Looking for filteration suggestions

[Will]

I will be setting up a 125 gal tank in the next few weeks, got a great
deal from a buddy of mine. But it is missing a filter. So, what kind of
filter would be the best? I've got a 3 Columbian Sharks, 4 Tinfoil
Barbs and several guppies that I plan on transferring into the new
tank. Thinking of getting a few Gouramis once the tank is ready,
perhaps other fish as well.
The 3 types of filters that have been suggested to me are:

Undergravel filter
Power filter
Canister filter
Pros /Cons /other suggestions?

Thanks!
Will

[Elaine T]

Will wrote:
> I will be setting up a 125 gal tank in the next few weeks, got a great
> deal from a buddy of mine. But it is missing a filter. So, what kind of
> filter would be the best? I've got a 3 Columbian Sharks, 4 Tinfoil
> Barbs and several guppies that I plan on transferring into the new
> tank. Thinking of getting a few Gouramis once the tank is ready,
> perhaps other fish as well.
> The 3 types of filters that have been suggested to me are:
>
> Undergravel filter
> Power filter
> Canister filter
> Pros /Cons /other suggestions?
>
> Thanks!
> Will
>
You're going to have some large fish and a heavy bioload in a couple of
years. And forget the guppies - they'll become feeders. The tinfoil
barbs will prevent you from planting the tank, thus no worries about
losing CO2. I'd go with a trickle (wet/dry) filter - lots of people
build their own from used aquaria or rubbermaid storage containers to
save on cost. You'll get excellent biofiltration and better breakdown
of dissolved organics than with anything else you've listed.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Will]

Elaine T wrote:
> Will wrote:
> > I will be setting up a 125 gal tank in the next few weeks, got a
great
> > deal from a buddy of mine. But it is missing a filter. So, what
kind of
> > filter would be the best? I've got a 3 Columbian Sharks, 4 Tinfoil
> > Barbs and several guppies that I plan on transferring into the new
> > tank. Thinking of getting a few Gouramis once the tank is ready,
> > perhaps other fish as well.
> > The 3 types of filters that have been suggested to me are:
> >
> > Undergravel filter
> > Power filter
> > Canister filter
> > Pros /Cons /other suggestions?
> >
> > Thanks!
> > Will
> >
> You're going to have some large fish and a heavy bioload in a couple
of
> years. And forget the guppies - they'll become feeders. The tinfoil

> barbs will prevent you from planting the tank, thus no worries about
> losing CO2. I'd go with a trickle (wet/dry) filter - lots of people
> build their own from used aquaria or rubbermaid storage containers to

> save on cost. You'll get excellent biofiltration and better
breakdown
> of dissolved organics than with anything else you've listed.
>
> --
> Elaine T __
> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
> rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

Do you know of any instructions of the building of a trickle filter?
When I googled it, got a few results, not many were of much help when
it can to construction. Also is there anything I use to make a current?
The catfish need it, I guess. The power filter I am using now provides
it well enough for them. Will the trickle filter do this as well?
Thanks again for the help!

[Jim Anderson]

In article om>,
says...

>
> Elaine T wrote:
> > Will wrote:
> > > I will be setting up a 125 gal tank in the next few weeks, got a
> great
> > > deal from a buddy of mine. But it is missing a filter. So, what
> kind of
> > > filter would be the best? I've got a 3 Columbian Sharks, 4 Tinfoil
> > > Barbs and several guppies that I plan on transferring into the new
> > > tank. Thinking of getting a few Gouramis once the tank is ready,
> > > perhaps other fish as well.
> > > The 3 types of filters that have been suggested to me are:
> > >
> > > Undergravel filter
> > > Power filter
> > > Canister filter
> > > Pros /Cons /other suggestions?
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > > Will
> > >
> > You're going to have some large fish and a heavy bioload in a couple
> of
> > years. And forget the guppies - they'll become feeders. The tinfoil
>
> > barbs will prevent you from planting the tank, thus no worries about
> > losing CO2. I'd go with a trickle (wet/dry) filter - lots of people
> > build their own from used aquaria or rubbermaid storage containers to
>
> > save on cost. You'll get excellent biofiltration and better
> breakdown
> > of dissolved organics than with anything else you've listed.
> >
> > --
> > Elaine T __
> > http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
> > rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com
>
> Do you know of any instructions of the building of a trickle filter?
> When I googled it, got a few results, not many were of much help when
> it can to construction. Also is there anything I use to make a current?
> The catfish need it, I guess. The power filter I am using now provides
> it well enough for them. Will the trickle filter do this as well?
> Thanks again for the help!
>
>

I built this one with modifications;
<http://www.thekrib.com/Filters/Sasala/wet-dry.html#800>
The top would not stay on the bio-tower so I made the drip tray a slide
out drawer and glued the top on. This gave me a place for filter floss
to keep the bio-balls clean. As far as current goes, just pick a big
return pump. Most/all hardware store sell acrylic sheets to build the
bio-tower.

I had my tank drilled and an in-tank overflow installed by LFS for
$36USD so I would never have to worry about a wet floor from j-tubes
losing suction.

--
Jim Anderson
( 8(|) To email me just pull my_finger

[Dr Engelbert Buxbaum]

Will wrote:

> I will be setting up a 125 gal tank in the next few weeks, got a great
> deal from a buddy of mine. But it is missing a filter. So, what kind of
> filter would be the best? I've got a 3 Columbian Sharks, 4 Tinfoil
> Barbs and several guppies that I plan on transferring into the new
> tank. Thinking of getting a few Gouramis once the tank is ready,
> perhaps other fish as well.
> The 3 types of filters that have been suggested to me are:
>
> Undergravel filter
> Power filter
> Canister filter
> Pros /Cons /other suggestions?

Your best bet for such a relatively large tank is a "Hamburg mat
filter", since everything is contained in the tank itself. Not only are
they best from the biological point of view, there are also no pipes
that may leak and cause hassle. All technical bits (heater etc.) are
hidden behind the mat, which itself can be hidden by planting it with
java moss or similar. They also are cheap.

I have posted a detailed description how to build such a filter a few
months back in this newsgroup.

[Daniel Morrow]

The ultimate filter in my opinion would be multiple (if tank size makes this
necessary) canister filters connected inline with multiple bio-wheel pro 60s
(if tank size makes it necessary for multiple - same with bioload). Every
once in a while certain situations occur where some changes to the above are
necessary (i.e. if the tank is on the floor and a proper canister filter
gravity siphon can not be established, canister filters rely on gravity at
least to some extent and I don't see this as a design flaw at all since it
is reasonable to do things that need gravity) or certain conditions must be
met. Good luck - later!
"Dr Engelbert Buxbaum" > wrote in message
...
> Will wrote:
>
> > I will be setting up a 125 gal tank in the next few weeks, got a great
> > deal from a buddy of mine. But it is missing a filter. So, what kind of
> > filter would be the best? I've got a 3 Columbian Sharks, 4 Tinfoil
> > Barbs and several guppies that I plan on transferring into the new
> > tank. Thinking of getting a few Gouramis once the tank is ready,
> > perhaps other fish as well.
> > The 3 types of filters that have been suggested to me are:
> >
> > Undergravel filter
> > Power filter
> > Canister filter
> > Pros /Cons /other suggestions?
>
> Your best bet for such a relatively large tank is a "Hamburg mat
> filter", since everything is contained in the tank itself. Not only are
> they best from the biological point of view, there are also no pipes
> that may leak and cause hassle. All technical bits (heater etc.) are
> hidden behind the mat, which itself can be hidden by planting it with
> java moss or similar. They also are cheap.
>
> I have posted a detailed description how to build such a filter a few
> months back in this newsgroup.

[NetMax]

> "Dr Engelbert Buxbaum" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Will wrote:
>>
>> > I will be setting up a 125 gal tank in the next few weeks, got a
>> > great
>> > deal from a buddy of mine. But it is missing a filter. So, what kind
>> > of
>> > filter would be the best? I've got a 3 Columbian Sharks, 4 Tinfoil
>> > Barbs and several guppies that I plan on transferring into the new
>> > tank. Thinking of getting a few Gouramis once the tank is ready,
>> > perhaps other fish as well.
>> > The 3 types of filters that have been suggested to me are:
>> >
>> > Undergravel filter
>> > Power filter
>> > Canister filter
>> > Pros /Cons /other suggestions?
>>
>> Your best bet for such a relatively large tank is a "Hamburg mat
>> filter", since everything is contained in the tank itself. Not only
>> are
>> they best from the biological point of view, there are also no pipes
>> that may leak and cause hassle. All technical bits (heater etc.) are
>> hidden behind the mat, which itself can be hidden by planting it with
>> java moss or similar. They also are cheap.
>>
>> I have posted a detailed description how to build such a filter a few
>> months back in this newsgroup.

"Daniel Morrow" > wrote in message
...
> The ultimate filter in my opinion would be multiple (if tank size makes
> this
> necessary) canister filters connected inline with multiple bio-wheel
> pro 60s
> (if tank size makes it necessary for multiple - same with bioload).
> Every
> once in a while certain situations occur where some changes to the
> above are
> necessary (i.e. if the tank is on the floor and a proper canister
> filter
> gravity siphon can not be established, canister filters rely on gravity
> at
> least to some extent and I don't see this as a design flaw at all since
> it
> is reasonable to do things that need gravity) or certain conditions
> must be
> met. Good luck - later!

I think it comes down to how much space you're willing to concede to
filtration. Technologically, multiple canister filters and Pro60
bio-wheels are the cat's meow to maximize the amount of space available
inside the tank. W/D filters also take very little space inside the
tank, but they have a few characteristics which keeps them out of the
mainstream.

Mat filters are (imo) the future. For very large tanks, it's a very
simple decision, as the space can be given without detection. I think
we'll see mat filters slowly expand into the retail market for
increasingly smaller tanks. Commercially, mat filters are used on tanks
as small as 20g. DAS's cylindrical mat filter occupies a 5" x 8" column
of the back corner of a tank (mat is actually 5" diameter and the rest of
the chamber is for the heater and chemical filtration). Two of these
(one in each back corner) filter up to 100g. In a large tank, these are
easily hidden, but their standard 5"x8" chamber in a 20g is obvious
(though this is for commercial applications and it could be made much
smaller for home tanks). Note that conventional mat filters are not
cylindrical, and are just a sheet along the back, sides or across a back
corner.

Mat filters are not the end-all though as there is still the detritus
accumulation to remove (gravel-vac), but I predict mat filters in
combination with something else (undergravel - screen - bio-wheel combo)
will be very close to filtration nirvana in terms of simplicity, cost and
efficiency (I'm toying with the idea of a reverse mat filter fed from UGF
with inline powerheads ;~).

The biggest obstacle to mat filters is that the manufacturers won't
promote them as they will reduce their filter sales tremendously. A mat
filter is cheap to install and there is nothing to replace except a
powerhead every 10-15 years. Leaving mat filters for commercial
applications and home DIY'ers keeps their cash-cow going from their
retail filter and filter media sales. jmho : )
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Indy]

I have a XP3 and a Emperor 400 on my tank and it does great. (note the
bioload I have) I had 2 400"s but I took one off for another tank. I'm
sure I could get by just fine with just the XP3. No mess no fuss takes
about 10 minutes to set it up and you forget it.

With this set up I change 30% water and vacume weekly and the tank is
crystal clear.



--
Posted via CichlidFish.com
http://www.cichlidfish.com/portal/forums

[Dr Engelbert Buxbaum]

NetMax wrote:


> (I'm toying with the idea of a reverse mat filter fed from UGF
> with inline powerheads ;~).

Interesting idea, but would it not be better to use the opposite: mat
filter followed by reverse UGF? That way the gunk would be kept out of
the ground and in the mat, which is much easier to clean or even replace
if that were ever required.

> DAS's cylindrical mat filter occupies a 5" x 8" column
> of the back corner of a tank (mat is actually 5" diameter and
> the rest of the chamber is for the heater and chemical filtration).
> Two of these (one in each back corner) filter up to 100g. In a
> large tank, these are easily hidden, but their standard 5"x8" chamber
> in a 20g is obvious

but can be hidden by planting the mat with java moss or similar. That
does not interfere with filter function. Even less conspicious are
corner filters in the back of the tank (planted, of course), which is my
personal favourite.

[NetMax]

"Dr Engelbert Buxbaum" > wrote in message
...
> NetMax wrote:
>
>
>> (I'm toying with the idea of a reverse mat filter fed from UGF
>> with inline powerheads ;~).
>
> Interesting idea, but would it not be better to use the opposite: mat
> filter followed by reverse UGF? That way the gunk would be kept out of
> the ground and in the mat, which is much easier to clean or even
> replace
> if that were ever required.

Ordinarily yes, but I'd be using a single layer of pebbles, just enough
to hide the UGF plate. There would be no detritus caught in the
substrate. It's essentially an automatic gravel vacuum. This gives me
the capability of sliding a light colored particle mesh on the side of
the mat filter which cannot be seen from the front of the tank. This
would provide a visual indicator of the amount of detritus being
collected (by looking around the back) which would be useful for
non-planted tanks with larger fish, and for pulling out that mesh for a
periodic rinsing. The trouble with the mat filters is that they can and
still do accumulate a lot of detritus which is allways dissolving, and
with non-planted tanks running a medium-high bio-load, I find they need
periodic servicing (about twice a year).

>> DAS's cylindrical mat filter occupies a 5" x 8" column
>> of the back corner of a tank (mat is actually 5" diameter and
>> the rest of the chamber is for the heater and chemical filtration).
>> Two of these (one in each back corner) filter up to 100g. In a
>> large tank, these are easily hidden, but their standard 5"x8" chamber
>> in a 20g is obvious
>
> but can be hidden by planting the mat with java moss or similar. That
> does not interfere with filter function. Even less conspicious are
> corner filters in the back of the tank (planted, of course), which is
> my
> personal favourite.

Agreed : )
--
www.NetMax.tk