Recommended filtration rate

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Qozux

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Sep 3, 2013
Messages
64
Location
Maryland
I've read too many different opinions and I'm trying to make sense of them. Some say you should cycle your water volume 8-10x per hour and others say 3-5. That's an absurd difference. I'm looking at a canister rated for 264 that says it's good for 75g, so that's about 3.5x/hour, where I would expect that to be better for like a 29g.
So what do you use?
What have you found to be too much?
Not enough?

I'm planning to set up a 29g in about a week, not sure yet if I'll move my 10g into it and use my 10g as a QT, or buy some juvie cichlids to grow out until I buy a 100+ in Feb.
 
I've read too many different opinions and I'm trying to make sense of them. Some say you should cycle your water volume 8-10x per hour and others say 3-5. That's an absurd difference. I'm looking at a canister rated for 264 that says it's good for 75g, so that's about 3.5x/hour, where I would expect that to be better for like a 29g.
So what do you use?
What have you found to be too much?
Not enough?

I'm planning to set up a 29g in about a week, not sure yet if I'll move my 10g into it and use my 10g as a QT, or buy some juvie cichlids to grow out until I buy a 100+ in Feb.

I go by rated GPH. So say I have a 20 gallon, I'd get something rated for 60 gallons. The more you can filter the better. You going with a HOB or canister?
 
no such thing as to much filtration but there is to much flow

Aha! Good tag team effort. Luckily, the fluval canisters allow you to significantly dial down the output. For instance, I used my 304 on a 5 gallon about a year ago and not too much flow. Talk about WAY over filtering. If recommend a canister if you want a ton of capacity and the ability to control flow rate. The AC HOB's give you that option as well but it hardly makes a difference on the larger models (50,70, 110)
 
Hello Q...

The filtration system does very little to keep the tank water clean. It just takes in toxic water and returns water that's a bit less toxic. Its main function is gas exchange. The filter moves the surface of the water to mix oxygen into the water and to allow carbon dioxide to escape.

Many tank keepers overfilter their tanks, but you don't need to do it. If you follow an aggressive water change routine by removing and replacing half the tank water every week and have a filtration system that turns over 4 times the water volume of the tank every hour, you'll have a healthy tank.

The key to a healthy fish tank isn't an expensive filtration system with a gph that's "through the roof", it's large, frequent water changes.

B
 
Hello Q...

The filtration system does very little to keep the tank water clean. It just takes in toxic water and returns water that's a bit less toxic. Its main function is gas exchange. The filter moves the surface of the water to mix oxygen into the water and to allow carbon dioxide to escape.

Many tank keepers overfilter their tanks, but you don't need to do it. If you follow an aggressive water change routine by removing and replacing half the tank water every week and have a filtration system that turns over 4 times the water volume of the tank every hour, you'll have a healthy tank.

The key to a healthy fish tank isn't an expensive filtration system with a gph that's "through the roof", it's large, frequent water changes.

B

Agree with BBradbury ... at 55-60gal rated filter for a 29gal tank should be more than enough. The exceptions might be with very messy ... very high bio-load fish. In either case, water change's the key.
 
I usually do 2-40% PWCs a week. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less depending on when I get bored.
I think what I'm going to start off with for the 29 is my 30g HOB I'm using now on my 10g and 2 corner sponge filters with the tetra 60g rated air pump. I'll wait on the cans till I get a huge tank and a good stand to hide them in.
 
Agree with BBradbury ... at 55-60gal rated filter for a 29gal tank should be more than enough. The exceptions might be with very messy ... very high bio-load fish. In either case, water change's the key.

Yep indeed. Things like cichlids could do with extra filtration because people tent to overstock, especially mbuna.
 
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