Question Changed: Why Buy A Cannister?

[MHunt]

You say you are going to be slightly overstocked, the one thing i haven't seen asked, is; what stock do you have or are you going to have in the tank?

One thought that came to mind was keep the whisper filter running, and just add another filter to the setup, perhaps the hob you were talking about as they can be pretty good at bio filtration.

 

[arabballin]

Oh yea i probably should of listed that.

3 opaline gouramis
6 tiger barbs
2 mollys(i know there supposed to be brackish but there living and there very happy)
3 bosemani rainbows
1 tiger pleco i think (was sold to me as yellow zebra pleco but i donno)

i think im gonna add 6 cory cats for the bottom as well and that is what made me sure i was gonna be over stocked

Despite my high stock now, my levels stay very good (ammonia 0 nitRITE 0 nitRATE 10-20). I do a 20% water change every sunday.
Another reason i want better filtering is i feel the water is just not clear enough so i want something that will polish the water and i would prefer to be over filtered than under filtered.

 

[MHunt]

I'm sorry to say but I think you are massively overstocked already. I know i read in the latest PFK that you can stock a tropical tank up to 2" per gallon after it has been running for about 6 months, but you are nearly up to that now! By my calculations you are at around 57" worth of fish. I know that is taking the absolute maximum size the fish should grow to, but you should really allow for that when stocking the tank. I really wouldn't add any more fish to your tank without removing some of the others, you have alot of large fish in there already, and to rely on filtration to keep the parameters of the tank stable is risky. If the filtration fails, things are likely to go wrong much quicker than if you were lightly stocked. I think if you do want to change the filtration, certainly go for two filters, if for no other reason than a safety net for the stocking level of the tank. But if you have a prolonged power cut? Good luck, i think you're going to need it!

 

[arabballin]

Well i was thinking of removing something in that case, cause i would really like to add corys for the bottom.

What would you recommend i remove? Or should i just stick with what i got?

All suggestions welcome

Filter suggestions also wanted:internal or HOB

 

[crazie.eddie]

HOB's are a bit noisy, since they create a waterfall effect. I used 2 Marineland Emperor 280s and an Emperor 400 HOB's and never had any problems. I also own an Hagen AquaClear 20, which all of a sudden stopped and ran dry for awhile for no reason (no power out, tank water level still high, filter not dirty). So I doubt I will trust the filter.

Internal filters occupy too much internal tank space. Unless you can cover them with plants, they wil look ugly, IMO. Also, in order for you to perform any maintenance, you will have to stick you hands in the tank. This could cause the fish to become stressed.

Canister filters work well, since they carry sufficient biological space for media. Also, you can run equipment in line (heaters, UV, etc.) to prevent the equipment from being placed in the tank.

Wet/Dry Trickle filters also work well and are easier to maintain, but can also be noisy due to the waterfall effect.

If you are planning to have a light bioload, you can go with a HOB filter, but a canister filter or wet/dry filter would be the best option. Another advantage of a canister or wet/dry filter is that you can setup the output on the opposite side of where the intake will be. This will allow better collection of waste.

Aside from the above mention HOB's I own, I also own several canister filters (Eheim Pro II 2128, Rena FilStar XP3, 2*Eheim Ecco 2234, and an Eheim Ecco 2236). I am very pleased with the Eheim Eccos and use them to replace the HOB's I own. The Ecco line filters, have a nice carrying handle, which also doubles as a priming handle AND a water shut-off.

 

[Go_fish]

I would go with the previous suggestion - keep your current filter running, and then set up a second one. Personally, I have used Eheim External Cannisters for years. Originally purchased a Classic 2217 and 2213 about 7 years ago, and they are still going strong with very little maintenance. They are a fraction of the price now coz newer models have come on the market, but still as good as ever. I won't change mine unless they pack-up. I know you said they are are more than you wanted to pay, but bear in mind that it will still be good for a bigger tank. Worth every penny IMO

 

[arabballin]

Ok ive been convinced. I want a canister filter

but does it have to be eheim? what other brands would u reccomend. On ebay im finding good stuff but eheims are the most expensive of the bunch so i wondering if eheim was the only brand you would all reccomend.

Honestly, is there really that much of a difference in filters, cause they all seem to do the same thing to me. They suck up water pass it through some sponges and stuff and hopefully the water comes out clean. From what i see its all the same as long as you dont get something thats totally horrible.
Anyone got anything to tell me if my thinking is right or wrong?

 

[rfisher]

Hi,

Earlier in the thread I added about a Tetratec EX700 Canister filter, good value for money. I bought mine on Ebay for £60, inc del. I run it on a 30G Tank. Never had any problems with it.

Rich

 

[jordan.m]

Canister filters are the best, right?

 

[arabballin]

Canister filters are the best, right?

But why are they the best?
As i said before, isnt all filtration the same in the sense that filters all suck up water and pass it through some form of material to filter out the bad stuff?
So in a sense as long as i get a decent filter and buy some real good filtering media for it, wont it do good work since my tank is fairly small?

Some one please explain if my thinking is wrong or right and explain why or why not.

Please and thank you.

 

[Go_fish]

To be honest with you, I went for Eheim cannisters as they were the ones recommended by my LFS. I did not do any reasearch on them at all - never even realised there were forums like these! Got them almost 7 years ago, and I am pretty sure that if the LFS had recommended a different brand I would have gone with them instead. So, I'm afraid I cannot give you an unbiased opinion on filters. Suffice to say I have never had any problems with them, and would therefore stick with Eheim for any future filters I buy. I am sure there are others equally as good - after all, they wouldn't be purchased by countless numbers of fish keepers if they were useless!

I am sure that whatever you decide to go for, as long as it is designed for the size tank you have (ideally more), it will work just fine.

 

[RRasco]

it really matters on your size of tank, type of application, and personal preference. I have a 55 gallon mbuna tank that is running an xp2, i used to have an Emp400 on there, but i am also injecting co2 via an inline reactor on the xp2. if i were to use HOBs they would create too much surface agitation and thus the loss of all my co2. i would also have to have a different kind of reactor, like one in the tank, and i didnt want that. i almost bought an ehiem, but i had nothing to go on except a bunch of people telling me get the eheim and a bunch of other people saying fluval, and of course the bunch that said rena. i think it just goes with what they can say, i can recommend an xp2 because i have one, i will not recommend a fluval or eheim, not because they are bad and do not work well, but because i have never used them. there may be slight differences in some brands with ease of priming, media changing maintenance, and of course overall craftsmanship. i like the xp2 because to change the media i just unplug it, pull of the priming lever which closes and removes the quick disconnect piece the hoses are attached to. i then can remove the can and leave everything else connected. eheim and fluval could have this same type of system, but i would not know since i havent used them before. hope this helps on your decision.

 

[jordan.m]

I use Hagen Aqua Clears (a HOB)

What exactly does HOB mean?

 

[crazie.eddie]

HOB=Hang on Back filters, like Aquaclear 50's, 100's, 150's, etc. Also like the Emperor 280's, 480's, etc. Basically filters that hang on back of the tank.

Eheim's have always been known to have good filters. They still sell and support their original filters (eheim classics), which many people still use today. Eheim is known to be the Porche of canister filters, just improving on an already great product.