curious what your thoughts are on running two filters on my 20g tank

[H3F4D]

new too the whole fish thing ! just curious what your thoughts are on running two filters on my 20g tank, housing 12 super small fish, mollys, rainbow sharks, guppys, cory cat...
any recomondations other then keeping everything in balance & doing 20% water changes weekly ? just want it to stay nice & clear like it is now & want the fish to stay happy lol !
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated

- Myles

[FishBoy185]

You want 2 Hang on back filter? How about one big one? Such as an AquaClear 50. Or you could go Advanced and try a canister? Its just something to think about really.

[Autumnsky]

Originally Posted by H3F4D

new too the whole fish thing ! just curious what your thoughts are on running two filters on my 20g tank, housing 12 super small fish, mollys, rainbow sharks, guppys, cory cat...
any recomondations other then keeping everything in balance & doing 20% water changes weekly ? just want it to stay nice & clear like it is now & want the fish to stay happy lol !
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated

- Myles

Hi Myles, welcome to AA

Two filters are fine. Clean water is good!

How many Sharks do you have? They can get HUGE, 6+" long and 3"+ tall, and about 2-2.5" wide. The are not suited to a 20G tank, more like 60G-72G. They also can become territorial, and in my previous experience, aggressive when kept in a small area, where they don't have enough territory to call their own, and other fish will be in their way and suffer because of it.

I have just recently lost my, similar Red Tail Shark, who was the largest one I had ever seen, a female about 7" and she was at least 8 years old (72G tank). She was one of my very favorite fish ever and really loved cruising around the tank, making sure "her" space was clear of other fish!

This pic was when she was in a quarantine tank.

This is the tank which she ruled.

[H3F4D]

that is awsome!!! she is huge ! ya ive done some reading up on the rainbow sharks and ive heard they tend to get big! so dar i have two ! one other kind ( silver , fins are black on the tips ) so far all of them seem to be very happy they play around and bully eachother here and theyre maybe thats part of them being territoryal!

Will be getting bigger tank later on down the road just want to be 100% sure i can maintain this one no problem first !

Here is a pic of the fishy fishys !

[H3F4D]

sharkscarw hiding in that pic but that is the tank anyways ! 2 molys 3 sharks an algae eater and a cory catfish all small ( accept the algae eater ) hes getting fairly big ! all the little guys on top are rosy reads i store for my buddys gar pike who lives up stairs !

lol

[H3F4D]

fishboy ! i am considering one bigger one in the near future just looking for an alturnartive to tie me over !

[BillD]

I don't know where you got the "20% weekly" water changes. That may or may not be enough for your tank. It sounds like an arbitrary number someone repeated, because they heard it some where.
Every tank is unique so it's water change requirements will be unique. However, changing more than the minimum, as determined by testing is a good idea, and allows for missed changes. I would not bother to change less than 50% (often a lot more). Those who say this is too much, and I have heard more than a few, don't know what they are talking about. They are merely parroting something they have heard.

[H3F4D]

i just got it from everything i read on the internet ! ive heard its good to do 20 % weekly... or i can do 50-75% monthly.. i just want it to say looking super clean

[J.Mcpeak]

Originally Posted by BillD

I don't know where you got the "20% weekly" water changes. That may or may not be enough for your tank. It sounds like an arbitrary number someone repeated, because they heard it some where.
Every tank is unique so it's water change requirements will be unique. However, changing more than the minimum, as determined by testing is a good idea, and allows for missed changes. I would not bother to change less than 50% (often a lot more). Those who say this is too much, and I have heard more than a few, don't know what they are talking about. They are merely parroting something they have heard.

Sound advice!
Take it because it's free! Take it because it's good!

Two changes per week are normal depending on tank and stock.
Look to over do rather than get by on minimum acceptance. Long term this will save you problems. Fish are long term.

[H3F4D]

sweet i picked up one of those pumps makes changing the water a peice of cake now ! thanks for the advice ! what would you guys recomend is a good waterchange weekly ? % wise? and how many times should i do this weekly to keep everything in check ?

Thanks
- Myles

[J.Mcpeak]

Originally Posted by H3F4D

sweet i picked up one of those pumps makes changing the water a peice of cake now ! thanks for the advice ! what would you guys recomend is a good waterchange weekly ? % wise? and how many times should i do this weekly to keep everything in check ?

Thanks
- Myles

Make your own schedule, test kit, notepad and pen.

Test daily, when water levels NO3 rise above desired levels change water, gravel vac etc. repeat.
Make notes that become schedule. With each new addition of fish start again with a new regime.
Normally the weekend is a good time to get stuck into the filter, weekly or fortnightly depending on filter(s) stock etc.

Every tank is completely different regarding the schedule as all fish are different. The volume of water and filtration may also be different.

Take out as much water as is needed to clean the tank, gravel etc. not a percentage of volume.
My fish store recommends 10% weekly! this is nowhere near for any system I've ever run. 20-40% per change twice a week is closer to the mark.

[H3F4D]

thanks alot !

[J.Mcpeak]

Thank you for the thank you. Means a lot

[H3F4D]

no problem mann