External filters

[Riccardo1976]

Hi,

I have a rekord 96 and i am not happy with the filtration quality.

I have read other posts on the subject and it seems that external filters are the solution.

However is there the danger that one of the pipes may come off and flood the room in which the tank is placed? This is my only worry.

 

[Lateral Line]

Very many hobbyists rely on external filters. I have big Eheims on all of my display tanks. There is always a danger of something going wrong if you do not set it up right, but external filters are not rocket science, and most quality units will not fail catastrophically.

What can happen is you get a slow leak, (like a liter a week on a bad one), and even then, if you keep your connectors clean, and treat your sealer rings well, that won't happen. Some makes are more prone to this then others. I have not had serious leak problems with Eheim, I always had small leaks with Fluvals. (Just stand the filter in a bucket!).

A bigger problem is that one of the pipes falls out of the tank because it was not correctly installed. In this case the filter may pump the contents out, or be starved of water and overheat, depending on which pipe fell out.

Remember, there is always the chance that a seal on your tank will fail and dump the entire contents on the floor. Rare, but it does happen. A catastrophic failure on a well set up and maintained external would be just as rare.

Externals are good. I have not had serious problems in 20+ years. They take up less space in the tank, are quiet and efficient.