Is This Filter Enough For My Tank

[Gurglar]

I bought a new canister filter today and me being the idiot guessed how much water my tank holds instead of actually finding out properly.

Now I thought it held about 120-130litres (35 gallon) so got a filter that said up to 150litres its good for.

So I get home set it all up get it running then decide to find out what my tank holds and turns out it holds 170litres of water now i'm wondering if I should return the filter or will it still be enough.

It has on the package

operating flow rate - 400LPH
Maximum flow rate - 600LPH

So should I just keep it or return it? Not sure if I should try return it cause I already set it up and have had it running for the last couple of hours so don't know if they will accept it back.

 

[yvez9]

IMO, that filter alone will not be anough, giving about 2.5 tunrover rate an hour.

if the stock in your signature is correct, the tank is lightly stocked though so it might do for now. However, I'd gor with a filter that will turnover your water at least 5 times an hour, meaning about 750lph operational rate.

on the other hand, you could always get a second filter with a bit stronger flow than this one, perhaps 3-4 turnover rate, and set it's output opposaite to your current filter.

i have a 90 gallon tank setup with two filters, capable of 850 gph total so almost 10x an hour and the current in the tank is not strong at all in most parts.

 

[OldMan47]

It really depends a lot more on the filter media capacity than the flow rates. If it has lots of room for media, it should be able to do the filtering job. If you are going with heavy plantings, the guide for good circulation through planted areas is circulation of 10 times volume. You can use a separate power head to get the circulation but if you are going to go planted, I would return the filter and get a bigger one.

 

[Truck]

It really depends a lot more on the filter media capacity than the flow rates. If it has lots of room for media, it should be able to do the filtering job. If you are going with heavy plantings, the guide for good circulation through planted areas is circulation of 10 times volume. You can use a separate power head to get the circulation but if you are going to go planted, I would return the filter and get a bigger one.

but with lower turn over rates it takes longer for ammonia to be processed, so the base line rate will be higher than a tank with more turnover

 

[raptorrex]

but with lower turn over rates it takes longer for ammonia to be processed, so the base line rate will be higher than a tank with more turnover

volume and flow rate, are two parts of the same equation. as with any equation, if you change one part, unless you make other corrections, will change every thing else.

there seems little point having massive media area, if all the ammonia is gone by the time the water has got halfway through it. so too much flow, through too little media would result in some of the ammonia being left as the water exits. the argument that high flow rate, aid circulation, only in planted tanks, does not hold water. pockets and eddies exist in all tanks, higher flow rates mean that more from these areas gets drawn into the main flow. BUT the flow has to be allied to an increase in media area.

to the OP. yes i would return it. its not up to the task. which filter you get instead, depends on the flow you decide on. i would suggest, something with no less than 800lph.