is it the right filter?

[Xand3r]

I'm planning to set up a 40 Gallon tank or 36 G bow front, and I was wondering If I can use a Fluval 204 canister filter with the 40 G tank. The filter is rated for up to 40 gallons, and it will contain a couple of plants, and a pair of angelfish (which right now are living in a 29 G tank).
Here are some facts:
* The angels are small so I would say that the 29 is pretty big for them right now.
* I'm not buying a new filter, I already have the one described above.
* I'm not buying a new tank, right now I have a 40G (36"L x 18"W x 16"H), Or I can trade it for a 36 G bow front (I like this because is deeper 30"L x 15"W x 21"H so I think it is better for the angels)
* I know the angels will get pretty big but I can't afford a new tank right now, so I'm trying to set up something better than my current tank for them.

Now the questions:

Which tank do you think it's better for the angels the 36 or 40?
If I decide to keep the 40 will I be okay with the fluval 204 canister filter (remember that the plants will help with the biological filtration) ?

 

[Retired_AF]

The filter is rated at 40 gallons and should perform as advertised. However, my personal preference would be to go with something a little larger. A 40 gallon filter in a 40 gallon tank is operating at it's max capacity. My experience tells me that when it starts getting dirty it's efficiency drops accordingly. In the matter of filtering, more is almost always better. While plants will help some, you need the mechanical filtration to keep the water clean. The main causes of problems with fish is often traced back to dirty water. If you can afford it, I would go with something a bit higher like the 305 and use fiber fill in the last sections to keep the water sparkling.

As for the angels, I have never raised them but I wouldnt think that small bit of water capacity would make much difference to them.

I love the look of the bows. What I dont like is the distortion you get when looking through the glass at different angles. I wear bifocals and the curved glass tends to make me unable to focus on all parts of the tank without moving.

Keep in mind that this is only my opinion and you know what they say about opinions.

 

[jcolon]

I'm planning to set up a 40 Gallon tank or 36 G bow front, and I was wondering If I can use a Fluval 204 canister filter with the 40 G tank. The filter is rated for up to 40 gallons, and it will contain a couple of plants, and a pair of angelfish (which right now are living in a 29 G tank).
Here are some facts:
* The angels are small so I would say that the 29 is pretty big for them right now.
* I'm not buying a new filter, I already have the one described above.
* I'm not buying a new tank, right now I have a 40G (36"L x 18"W x 16"H), Or I can trade it for a 36 G bow front (I like this because is deeper 30"L x 15"W x 21"H so I think it is better for the angels)
* I know the angels will get pretty big but I can't afford a new tank right now, so I'm trying to set up something better than my current tank for them.

Now the questions:

Which tank do you think it's better for the angels the 36 or 40?
If I decide to keep the 40 will I be okay with the fluval 204 canister filter (remember that the plants will help with the biological filtration) ?

I personally like 40 Breeders ... but for either tank, although your not looking to buy a new filter, I'd say a Fluval 304/305 is a better option.
would be a better choice.

 

[Xand3r]

Yeah I've never liked to run a filter at its max. capacity and that's the reason I'm asking, and I agree a 304/305/306 would be a better choice. But my plan is to get a bigger tank in the future and maybe a fluval 406.

What do you think of running the 204 and a small HOB at the same time?
I think i have a HOB filter rated for up to 15 Gallons.

 

[jcolon]

Yeah I've never liked to run a filter at its max. capacity and that's the reason I'm asking, and I agree a 304/305/306 would be a better choice. But my plan is to get a bigger tank in the future and maybe a fluval 406.

What do you think of running the 204 and a small HOB at the same time?
I think i have a HOB filter rated for up to 15 Gallons.

That's a better option than just the 204, not the most ideal, but should work.
Depending of the tank your looking to get, a 406 down the road's a great filter
option ... the FX-5 would be the next after that.