leads to the water gassing out the co2, so if you're injecting co2 in your water then a lot of splashing is a bit counterproductive..

And I didn't know the Aqueon 50 has the motor underwater; that's interesting. I went with the AC 50, which is good so far, but I don't have fish yet. I'll follow up here much later when I have had some experience.


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