Two cans or one

[seangee]

I have 2 cannisters in my 55G community tank.
Partly because at the time I believed that there is no such thing as too much filtration but also because I had a spare and figured it made more sense to have a cycled filter ready to go if I got another tank or one of these broke.

This morning I noticed that at my last water change on Monday I had forgotten to turn the bigger of these back on . I immediately did tests for ammonia and nitrites. Both came out at 0 so clearly I don't need both.

Would you keep the redundant one running or just store it on a shelf? Sadly I don't have the space for another glass box to attach the spare to

 

[Colin_T]

wash the one out that was not plugged in and set it back on so you have 2 filters running. You never know when one is going to fail and who knows, another glass box might suddenly appear and need a filter

 

[AbbeysDad]

I think there IS such a thing as too much filtration. Good filtration is about how well we filter water, not how much water we push through one or more filters.
High flow does not mean good filtration! I saw a post once where a fellow complained that the finer filter pads too soon reduced the flow from his filter, so he opted for more coarse media (so 'stuff; just goes right on through?!?!).
In another post I saw a fellow with three(3) canister filters on his 55g tank!
The 4x to 10x GPH filter flow relative to tank size and the notion that 'you can't have too much filtration' are a hobby myths that gets regurgitated all the time. Imagine if you were to filter every drop really well 2x every hour how clean the water would be.
If it was me, I'd clean the spare really well and have it on standby unless/until needed. You don't need a running spare, as you can transfer media to instant cycle another filter. Besides, there is far more BB in the substrate of established tanks than in any filter.

 

[Colin_T]

Besides, there is far more BB in the substrate of established tanks than in any filter.

Only if your running an undergravel filter. Without filters we would not be able to keep that many fish in a tank and would have a lot more ammonia and nitrite problems.

 

[NickAu]

One canister is enough.

I run my 6 foot tank on 2 sponge filters, In a heavily planted tank thats not overstocked the only reason you may need a filter is for water polishing and to create a bit of current the plants do the rest.

6 foot 100 gallon 2 medium size sponge filters.

 

[Colin_T]

yeah but how many people have a heavily planted tank with only a few fish in

 

[Byron]

There are some misconceptions in this thread. AbbeysDad is correct, you certainly can have too many filters and it becomes detrimental.

First thing is to decide what "filtration" means. If you mean running the tank water through media to remove particulate matter, i.e., keeping the water clear [as opposed to clean, they are two very different things], then theoretically the more filters the better.

But we also use filters for nitrification, and that is where it becomes a problem if you have too many filters, too large filters, or filters with too fast a flow-through. This is the "clean water" [as opposed to clear water] aspect of a filter. And there is absolutely no benefit in too large a filter, too many filters, or too fast a flow-through; and there can be quite the opposite, because too fast a flow throough a filter inhibits nitrification; the bacteria simply cannot remove the ammonia.

One also must keep in mind the fish species and their requirements respecting water current. This can stress out fish that expect quiet waters.

 

[Colin_T]

summing up.
you had 2 filters running on it before and had no problems with fish or water quality. Have them both running or put one in storage, either way it is fine whatever you do with the second filter.

 

[Fin & Feather]

Like Colin_T said, Run it or shelf it. I have some tanks that are heavily planted and some are lightly planted. Some are more populated than others. For the tanks where the spieces require a substantial group or have larger fish I run 2 filters. In a large tank I run one at either end to make sure there no "dead pool" stagnant areas that can gather gases or toxins.
Depending on your system, just one filter might not pull in the entire area of water efficiently. Or if it is rated for your volume and above, it may have too much suction and too strong an outflow, making the fish expend constant energy on fighting current. I usually mix a stronger and not as strong, filter in a tank.
I was happy that I always have a new spare on hand. I had a recent filter failure on a single filter tank. I took a secondary filter from another running tank and installed it in the tank that lost the filter. I put the new "spare" filter into the tank I had just robbed a filter from. I am trying to repair the failed filter with spare parts from another expired filter of the same brand. ( I don't buy that brand anymore)
But like someone said earlier in this thread, you could get a quick start from your already established tank medium if you needed to restart the secondary filter from storage.
Putting it in the closet also extends it's life. Decisions, decisions.

 

[seangee]

I'll be leaving it. The small filter is the one that was designed for the aquarium so flow / capacity is perfect. The Fluval 406 originally came from a much larger tank and has a spray bar with enlarged holes to reduce the current. Having one at each end has definitley got rid of the dead spots. Both have more or less standard media config. I suspect the 406 may originally have come with carbon which has been replaced by sponge / floss.

Since it aint broken I don't see any point in messing with it

 

[Fin & Feather]

I am happy you settled your quandary. Ya seem like a very nice fellow. I enjoy reading your posts. I just finished replying to Flutter Moth. She mildly reprimanded me for only having one gold dojo. It was constantly being harassed by it's mucher larger tank mates. If I can't find one close to it's small size. My friend who manages a different fish store may have some and if he doesn't, he will order the size I need. In the mean time, the golden loach seems much more relaxed than at the store The worst that happens is a Cory occasionally bumbles into it. The Dojo has learned to ignore it., like some adult kid that occasionally has his hair tousled by his Mom. The Dojo hangs out with the Kuhli loach in one the castle cave and occasionally comes out to eat or be social.
Who gives out the subtitles around here? I don't care for " fish fanatic" I prefer "Keeper of the Fish Peace." Or "The "Underwater Cowboy" at the Deep Sea Corral. Or "Fin Meister" Na,
that's a little droll. Fanatic implies a mental disorder.
I also ordered several new " spare" filters. The back ups are on the way. Azoo Mignon 60. Power filter. Great little work horse filter! It's compact but strong. Great reviews. The new spare I had ready is a Tetra 20i.
Thanks for being friendly. ---Good fishing---Mont.

 

[Fin & Feather]

Is there a quorum around here, where in a staff meeting they say like. "Let's call this guy " Fish face," and that guy. "Creature From the Black Lagoon" I have a sense of humor but I don't find "fish fanatic" funny.

 

[seangee]

Is there a quorum around here, where in a staff meeting they say like. "Let's call this guy " Fish face," and that guy. "Creature From the Black Lagoon" I have a sense of humor but I don't find "fish fanatic" funny.

Most forum software automatically "promotes" you to the next level based on number of posts. Hopefully a moderator can intervene if it bugs you.