Bio filter media

[sparker24]

I am new to the whole aquarium scene. I recently purchased a 45g tank which came with an aquatech 20-40 filter. I am wondering if it is possible to change out the bio filter and put in a different media such as bio rings or something similar. I would like to keep my tank as clean and clear as possible without spending too much on filters, etc.


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[IllusionX]

That filter will not last a very long time before it breaks on you or make a ton of noise. But it does have a bio-sponge so you don't need the bio rings.
You might want to wait a bit before you do anything to your filter. I had my 5-15 for 2 months now and I see the impeller shaft is already wearing down.

 

[sparker24]

It is a noisy little thing, that's for sure! Do you have any recommendations for a better filter? It's kind of confusing when there are so many.


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[TMRC Exotics]

If your looking to stay with a hob I've had good luck with marineland(who I think make aquatech), aqueon, even my tetra whisper 30 has been around for 3 years. If you maintain the filter at all and just check on your impeller housing for debris every few months most of the cheapos will last a year or more. On the higher end side you have fluval and aquaclear. Then there are canisters....

I personally think your aquatech would be fine for a while and if your looking to increase biological filtration surface area then check out fluval biomax. They have a 2oz pouch of it made as a replacement for one of there filters that would drop right in the back of your filter.

 

[Fresh2o]

You could always add another filter to the one you have. Fluval AquaClear models 50 or 70 should work. They are frequently recommend on this forum.
For adding ceramic media to cartridge style filters, if you have the "noodle" style media, then you can run fishing line through them to keep them together. Makes it easier to remove during filter maintenance.


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[IllusionX]

There another thread about the Penguin being noisy because of the the impeller shaft that wears down within 2-6 months! Also, the shaft is not swappable in the Aquatech.

I would replace it with one that is much more customizable out of the box such as a fluval C3/C4 or Aquaclear 50/70

 

[sparker24]

I would like to get a canister, I hear they do a much better job cleaning and filtering everything out. I don't have a clue how to get started on them and figured it was out of my league as a beginner.
I would like to have something that can support more biological filtering. There is something to say about "you get what you pay for" and my aquatech falls right along those lines. The aquatech is easy maintenance but I would like to be able to go a little beyond a simple filter sponge and a bio insert. I feel I would have more control with more availability in a filter. But what do I know??! That's why I'm asking


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[IllusionX]

You are not going to "clean" your tank with a filter. If you have gravel, you still need to siphon it to get rid of the excess detritus.

Even with sand, I siphone a little bit of the surface especially with fish that poop a lot and a non-planted tank.

 

[Mebbid]

Increasing biological filtration is really an unnecessarily focused on thing in the hobby.

Think of it this way, the bacterial count is limited to how much ammonia the tank produces. Even if you upgrade from a single hob filter to a 100lbs of expensive bio media, the bacterial count will be the exact same in both cases.

If youre looking to upgrade to a different filter, do it because of convenience, quality, or ability to add something in like purigen. Worry less about bio filtration.

 

[sparker24]

I like the way you worded that. Thank you!
Thanks to everyone that has contributed, I really appreciate it!


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[threnjen]

Canisters aren't that scary. In fact they are really pretty easy. Slightly harder than an HOB but really not too complicated. I really like them!

If you do buy a new HOB I would go with one of the nicer ones like a C3/C4 or Aquaclears that have been mentioned. They should be much quieter.

I have an Aqueon Quietflow running on my 10g (it was the basic filter it came with, I had a nicer Aquaclear that broke) and I can't say I like the filter much (not much room for custom media) but it IS dead silent.