Filter Question

[Cheese Specialist]

Hey guys,

I have done a search on here to try and find an answer to this question, but I didn't find anything.

I was just wondering how you work out how much filtration is needed purely on a water volume basis (I understrand that things like type of fish etc will matter).

How much lph is needed per gallon, or is is you need the tank to be filtered X amounts of times an hour?

Thanks

 

[Stryker]

I've heard 8x filtration vs gallons as a general rule, but that has to be about as applicable as the stocking general rule. IE 80gal per hour or more for a 10 gal tank.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

there really are no rules that work, I certainly don't go by them. It not only depends on type of fish and stocking levels, but it also depends on the filtration type.

Canisters, for example, accomplish an equal filtration job to hanging filters using half the flow. Air driven sponge filters even less. Trickle wet dry filters even less still!

Instead of relying on unreliable rules of thumb for anything in this hobby, you should take your own situation into account and judge off of your own variables.

My 15 gallon is being effectively filtered at 3x per hour. My 90 gallon is at 2x per hour. My 110 gallon is at about 7x per hour. All of these tanks are equally clean and healthy. None of this can mean much to anyone without all of the details about each tank, right?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

As long as you've got circulation, mechanical and biological filtration (and chemical, if you want), and the water is circulated at least a few times, you should be fine.

Like previously said, different filter types have different cycling rates. Of course, you could double up, but it's not that necessary in a freshwater tank.