Need some help with external filters....

Sye

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As some of you may know I have just set up a new 50g, I would really like an external filter with this tank.

The tank is in a corner of my room and I have about and inch & a 1/2 between the back of the tank and wall, would that be enough room for the pipes? Do I have to drill any holes in my tank?

Could someone please explain the basics of how to fit one?
 
What kind of filter do you want? I recomend Aquaclear. Aquaclear filters hang onto the side of your aquarium tank. Its VERY simple to install. All you have to do is put it together (Which a 4 year old can do) hang it on the side of your tank and plug it into your nearest electrical socket.

You wouldn't be able to put the aquaclear filter on the back of your tank however because although the pipes go directly into the water the placr where the filter media is kept can get rather bulky. Mabye hang it on a side of your tank (Instead of in the back)? It would work just as well :D
 
I haven’t got any room at the side of the tank, my room is a really weird shape :/

I have plenty of room under the tank for the filter......


I was look at the Fluval range, they seam to be pretty good and reasonably priced.... B)
 
As a newbie, I found all the tubes and shut off valves of my Fluval to be rather confusing and difficult to adjust. If you have a lot of patience, or maybe just a better mechanical ability than me, you should be able to place a canister under the tank. They are supposed to be awesome, but I got very tired of dinkering with it each time I cleaned it.
 
Correct me if I am wrong but Fluvals are under gravel aren't they? To add an under gravel you would kinda have to tear apart your tank.

I might be wrong though.
 
My Fluval 303 is a large canister with hoses that run intake and output. The only part of this model Fluval that is in the tank is the intake and output.
 
A 1-2" gap is quite sufficient for the pipes, and no, you do not need to drill your tank. The inlet tube generally mounts vertically in the tank, the return, often fitted with a spray bar, horizontally near, or above the surface of the water, (above the surface is noisy in my opinion and does not produce better effect). Get one and fit it, I can't see you having any trouble.

I always use Eheim canister filters. I find Fluvals fiddly.
 
Would it be possible to have the filter slightly above the tank(like I said my room is a really weird shape and I have a ledge next to the tank that would be ideal)?
 
External filters need to be under the tank to work properly, having the canister above the tank would put a lot of strain on the motor as it tried to suck the water up, if it works at all that is.

Where abouts in the world are you? Where you live is important as certain filters are only available in some countries.
 
CFC said:
Where abouts in the world are you? Where you live is important as certain filters are only available in some countries.
Sunny Wales :lol:

Do you have any recommendations?
 
>>> having the canister above the tank would put a lot of strain on the motor as it tried to suck the water up

I don't think it would work at all actually. If you think about it, the water is basically siphoned into the canister and all the way back through the return till it reaches the water level, thus, the pump chamber is filled with water before you turn the power on. The induction motors used will simply get hotter and hotter until they distort and fail as the water is the cooling media.

I burnt out an Eheim 1008 powerhead once when I forgot to turn it off during a water change, it was running dry for less than half an hour.

Vacuum pumps use different techniques, are noisy, and use much more power.
 
>>> Do you have any recommendations?

You'd be able to get Eheims, Fluvals and Interpets in Sunny(???) Wales, at least mail order, and of course, there's Jones's sheep... ;)

Are there still parts of Wales that are "dry" on Sundays?
 
I have a Fluval 204 and a Rena Filstar XP3 external filters running on my 70 UK gal tank. Cant fault either of them, easy to set up and clean and very quiet. The fluval runs a spray bar and the Rena just goes in and out. 1.5" would be plenty to run the pipwork to and from tank to filter.
Regards
Jim
 
I went out today and bought a Fluval 204, set it all up and the stupid thing leaked! It doesn’t seam to clamp down enough to join the two sections water tight! Im not happy! :angry: :angry: :angry:
 
Forget all other makes, Eheim are THE only external filters worth looking at. They are simple to use and ive never had any problems with them.
 

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