A question about filters...

[Sands_88]

Hi all

I currently have a 45litre (just over 10 us gallons) tank which i'm planning on upgrading to a 4ft tank around 60 us gallons.

Will using more than one filter prevent me from having to buy a huge massive monster of a filter? I don't really want to spend loads on a big filter when i could buy another smaller filter and use both...

That is obviously if this would work!!

 

[BBradbury]

Your 60 Gallon Tank

Hi all

I currently have a 45litre (just over 10 us gallons) tank which i'm planning on upgrading to a 4ft tank around 60 us gallons.

Will using more than one filter prevent me from having to buy a huge massive monster of a filter? I don't really want to spend loads on a big filter when i could buy another smaller filter and use both...

That is obviously if this would work!!

Hello Sands...

If you're a good water changer, you can use a single filter that hangs on the back of the tank. I change out a lot of water and use a HAGEN AC70 filter in my 60 gallon tank. The plants and fish do very well.

If you're not such a good water changer, then you'll need all the filtration you can get to even come close to keeping the tank water free of dissolved wastes.

B

 

[Brookster123]

Despite your water changing skills..... over filtration is always a good thing in my book, i have an ac 20 and whisper 10 hob on my 10 gallon tank and it only had 2 fish in it, i also change 50% of the water weekly. A solid combination of filtration and water maintenance will leave you happy and smiling every time you walk by the tank. I'd personally rather run 2 filters than one over the top filter, that way if something goes wrong there's backup. .

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[Mebbid]

Over filtering the tank will never negate the need for regular water changes. Filters are there for converting ammonia to nitrate. It doesnt matter of you have 1 filter vs 100 filters if you cant keep your nitrates down.

 

[Mama Karoti]

I use two filters, too. I like knowing there is a back-up. Another thing I like is that I alternate "cleaning" the filters (squeezing the gunk out of the sponge in old tank water), which helps prevent mini-cycles.


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[gilpi]

I like the idea of multiple filters vs one big one. I'm into doing very frequent water changes also and with over filtration you can keep ammonia levels down.


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[dragon14]

We had 2 filters on our 10g for a few days until we needed one for our 5g. I think we shall put it back on once we move the catfish into the 10g from the 5g with our betta. We also have a bubbler that we run sometimes.

 

[dalto]

You can certainly use two filters. It depends how big the filter you have now is.

If it is a very small filter it may not help much on a 4ft tank. Do you know what model filter you have now?

 

[BBradbury]

Tank Filtration

I'm a water change fanatic. I'm changing at least half the water in my tanks every week. The filter in a tank that gets that much new water isn't doing much to keep the water clean, because there's never time for wastes to build up before I remove them by changing out the water. The only thing the filter is doing is agitating the surface and mixing oxygen into the tank water.

If I change the tank water often enough, I can keep filtration to a minimum or even remove it and run a line of tubing to the bottom of the tank to provide water surface movement needed for gas exchange. Add a thick growth of a floating plant like Hornwort and my fish have all they need.

B

 

[Mebbid]

I'm a water change fanatic. I'm changing at least half the water in my tanks every week. The filter in a tank that gets that much new water isn't doing much to keep the water clean, because there's never time for wastes to build up before I remove them by changing out the water. The only thing the filter is doing is agitating the surface and mixing oxygen into the tank water.

If I change the tank water often enough, I can keep filtration to a minimum or even remove it and run a line of tubing to the bottom of the tank to provide water surface movement needed for gas exchange. Add a thick growth of a floating plant like Hornwort and my fish have all they need.

B

............... what?

 

[Brookster123]

............... what?

My thoughts exactly....fish don't create waste in a weeks span??

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[dalto]

If I change the tank water often enough, I can keep filtration to a minimum or even remove it and run a line of tubing to the bottom of the tank to provide water surface movement needed for gas exchange. Add a thick growth of a floating plant like Hornwort and my fish have all they need.

Just to be clear for others reading this thread in order to run a tank with minimal filtration or no filtration a number of criteria have to met.
- The tank must be planted to absorb some of the ammonia.
- The tank must be very lightly stocked so that ammonia production is minimal
- Large regular water changes must be performed
- Something needs to be in place to provide surface agitation

This is not something you should attempt unless you have the experience to fully understand what needs to be managed.

 

[limnologist]

I'm a water change fanatic. I'm changing at least half the water in my tanks every week. The filter in a tank that gets that much new water isn't doing much to keep the water clean, because there's never time for wastes to build up before I remove them by changing out the water. The only thing the filter is doing is agitating the surface and mixing oxygen into the tank water.

If I change the tank water often enough, I can keep filtration to a minimum or even remove it and run a line of tubing to the bottom of the tank to provide water surface movement needed for gas exchange. Add a thick growth of a floating plant like Hornwort and my fish have all they need.

B

So you're doing things the natural creek way? I found that if you want to mimic a pond system, you add the gravel, rocks or dirt into a large tank, add very few fish and live animals in relation to the size of the tank, add a load of plants, and leave the top open. the detritus collects but all you have to do to retain water parameters is add water from the stuff that evaporated. anyways, theres is such a small bio-load because there are so few animals that you dont have to use a filter or aerator and you almost never have to feed the animals. It's the tank for lazy people.

 

[dragon14]

Almost never have to feed them??

 

[limnologist]

Almost never have to feed them??

as long as you have the right fish, they eat the plants, algae, water insects, daphnia. Im talkin minnows or guppy-like fish. if there is something more carnivorous and large, you will have to feed it occasionally.

 

[Mebbid]

as long as you have the right fish, they eat the plants, algae, water insects, daphnia. Im talkin minnows or guppy-like fish. if there is something more carnivorous and large, you will have to feed it occasionally.

You can usually supplement with a large colony of shrimp as well.

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[dragon14]

Oh ok. Was just wondering. . That makes sense.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

I'm so confused? What is the OP considering a giant filter? a 60g or 75g tank isn't that big and I would personally go with 2 AC70's or Fluval C4's. A Fluval 306 or 406 would work too but are these to bug for the op? You don't need an FX6 on a 75g.

 

[Sands_88]

I mostly just wondered if two smaller filters would do the same as one big filter really (obviously I would look at the capacity for each a bit like heaters)

I don't really like the look of big filters and also 2 smaller filters were considerably cheaper than one large one in my lfs. I like the idea of being able to clean out one and leave the other intact to try and prevent mini cycles. Also I never thought about if one dies - also a bonus! I was totally stuck when my heater gave up on a sunday....

To be clear - never intended to replace water changes with over filtering

Thanks everyone

 

[Sands_88]

The ones in the lfs that say they are for 300 litres are like the same height as the tank and a bit more difficult to hide I thought when I saw them. AT the moment I have a fluval....2 maybe something like that. Its quite old but its so easy so change bits inside!