filter recomendations for a 30?

[Cash Turtle]

for now my 30 gallon is going to be on the floor under the cabinet for my 120.
its going to have guppies,rummy nose tetras,corys, a banjo catfish and some plants, probably anacharis,hornwort,maybe watter lettuce
trying to get pool filtration sand for teh substrate, am I better off with HOB or an internal filter?
how powerful should it be?
brand?
I prefer biological over chemical filtration

 

[tazcrash69]

OK, first thing: banjo cats get large, and will eat anything that will fit into it's gaping maw. The other fish will be expensive food for it.
I think with a 30 gallon you would also want to stay away from internal filters. At 30 you may even want to look into a small canister.

 

[Guest]

I would go with a HOB filter if i was you... They have more room for biological filtration... The aquaclear is my favorite!

 

[Blazeherd2306]

banjo cats get large, and will eat anything that will fit into it's gaping maw.

Actually they are about opposite from what you said. They only get 6" and are peaceful and great community fish.

The aquaclear is my favorite!

I just got the 110 for my 55 gal (my Emperor 400 broke). It has lots of biological filtration, but it looks like a pain to clean and change out media.

 

[rich311k]

Hob would work great. I like the aquaclear line as well. Here is a link for the banjo. http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/catfish/banjocat.php

 

[tazcrash69]

Sorry, My mistake, I was thinking of the chakka cat.

 

[Cash Turtle]

I wanted a canister but becuase the tank is on the ground i dont think it will have enough space betwwen teh top of the filter and teh top of teh water.
my filstart and jebo recomend atleast 20 inches.
phew you had me worried for a second the banjo cat is waht im most looking forward to getting, the LFS is holding one for me, i might even skip the tetras and get 2 banjos..what i really need is the space to setup my 55
anyway i'll check out the aquaclears
and if anyone happens to know of a canister that doesnt need to be so far under the water level that would be great.
*In love with canister filters*

 

[tazcrash69]

Why not look into the HOT magnum? I think it's about the right size for a 30, easy to maintain, and low profile.

 

[tecwzrd]

Why not look into the HOT magnum? I think it's about the right size for a 30, easy to maintain, and low profile.

I’ve been using the H.O.T. Magnum Pro System (with bio wheel) for over 9 years now. It’s an incredibility reliable product IMO and I haven’t had to replace a single part. It’s one of the few cheap HOB canister filters that produces 250 GHP which would turn your 30 gal over 8 times an hour

I used it for 8 years on my brackish 55 gal tank with 7 large cichlids and it never had a problem keeping up with the bio load.

If you alternate between using AC for two weeks & then the micro filter your tank will always be crystal clear.

I upgraded to the 350 pro earlier this year for my SW tank and it has worked out just as well.