Survey- Your tank size versus filtration flow rate

[Scuba_dude]

I wonder how much filtration you feel sufficient for an aquarium

I would be very curious about what you consider the right number and why.

PS Indicate you mitigating factor (planted, overstocked, large fish)

 

[FishLover14]

I like 10gph filtation but i am a big fan of overfiltering a tank i have a 10gal right now and a penugin mini with a 100 gph rating on thier. I am going to buy a 29gal tank and am going to put the Penguin Mini and and Emporer 280 combined gph flow 380. I am going to have cichlids in the 29 so overfiltering it wont be bad at all.

JMHO

 

[Devilishturtles]

Well, about 7 x tank turnover is what is generally recommended for your regular FW tank.

I have 2 190 GPH filters on my 55 gallon tank, giving me just 7 x turnover.

On my SW tank, I have about 7 x turnover with 2 200 GPH powerheads, so there is alot more flow.

 

[oscarbreeder]

I go with 10 x tank turn over on my tanks because I also like to overfilter my tanks.

I use the 10 x per hour on my Oscar tank because we all know what kind of mess they can make...

 

[Frank_the_Tank]

I like 10gph filtation but i am a big fan of overfiltering a tank i have a 10gal right now and a penugin mini with a 100 gph rating on thier.

same setup

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Ive got 170 gph on my 20L., so 8.5.

 

[TomK2]

Here's my logic: Filter manufacturers will overstate the filters capacity for marketing reasons. So, I want 7- 10 X the tank volume (I like overfiltering to reduce service intervals and allow some overstocking). Therefor I take the manufacturers rating, cut it in half, then shoot for 5-7x turnover with the halved value. Am I certain that a filter in use will only be half its manufacturer rating? no. but as long as the current isn't hurting the fish, why not go overboard? Therefor for my 55 gal Oceanic plus (which probably only holds 50 gal) : Fluval 404 = 350gph manufacturer, devide by two = 175 gph. Two of them is 350 gph (halved value), which is 7x turnover. If the filter does better than half its stated rate, I get closer to 10x turnover. Plus I now have two filters, can service them independently, and will have one going if one breaks. Thats my logic, but perhaps there is no real logic behind a desire to overfilter.

 

[stormyc]

I have well over 10x, so even using understated values, I probably have around 10x.
I think I figured my rate at 13x or so using the gph flow rate on the labeling.

 

[rhetor]

I have about 220gph on my 10 gallon. Its just a Jack Dempsey but the great thing is i don't have to change filter media nearly as often as i woul with a smaller filter.

It is a Whisper 30-60.

My 125g uses a custom built filtration system with a Mag 9.5. It actually only flows about 400-500gph with a new filter, so when i'm back home I'll get a much larger pump. It will also help out a lot with the life of the filter. The water is absolutely crystal clear, its being filtered to 50micron.

 

[Toirtis]

I aim for 10x turnover, but have as much as 30x turnover on a few tanks.

 

[grimlock3000]

I am at about 13X turnover between my two filters, and going for more. I want to replace the AC200 with something different just to see how it goes.

 

[SerLunchbox]

170GPH + 350 ghp + 114 gph = 634 gph in my 50 gallon tank. (total of a 12.68X turnover rate)

 

[severum mama]

20 gallon: Aquaclear 150 and Penguin mini = 250 gph
29 gallon: Aquaclear 300 = 300 gph
35 gallon: Emperor 400 = 400 gph
55 gallon: Emperor 280 and Emperor 400 = 680 gph

 

[thanew]

anything over 10x is fine with me.. it seems to keep the tank nice and clean for a longer period of time...

so for my 55 gal I have an emperor 400 and an aqua clear 500

 

[Toirtis]

OK...I have to confess to one 12 gallon tank with two AC200s on it (400gph or about 35x turnover ).

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

MY 10 gallon has about 300 GPH.
MY 29 gallon has about 480 GPH.
My 2 1/2 gallon tanks have about 40-50 GPH
My other 10 gallon has about 150 GPH

Anyhow I think at least 10 times an hour volume of a tank preferably around 15 or so because filters slow down before you clean them.

 

[TomK2]

Boy, what a bunch of overfiltration finatics!

 

[thatuwmguy]

goldfish filtration question

I have a 37 gallon tank with 5 fancy goldfish (2 ryukins, pearlscale, oranda, and fantail) and use a penguin 330 for filtration. I clean the gravel once a week and change filter cartidges every two (alternating weeks so one is always new). I know goldfish are messy, especially mine which are getting big, so do I have enough filtration? I was thinking of installing a bio wheel pro to help with ammonia and nitrates but wonder if I already have enough filtration.

Thanks in advance!

Andy

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

my 75Gal has

Tetra Whisper 60, 330GPH
Fluval 304, 260GPH

So about 8x turnover.

 

[Gulp]

In my 110 gallon, I have (2) 350GPH canisters, and (1) 400 GPH hanging filter = 1100 GPH. I know it's probably overkill, but one of the canisters has crushed coral (to help keep my PH up) and a regular filter media, the other canister always has a micron filter (to polish the water), and the Emperor 400 has great bio-filtering capabilities. I'd rather have too much than not enough.