Need new filter for 30g tank - BEST FILTER?

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That's fine you can have your opinion of course over filtration is better but 1 IMO is fine for a not overstocked 55.
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I agree with you Josh7 ........ so long as the aquarium is not overstocked. So long as you have a FluvalC or Aquaclear HOB ......... the same rules for GPH flow that apply to Canister filters apply to these HOB's.

The key of course is that the media is correct.

For that go here:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/cloudy-water-help-287548.html

and here:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...er-any-suggestion-pictures-inside-286420.html
 
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I agree with you Josh7 ........ so long as the aquarium is not overstocked. So long as you have a FluvalC or Aquaclear HOB ......... the same rules for GPH flow that apply to Canister filters apply to these HOB's.

The key of course is that the media is correct.

For that go here:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/cloudy-water-help-287548.html

and here:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...er-any-suggestion-pictures-inside-286420.html

You can't compare GPH in a canister to GPH in a HOB. The water has maybe 2 seconds of media contact in an AC70 compared to 5 ot 6 seconds in a large canister. Longer media contact= more biological filtration takes place per filter pass.
 
You can't compare GPH in a canister to GPH in a HOB. The water has maybe 2 seconds of media contact in an AC70 compared to 5 ot 6 seconds in a large canister. Longer media contact= more biological filtration takes place per filter pass.
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I am sure you are theoretically correct ....... but in the real world ..... thanks to what I have learned from this forum ... I have the most crystal clear diamond studded "fish suspended in air" look that is beyond anything I have ever seen in any fresh or saltwater tank in my life. I have almost become obsessed with how crystal clear and odorless my water is in two tanks with different HOB filters (one being overstocked).

I have had a lot of "traffic" running through my house for the Holidays since Thanksgiving ..... including several people I didn't even know. I could elaborate but just say the guests are all STUNNED by the clarity of my water making my two tanks the centerpiece of conversation.

The pictures in my profile that show "fish swimming in air" were taken before I upped the water changes & substrate to every ten days [($1 a gallon spring water) ... tap is horrible.) Nitrates currently at 10ppm. That's when I had to coin the "diamond studded water."

In the real world, 90% of HOB filters are essentially worthless when using factory cartridge replacements. Fluvals are just an entire different story OR customized media.

I am under this same handle at fishlore.com Copied and pasted from my last post there:

"the difference in my two tanks is that maintenance on the Fluval C3 in the 29 gallon is 10 minutes a month .... while maintenance on the Aqua-Tech is 10 times that and it is MESSY to boot. For that reason, I have treated myself to a new two filter system on my 38 gallon for Christmas which is now on order at amazon.com. I am installing an AquaClear50 and a Fluval C3 both with Fluval Edge Pre-Filter sponges."
To put an end to spending time, effort and mess, it is costing me about $150 to put a new HOB system on my 38 gallon [including stocking up on Puigen and polishing pads].
Since I have become a "Clearwater snob" ........ I would have paid twice that for a canister if it would produce an upgrade in clarity.
 
The OP said that AC70 offers the flexibility to filter a 50 gallon tank. This isn't true. I don't care what their marketing team says. An AC70 can handle a 30 gallon, at the most, and that's it. In a 30 gallon it barely produces enough flow and surface agitation as it is. The addition of an airpump would not be a bad idea.

You are entitled to your opinion, but it doesn't make you right. In this case you are wrong.
 
You are entitled to your opinion, but it doesn't make you right. In this case you are wrong.
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Agree. My Fluval C3 only has 153 GPH rating and keeps my 29 gallon sparkling clean, fish happy & healthy, and water parameters in check. 153/29 = 5.27 ....... about the same rate used for canister filters.

Fluval AquaClear 70 should do the same for a non-overstocked 55 gallon. Do the math at 300 gph.

300/55 = 5.45

The same of course cannot be said for non Fluval HOB filters.
 
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I am sure you are theoretically correct ....... but in the real world ..... thanks to what I have learned from this forum ... I have the most crystal clear diamond studded "fish suspended in air" look that is beyond anything I have ever seen in any fresh or saltwater tank in my life. I have almost become obsessed with how crystal clear and odorless my water is in two tanks with different HOB filters (one being overstocked).

I have had a lot of "traffic" running through my house for the Holidays since Thanksgiving ..... including several people I didn't even know. I could elaborate but just say the guests are all STUNNED by the clarity of my water making my two tanks the centerpiece of conversation.

The pictures in my profile that show "fish swimming in air" were taken before I upped the water changes & substrate to every ten days [($1 a gallon spring water) ... tap is horrible.) Nitrates currently at 10ppm. That's when I had to coin the "diamond studded water."

In the real world, 90% of HOB filters are essentially worthless when using factory cartridge replacements. Fluvals are just an entire different story OR customized media.

I am under this same handle at fishlore.com Copied and pasted from my last post there:

"the difference in my two tanks is that maintenance on the Fluval C3 in the 29 gallon is 10 minutes a month .... while maintenance on the Aqua-Tech is 10 times that and it is MESSY to boot. For that reason, I have treated myself to a new two filter system on my 38 gallon for Christmas which is now on order at amazon.com. I am installing an AquaClear50 and a Fluval C3 both with Fluval Edge Pre-Filter sponges."
To put an end to spending time, effort and mess, it is costing me about $150 to put a new HOB system on my 38 gallon [including stocking up on Puigen and polishing pads].
Since I have become a "Clearwater snob" ........ I would have paid twice that for a canister if it would produce an upgrade in clarity.


http://s948.photobucket.com/user/Paul1792/media/38CommunityMVI_0563_zps90fe22c2.mp4.html?sort=4&o=1

Lol this is funny, bragging about how clear your water is. I agree that a AC70 is not sutible for a 55g and that you have a much larger amount of BB in a cansiter, it also adds volume to the tank, about 3-4 gallons. You have much more freedom with a canister. In my 37g this is how i did it.

image-2057067453.jpg

Ofcourse you dont need GFO in a freshwater tank. carbons helps but is not needed. The polyfill in the bottom is for BB, so are the bio-balls and ceramic media. It holds like a 30:5 ratio (BB in the canister to BB in the HOB) of BB, which allows you to be able to have a fully stocked tank, not overstocked though.
 
Lol this is funny, bragging about how clear your water is.

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Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm so what is so funny about bragging about my clear water when I gave all credit to this forum?

Scroll back ....... I was actually complimenting the people on this forum that let me know ...... it's all about the media ........... and that for freshwater tanks (generally those 55 gallons or less) ....... you can get the same result as a canister with an HOB if the media is right.

What is wrong with bragging about my super diamond crystal clear water? No different than what I consider sharing but do you consider bragging about how big your Angelfish got ........ how beautiful is your Discuss, etc.

I learned a lot from this forum ...... otherwise .... I'd be in a mess when it comes to aquarium water. Sorry if it offends you that what I learned here caused me to have probably some of the most crystal clear water on the planet.

I know nothing about salt water tanks ....... so if I offended any saltwater tank owners, I apologize. I totally understand that salt water tanks have a different set of rules for crystal clear water ........ and I do respect that.
 
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Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm so what is so funny about bragging about my clear water when I gave all credit to this forum?

Scroll back ....... I was actually complimenting the people on this forum that let me know ...... it's all about the media ........... and that for freshwater tanks (generally those 55 gallons or less) ....... you can get the same result as a canister with an HOB if the media is right.

What is wrong with bragging about my super diamond crystal clear water? No different than what I consider sharing but you consider bragging about how how big your Angelfish got ........ how beautiful is your Discuss, etc.

I learned a lot from this forum ...... otherwise .... I'd be in a mess. Sorry if it offends you that what I learned here caused me to have probably some of the most crystal clear water on the planet.

I know nothing about salt water tanks ....... so if I offended any saltwater tank owners, I apologize. I totally understand that salt water tanks have a different set of rules for crystal clear water ........ and I do respect that.

I think i may have got the wrong idea, sorry.

EDIT: i think you also stated that you have never seen a clearer tank in your life? I think that is obserd. Maybe at your local petsmart or petco but you should try taking a look at more places than your local petsmart before saying youve got one of the cleanest tanks on the planet. Even if you have clear water, it doesnt mean you have to go start bragging about it.
 
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Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm so what is so funny about bragging about my clear water when I gave all credit to this forum?

Scroll back ....... I was actually complimenting the people on this forum that let me know ...... it's all about the media ........... and that for freshwater tanks (generally those 55 gallons or less) ....... you can get the same result as a canister with an HOB if the media is right.

What is wrong with bragging about my super diamond crystal clear water? No different than what I consider sharing but you consider bragging about how how big your Angelfish got ........ how beautiful is your Discuss, etc.

I learned a lot from this forum ...... otherwise .... I'd be in a mess. Sorry if it offends you that what I learned here caused me to have probably some of the most crystal clear water on the planet.

I know nothing about salt water tanks ....... so if I offended any saltwater tank owners, I apologize. I totally understand that salt water tanks have a different set of rules for crystal clear water ........ and I do respect that.

Water clarity is not as important as water quality. It's ok to have a few little particles in your water. I personally don't filter with anything finer than Aquaclear foam. No polyfill/filter floss. My water is clear. It's your water parameters- temperature, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, pH, gH, kH that matter to your fish. Crystal clear water is more for your enjoyment than the fish's enjoyment.
 
Pretty sure Paul probably tests his water cuz like he said, he s been a devout student of AA. You can t be on here more than 5 min without reading about cycling & API test kits.
Dude, I know what you were saying & I m really happy for you. I feel the same way.....I have 3 beautiful tanks THANKS TO AA. Don t wanna think of what a train wreck I d have otherwise.
It s ok to enjoy & share your enthusiasm , it takes a lot of work & time to get to this point ( oh & $!!). Nothing to defend here !
 
Pretty sure Paul probably tests his water cuz like he said, he s been a devout student of AA. You can t be on here more than 5 min without reading about cycling & API test kits.
Dude, I know what you were saying & I m really happy for you. I feel the same way.....I have 3 beautiful tanks THANKS TO AA. Don t wanna think of what a train wreck I d have otherwise.
It s ok to enjoy & share your enthusiasm , it takes a lot of work & time to get to this point ( oh & $!!). Nothing to defend here !
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Thanks so much .... you got it right. Because of this forum, I did NOT buy the next step up 55 gallon to service my addiction to tropical fish. Reason: since I must use bottled water vs tap ...... (and it costs me $1 a gallon) for changes and because I must use the old fashioned "hauling water and doing the siphon and bucket method" to do water changes & substrate vacuums, I know if I had a third tank about equal to water volume to both my current tanks, my hobby would become a chore instead of a source of joy.

I now do 25% water changes & vacuum substrate 3 times a month ... which is triple what I did when I joined this forum. Of course I have an API Master test kit. After getting chewed out here for only doing twice a month water changes ....... I realized I was in fact "living on the edge" as far as nitrate goes so I upped it to every ten days. Current nitrate reading is 10 ppm. Ammonia & Nitrite readings have been zero for so long I quit testing fir them.

As for clarity, I stumbled onto crystal clear polished water by accident thanks to trying to get my water parameters correct. Hey ...... we might all take pride in different things .....

For some it's mostly about the plants ........
For some it's mostly about creating a natural looking salt water reef .......
For some it's mostly about beautiful angelfish or discuss ...
For some it's about perfect parameters including a nitrate reading close to zero .....

Compared to the others whose tank photos are on this site, here are some of the grades I'd give myself.

1) Natural looking aqua-scape: D
2) Unusual and beautiful centerpiece fish: D-
3) Healthy with vibrant colors fish: A
4) Gorgeous live plants: F
5) Hidden canister filter that does not show a bunch of tubing and plumbing ...... N/A
6) Water changes and parameters B+
7) Environment that gives egg layers the ability to spawn ..... D-
8) Crystal clear polished water ... A++++++++++++++++++

EDIT: the one thing I learned elsewhere about polished water (that I always try to share in the aquarium forums) is 100 micron non-woven polishing pads. The person in charge of the tanks at Petland - Pensacola FL told me that 100 micron polishing pads are kind of an "industry secret" that professionals use to polish water. Note however, they are not for everyone because they can clog in a matter of hours ... especially when first used.

The little "red button" that signals restricted flow on my Fluval C3 pops up every 3-5 days. I buy the pads in sheets and do the "cut to fit" thing in advance. The debris they catch is so fine and embedded in the pad ...... it cannot be rinsed out. The pads are only 1/12th inch thick and require constant replacements to keep water super crystal clear. To get the same result with floss probably does take a canister filter .... although Thumper828 from this forum does seem to get the same HOB result as mine by using the blue bonded polishing pad + floss.
 
I think i may have got the wrong idea, sorry.

EDIT: i think you also stated that you have never seen a clearer tank in your life? I think that is obserd. Maybe at your local petsmart or petco but you should try taking a look at more places than your local petsmart before saying youve got one of the cleanest tanks on the planet. Even if you have clear water, it doesnt mean you have to go start bragging about it.
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I was comparing my water to salt water tanks in doctors offices and restaurants ...... that type of thing. [the tanks at fish stores are never crystal clear in my opinion]

All the youtube videos showing crystal clear waters look cloudy to me except this one:

Crystal Clear Water in Aquarium Tanks - YouTube

My water looks pretty much like that. [Of course, my aquascape and fish obviously don't even compare to those] Next time you're near Pensacola FL ..... drop on by and check my water !!!!!!

As for bragging ....... as I said ...... trying to share my experience telling people how to get their water polished is not bragging. Any more insults for me? Geeez ........ do you levy insults at people who post pictures their vibrant African chiclid collection and say this "these are the most beautiful fish I have ever seen in my life" ???

And this is pretty much what my water looks like.
 
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I was comparing my water to salt water tanks in doctors offices and restaurants ...... that type of thing. [the tanks at fish stores are never crystal clear in my opinion]

All the youtube videos showing crystal clear waters look cloudy to me except this one:

Crystal Clear Water in Aquarium Tanks - YouTube

My water looks pretty much like that. [Of course, my aquascape and fish obviously don't even compare to those] Next time you're near Pensacola FL ..... drop on by and check my water !!!!!!

As for bragging ....... as I said ...... trying to share my experience telling people how to get their water polished is not bragging. Any more insults for me? Geeez ........ do you levy insults at people who post pictures their vibrant African chiclid collection and say this "these are the most beautiful fish I have ever seen in my life" ???

And this is pretty much what my water looks like.

No i dont insult them as that is their opinion on their fish. You could have said at the resturants and doctor offices then right? And again, your saying your water is better than anything youve seen on youtube, so it is bragging. Now lets get back to the thread. OP i would judt stick with a HOB for a 30g, anything above that than a canister.
 
Crystal clear water is inconsequential. I use filter floss and I still have the odd little particle floating around in my water. What's the big deal? Fish don't care.
 
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