30 Gallon Start-Up Questions

[1-2manyhobbies]

Hi,
 
I've been keeping tropical fish for about a year. The last 6 months I've had a 10 gallon. I have moved and am upgrading to a 30 gallon. I bought a used-piece-together kit from a local-ish guy. I want to plant it. When placing the tank and stand against the wall, I realized that there is no room for a hang-on-back filter. There is a lip on the stand that won't allow the tank to slide forward without sliding the stand away from the wall. I DO NOT want do have the stand away from the wall because it looses stability. (The stand comes apart for easy moving. It goes together like a puzzle). 
 
My question is: Should I buy an internal filter, or make a canister filter?
 
I would like a canister filter to hide the filter and solve my space issue. But I can't afford the $120 price tag. I found a website of a guy making his own filter. (http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-aquarium-canister-filter/?ALLSTEPS)%C2 I  know I can make the physical filter. But I'm not so sure of the mechanics of the filter. Some say you need activated carbon. Some say you don't. I've heard some say that there is bacteria on the filter floss that is critical to your tank's balance. Can anyone fill me in on the bio-mechanics of the filter? (Keep in mind this is a planted tank) The DIY filter seems cheaper to buy/make and cheaper to maintain.
 
I did find an internal filter for $25
(http/www.petsmart.com/fish/filters/aqueon-quietflow-internal-aquarium-power-filter-zid36-16901/cat-36-catid-300088?var_id=36-16901&_t=pfm%3Dcategory%26pfmvalue%3Dfaceted)
Reviews basically say it's light duty. 
 
Any help, tips, tricks, or advice is appreciated. THANKS!

 

[fluttermoth]

There are three kinds of filter media.
 
1. Mechanical. This takes actual particles from the water, but does not make a good home for bacteria. Filter floss is a mechanical medium. You can run tanks with no mechanical media, but it does help keep your tank clearer and, if it's before the biological media, can help to stop that from clogging up. Floss can replaced frequently.
 
2. Biological. This is where the bacteria grow, Most of the media in your filter should be of this type. Biological media can be sponges, ceramic noodles or ones that look like rubble (alfagrog, substrat). You never replace this, unless it's physically falling apart and then you replace only a small portion at a time so you don't lose too many bacteria at once.
 
3. Chemical. Chemical media are things like carbon and zeolite. They work by 'adsorbing' (not aBsorbing!) substances that become chemically bonded to the media. Because of this, they get 'used up' over time; they lose the ability to 'capture' any more substances, so they also need replacing (some can also be recharged, by soaking in salt water, for instance). Carbon does not adsorb ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. Carbon's main function is to remove tannins (the brown stain you get in your water if you have a lot of bogwood) or the remains of medication, if you've had to treat the tank for any reason. Even though it does make a good home for bacteria, carbon is best kept for those purposes, rather than used all the time as, if you do have it in your filter and you need to medicate the tank, you have to take it out, so you could lose some of your bacteria just when you need it most.
 
As for choosing a filter; go for the biggest one you can afford. You can always reduce the flow by using a spray bar, or by turning the outlet to face the back or side of the tank, but the more room you have for media the better.
 
Hope that helps; do post back if I haven't explained things clearly

 

[Ninjouzata]

Have you looked at the SunSun canisters? They're fairly cheaper than other canisters on ebay.

 

[Barb-barian]

If you still have that 10g and its un used you can turn that into a sub refugium. Can probably turn that into your own canister filter if you put several flow area and fill them with the mechanical and biological filters.  Would need to buy some piping and a pump but would probably end up being cheaper and you would add a little less then 10g of water volume to your tank.
 
Would like to add that I have never tried this but have messed around with some plans of my own on this idea.

 

[b3cca]

Can you not just put the HOB on one end of the tank ?