Should i add another filter???

[ANIM4L]

I currently have redone my tank and only have a couple small fish in it, but i am going to be adding mroe soon. I have a 60 gallon tank with a Marineland Biowheel 330, so 330gph filter. I was wondering, would it help any if i had a marineland H.O.T. Cannister? I dont know the gph, i believe it is around 220gph, but would that be over kill, do i need naother filter (the ifsh i am keeping are schooling fish, so lots of fish, is it a lot fo waste then? I jjust was wondering if i should go get another cannister filter or not... thanks for your help everyone!!!

 

[Tolak]

I believe in doubling up on filters whenever possible, especially on larger tanks. You don't have to maintain your filters that often, and if something breaks, or needs parts the tank can usually get by for a while with one filter.

I have a 65 that houses 7 adult angels, 2 bristlenose plecs, & 5 panda corys. I'm filtering it with an Aquaclear 300 & an Eheim 2026. The hob needs cleaning once a month, the canister every 6 months. It's a fully stocked tank the way it is now, with only smaller schooling fish I'm sure I could get by with one or the other.

Tolak

 

[ANIM4L]

ok so i should get the extra canister filter, i was thinking, since marineland filters use the Black Diamond mix to make water safe, i would use White diamond in the Canister to stop the ammonia spike

 

[Tolak]

If you plan on switching filters, just run them both together for a few weeks, giving the new filter time to cycle in. This would prevent any spikes or cycling problems.

I would run them both permanantly, you never know if your taste in fish may change in the future, you would have the required filtration set up for, say, cichlids or catfish. It also gives you a spare filter in case you run into a deal on a tank that you can't pass up.

Tolak

 

[ANIM4L]

what si better tho, a cannister filter or the biowheel?

 

[Tolak]

I don't have any bio-wheels, most all of my hob's are ac's. The hob's seem better at mechanical filtration, while the canisters are better at bio filtration. Canisters hold more media, giving more area for bacteria. Hob's have a lot of water flow for the media they contain, giving good mechanical filtration.

One of both gives you the best of both worlds, add a powerhead filter to the bottom of the tank with those 2 filters & you have a low maintainace tank you can stock far beyond reasonable. Works great for overstocked grow out tanks.

Tolak

 

[ANIM4L]

with CO2 i cant add any super water flow, i will get a cannister filter too, but what does a marineland powerhead do??? how do i install it and use it whatnot?

 

[Tolak]

I use powerheads to add circulation to the bottom of the tank, helps keep debris from settling & increases times in between vaccing the bottom. I usually hook them up to a home made filter deal for the intake;

If you attach a hose to the outflow you can hide the whole thing behind a rock or some plants with the hose buried in the gravel coming out where it can direct the flow across the long dimension of the tank towards the intake of other filters. I did that with a 250 gph pump in a 55 gallon, vac the gravel once a month with 3 large plecs & a bunch of angels. Bare bottom tanks I just drop it on the tank, aim the flow across.

Tolak

 

[ANIM4L]

if i have 4 nutrafin C02 systems hooked up, up to 80 gallons it says, for my 60 gallon, will thye become useless witht he powerhead?

so position the head to aim towards my filters? i can do that in my back left corner, my filter is in the right back so that might work!, what about the front of the tank? it woudl only clean the back?

 

[Tolak]

I set mine up for more of a circular flow around the bottom. You only need to get the flow up to where the intake of your filters are, so they can remove the suspended debris. It's a cheap & easy takeoff on this; http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ug_jets.php

If you have the time it probably would work better in a planted tank with co2. None of my tanks are planted, so no co2 here. You may want to ask in the planted section to make sure.

Tolak

 

[ANIM4L]

ok ill ask around thanks