It can be unanimously agreed that the single greatest advancement in fishkeeping is the advent of the modern filter. We have come a long way since the days of keeping multiple plants in a tank only to support a couple of very small tropical fish like tetras. We now have the means to keep many large fish in a single tank without so much as a regular weekly waterchange to keep the nitrates low. However to this very day, The actual mechanics of the biofilter and the proper care and maintenence involved remain somewhat of a mystery to many in our hobby. Below is a general outline to shed some light on the techniques and strategies involved in maintaining a healthy filter to keep our fish in happy water.

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The filter and what it does for us

Filters are first noted for their ability to keep suspended solids out of the tank wich keeps the water looking clean and clear. The filter-floss or sponge is the "dirt trap" wich cleans the solids from the water as it passes through. This is known as mechanical filtration.

The next thing that filters are so highly prized for is the establishment of a colony of beneficial bacters that process ammonia on down to nitrAtes. This is called bio-filtration. Medias that beneficial bacteria thrive on are sponges, bio-balls, bunched netting, carbon (once full), pea sized chunks of lava rock and some commercial substrates.

The last, but strictly optional, job of the filter is to remove impurities from the water such as medications, phosphates, heavy metals and the like. This is achieved by forcing the waterflow through a chemical media that either adsorbs or absorbs the specific impurity it was designed to remove. Some medias include Phosban, Nitrazorb, carbon and zeolite.

The secondary job of most filters, such as HOB and internal filters, is the oxygenation of the water in the tank. This is acheived by the water return on the filter. In optimal conditions, the filters return would be aimed across the suface of the water. The rippling across the surface causes oxygen to be "injected" into the water and raises the 02 value in the water. There are venturi valves that are used to inject 02. These are commonly seen on powerheads and specialty water returns for canister filters.

It is all of these options and necessities that makes the filter the single most important part of keeping our water clean so that are fish are healthy, grow and are happy.


For a good description of the different types of filtration we normally see on tanks, check this page out: Types of filters



Mechanics of a properly run filter

For most of us, the option of a huge, multi-staged filter like a wet/dry system to keep our water clean is out of the question. We have to resort to using as compact a unit as can handle the bio-load in a given tank. Most ususally, an HOB filter. This forces us to coddle and baby our filters so that none of the viability of the beneficial bacteria is lost due to maintenence. If we didn't do this, our bio-filters would regularly "fail" whenever we cleaned them or changed cartridges. Below, in no particualr order, are a few tips and guidelines to follow:

--Never, ever clean out your tank and filter 100%. Not unless you want to go through the tough task of re-cycling your tank all over again. This goes the same for removing gravel from a tank. If the tank is fully stocked or overcrowded, you can bet that much of the beneficial bacteria is housed in the gravel. Removing all at once causes your filter to have to grow more bacteria to make up for the loss. This could take a week or more for the balance to be met again. Small increments of gravel removal or keeping it in a bag in your tank for a while allows for the colonies to be "transferred" over to the new gravel or the filter.

--Never use water that has not been dechlorinated on your bio-media. The bio-media should allways be lightly swished around in dechlorinated water so that some of the larger chunks of debris come loose and allow better water flow through itself. Same goes for additives like crushed oyster shells or coral and the like. The bags or baskets these are kept in need to be cleaned regularly to provide potimal flowthrough. If at all possible alternate cleaning of different parts of the filter weekly.

--If you have a well established bed of bio-media separate from filter-floss, you can use the sink or garden hose to rinse the filter-floss. I repeat, this can only be done with a system that has a well established bio-filter that is separate from the filter-floss. Again, alternating cleanings helps.

--ALWAYS use a strainer on the intake. ALWAYS keep it very tightly secured. The intake has been the doom to many fish. Let alone the tiny piece of gravel that stops the pump from working and kills the filter. See photo below of the intake strainer.

--Keep the , strainer, uptubes and impeller assembly clean and clear of muck and debris on a weekly basis. Leave any and all buildup of brown gunk (beneficial bacteria) in the filterbox/canister untouched. This is always a plus to have. Unless the filterbox is unundated with goop. then clean it up a bit but not spotlessly. Once again, alternate.

--If you are depending on the "ten times filtration rate per hour" rule of thumb, make well and sure that your filter/s remains on the highest setting (or needed setting) at all times. Also, the water level should be kept at the manufacturers suggested level in the filters manual. At 2 inches below the suggested level, most HOB filters lose a HUGE amount of gph and become waaay less effective.
Another reason for keeping the waterlevel up to the suggested level is because of power outtages. If the power goes out for more than a few seconds, your filter will drain the contents of its basin back into the tank. This might be ok for some brands of filter becasue of the powerful suction they exude, but MANY brands and models will seize up/run dry and overheat.
This also pertains to the oxygenation of the water. If the filter is simply dumping the water back into the tank, it wll create much less oxygenation than if the flow were directed across the surface.

--Look into your filterbox and check the flowrate/waterlevel often. This is the very best way to know exactly when you need to either rinse or change the filter-floss or some other needed maintenence.

--If chemical filtration (carbon, purigen, phosphate removers,etc.) is utilized, regular checking of each type is needed to judge if the efficacy is still there.

--If more than one filter is used on any given tank, try alternating the cleaning and maintenence between the them so that you always have one undisturbed bio-filter going at any given time.

--If you are using a filter that does not have a specified bio-media chamber or the like, when you go to put a new peice of filter-floss in, keep the old one and shove it in behind the new one so that beneficial baceria can more quickly colonize the new floss. The old one can be remove a week or two later or left alone if its not impeding any waterflow through the filter.

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Below are some photos that show different parts of the filter and whatnot:


This is an exceptionally well colonized bio-wheel from a penguin 330 That has been running for almost 2 years. I NEVER clean a bio-wheel at all unless it stops spinning correctly and the problem is uneven growth.




And here is how you can extend your intake filter to the very bottom of the tank. This results in an amazing difference when you go to perform gravel vacs and theres nothing coming out!




Last but not least, If you are employing a filter that does not have a bio-wheel, media basket or you just want to add some extra space for beneficial bacteria to grow, Sponges work great! You can usually find Aqua-clear sponges at your local fish shops. Just get the right size for your application. Cut the sponge like you would a loaf of bread except do it longways. Cut as thick as you need it for your application. The sponge should sit a little loosely up in front of the cartridge but not wide enough to totally impede the waterflow if it wetre to get clogged. A fingers width of a gap on one side is fine. I see no reason for not adding them in front of the cartridges (really, behind if you look at it from this angle). More space is always better. But, keep them relativelu clear of debris, the same as you would the cartridge/floss. Heres what it looks like:


Here's a link to a very good way to boost your bio-filtration of almost ANY HOB filter: DIY media basket/filter cartridges


As you can see, There really isn't all that much to keeping your filters running properly, it just takes regular observation and a general understanding of the mechanics, and science, involved.

Always remember, a happy filter equals happy water and happy water equals happy fish.

Good luck!

I have a question about cleaning and the water changes.

When I do water changes once a week, I let the filter run while I take out some of the water. When I fill the tank back up with treated water, the filter shoots out this really gross brownish stuff, in pretty big pieces. Is this the good bacteria?

Also, I am not completely sure I understand how to clean my filter? I have a penguin 150 that has a bio wheel. But what is filter floss? Is that the thing with the carbon in it? The bio wheel and the thing with the carbon are not in separate chambers. If there is a way to keep the brown gunk from going all into my tank when I do water changes I would like to know?

Thanks for any help
Emily

Good questions!

for the first question, yes and no. The brown gunk you see isnt actually the beneficial bacteria. You can't really see the beneficial bacteria with the naked eye. Instead, what you are seeig is the algae, cyanobacterias, uneaten food and poop. The BB's (beneficial bacters) grow over every surface in the tank and filter. including other living organisms and the brown gunk you see. It just so happens that because the brown gunk has large amounts of surface area with plenty of oxygen exchange, there is a high concentration of BB's there.

With this in mind, you should never totally clean out all f the brown gunk you find in the filter. It should always be done ONLY out of necessity like the water flow slowing down or total blockage.

Okay, the filter floss is the blue/white spongy material that sits connected to a plastic cartridge. Inside the filter floss cartridge is the carbon and/or ammo-chips (adsorbs and absorbs until full, then they become a good place to house BB's. To maintain your filter, you should swish out the cartridge in a clean vat of dechorinated water (or old tankwater) until you can free up most of the gunk on it. If this proves to be futile (it always eventually does) you can actually spray out the gunk with tapwater from a hose end or a handheld shower sprayer with as much water pressutre as you can get. This is much like adding a brand new cartridge in that you will be dessimating ALL of the beneficial bacteria on the filter floss. This is ok to do in your filter because you have the bio-wheel (wich should NEVER be cleaned). If you ever add a completely new filter cartridge, just take the floss off of the old cartridge (rip it off in chunks if you gotta) and add it to the filterbox behind the new cartridge so that colonization of the new filter floss and media is hastened greatly.

All in all, cleaning should be out of necessity only. Especially if you are providing 10x's filtration or less. More than ten times filtration and you don't need to coddle the beneficial bacteria quite as much because of the excess space for it to grow. This is mostly seen when there is more than one filter on the tank.


Did that help at all? If not, I'd be happy to explain it a bit more........

A few questions.

First, what do you mean 10x? Do you mean the entire tank is filtered 10 times in one hour or more?

Second, about changing the filter media. I have a penguin 200, with 2 media slots. When I change media, should I do them 2 weeks apart, and put the older one in the slot closer to the back, so that some of the bacteria transfer to the newer cartridge? I'm so afraid that I'll kill the bacteria when I do a water change or maintenance.

Yes, 10X's filtration means that the entire gallonage of the tank is filtered ten times and hour.

Relax, you'll do just fine if you stick to the 10X's rule of thumb and the suggestions above. If you like, you can put the new cartridge into the slot in front and then slide the old one in behind it, but I suggest sitting it diagonally so that it allows the water to bypass it. Otherwise, the waterlevel would rise to let the water spill over the mucked up cartridge and the overspill channel. This reduces filtration. But, you could just as easily cut the gunked up pad from the plastic frame and stuff it down into the filter behind the new cartridge.

Ultimately,since you have the 200 and they come with the extra slot in them, there is the option of adding a media basket to the one in front. The media basket can hold whatever you like (rocks, ceramic rings, carbon, etc). Unfortunately, you might not be able to find them locally. You can get them rather cheaply here: Dr. Fosters and Smith Scroll to the very bottom.

Providing you have a 20 gallon tank (30 maximum!) or less, using the media-basket will assure you of having a nice large colony of beneficial bacteria and perfect water params, at all times.

Hope this helps!

That does help.


What sort of things should I put in it to grow a good colony of bacteria?

and

OMG! THey have the media baskets?!?! Awesome! I've been looking for those...


I kind of wondered why you would need 2 cartridges, no solid debris will get past the first one, so the 2nd one seems kinda superfluous? Y'know?

One of the best things going as far as media to grow Beneficial bacteria is ceramic rings. Beyond those, and other storebought medias, you could try pea sized lava rock from your local hardware store. One little bag (1 lb.) usually goes for a few bucks. Its VERY porous and the perfect size so that waterflow isn't really impeded. Just be sure to rinse them REALLY well before adding them.

Good luck!

THanks so much! I never would have found those baskets.... do they happen to make ones for the bio wheel 150? They have a slot, I dont know what for...


Ok, I'll get some ceramic rings, they're cheap. Or lava rocks if theyre cheaper.

Er.....I have around 9 Gold fish comprising a catfish in a 18 x 18 x 42 inches ( height x width x length ), with almost half of it being filled with water. Can i know how frequent do i need to change the water?. I was wondering about this because it seems that my tank is in a quite "clean" state......after 1 month. Could there be any setbacks if i don't respond to this?

Hi there.

You have a 55 gallon tank by my calculations. However, there is no way to calculate how much water needs to be changed each week (unless you test for nitrAtes). The optimal amount of water that needs to get changed each week is dictated by the ppm of nitrAtes. You want to keep them at or below 40ppm. Change as much water as it takesto keep them there.


You seem to have a few too many goldfish in your tank. This is OK for a while but these fish will eventually grow too large for your tank and filter to handle their bio-load. Close monitoring of all of the parameters (ammonia/nitrItes and nitrAtes) will need to be done as they grow larger. If you start to see ammonia/and nitrItes rising or having trouble dropping, you'll need to add extra filtration and/or get a larger tank (or get another tank and split them up).


Good luck and don't hesitate to post back with any more inquiries!

My largest goldy is about 2.6"( without counting their tail length ), followed by around few 2" and then smaller and smaller ones........9 of them ! Would't that be....er...."tttoooo crowded"?

Thanks for yer help, first to meet in this board......

Not a problem! I love to help introduce newbies to the finer points of good fishkeeping.....


As a rule of thumb, fancy goldfish should be kept in a tank that allows for ten gallons per fish. This is for goldfish in the size range of 6-8 inches. Any larger than that and the rule of thumb should be upped to about 15-20 gallons per fish. Yes, fancy goldfish can and often do reach sizes of 8 inches plus.

Now, this only pertains to a tank that has filtration in the area of 100 gallons per hour for every ten gallons the tank holds. So, a 55 gallon tank, fully stocked, should have filtration that totals at least 550 gallons per hour (10 gallon tank needs 100gph filtration, etc). Any less than that and the tank stands a very large chance of bio-filter failure and the ammonia and nitrItes will rise. Bio-filter failure can happen if; the power goes out for more than an hour, the filter/tank was cleaned too well, an accidental overfeeding occurs, the filter clogs up and doesn't run at full speed and quite a few other events as well.

Your goldfish tank is actually quadruply over-stocked right now. These goldies are growing everyday, too. If your tank doesn't have high levels of ammonia and nitrItes, it soon will if nothing is done. Trust me, this IS going to happen. As I stated before, the need for more and more bio-filtration is going to increase until these fish are fully grown. So, your filtration, if its sub par at this point, is going to need to be upgraded. Again, trust me, I know this from experience.


Of course, EVERYTHING have told you relies on TESTING the water regularly. At least once a week, everything needs to be tested (ammonia/ nitrItes/ NitrAtes/ pH). The tankwater needs to be changed (weekly as well) according to the results on the test kits. Without testing, you cannot possibly know if your goldies are in clean water or not.


Sorry if I am repeating myself. But, these pointers I am giving you are perhaps THE VERY most important aspect of good fishkeeping. All else plays second fiddle.


If you can, please, get yourself some test kits, do so immediately. Dropper style is best and they are actually waaaay cheaper in the long run. Not to mention, waaaay more accurate.


What is the name and size of your filter on the 55 gallon?

Is there a reason why you only have the tank half full of water. I suppose you realize that this means your goldies are even more crowded with it half full, right?



Post back soon.

Paul

Will my 2 comets overload the filters on my tank? It's a 25 gallon, eacy comet's about 4 inches. I have a penguin 200 and a penguin 100, the 200 has a media basket with ceramic rings in it. It's still cycling... I'm afraid the 2 of them might be too much for one tank. I know it's overstocked, but it's all I could afford, and these fish would have lived in bowls if I hadn't taken them....

Nope! I would say that you are well within the parameters of having enough bio-filtration space to handle your comets!

This should even be enough to handle them as they grow into full sized fish. However, Once these guys do get to be close to their full size, you will see that they will need a much larger tank if they are to be kept together. I think the nitrAtes rising pretty fast will be an indicator of this.

I would say that a 35-55 gallon tank would be ideal. But you have plenty of time to prepare for that. Until you need it, keep a good eye out for sweet deals on used tanks and equipment. I frequently go to flea-markets, swapmeets, goodwill stores and the like and always see some fish stuff laying around.

Good luck!

I would be looking for an extra tank after ( hearing tips ) from you.....since i'm not in Europe, a tank may not cost alot. And, about my motor......it's hard for me to desribe it, but i know it should be powerful enough to keep my goldy go lustly. The reason i made my tank filled with only half of its size is because i din't know much about the ( "Importance Of Water To Fish".... ).....what a shame.... . In Europe, fish shops may contain those testkits which is essential for the water status, but i ( may ) find it difficult to get some of those testkits here....but i will eventually grab one for the sake of my goldies.

Sorry to ask again, but is it a "must" to have pea sized lava rock in my tank? Do you mind showing me some of those lava rocks? ( if can )

Awesome. It's good to know that I've got the most important part covered....

I actually plan on getting a 20 gallon long tank, and putting one of them in it. They'll be split up, but they'll each have 20 gallons. Or do they need more horizontal room than vertical?

Phreno,

A twenty gallon long will be a fine tank to grow out your other comet. you'll need to make sure you have at least a 200 gph filter on it like the one you have on your tank now too.

Good luck!

Vinson,

What country are you in?

What is the name and size written on your filter/s? Look it up and down and you should find a makers mark somewhere.

No, it isn't necessary to have lava rock in your filter. This is just an extra area to grow beneficial bacteria that helps to keep the water clean. Much like using a sponge in the filter. I helps for when filtration is a bit of a problem.

Test kits can usually be bought as a "master" kit. It comes with all of the necessary tests to make sure you water is clean. I highly suggest getting one ASAP.

Yeah, I was gonna move the 200B to the 20 gallon, and get an emperor 280 for the 25 gal, and leave the 100 on the 25 gal if it fits. If not, it will go on the 20gal. But I don't need to do that for a while, they're both quite small still. I measured them, and the larger one is just shy of 3.5 inches, so.....

Question about the actual wheels: Are they supposed to spin slow? I've had my 200 for 3 weeks now, and this week the wheels is spinning slower and stalling for a second in the same spot, I believe it's called a hitch. There are no bacteria on it visible to the eye, so....

I'm confused. On my filter catridge, right at the top where the water goes over it, the whole thing is green. Is this beneficial bacteria? I mean, the rest of the floss is blue, but near the surface it's dark green.

The dark green is just algae growing where its getting a little light through the lid. You cannot actually see beneficial bacteria. Not even with a standard microscope. But, it's well known that they make their home in the most highflow of ater in the tank as they can, the filter. They are mixed up amung the brown gooey scuzz that grows in your filter and on the filterpad. They also like to stick to your gravel and whatever is in any mediabaskets/bio-wheels.


Your bio-wheel will always spin a little erratically from time to time. The main culprit for the bio-wheel completely stopping or spinning lopsidedly is something being clogged a little betwen the intake screen and the bio-wheel. Aiso, if the filter becomes too clogged for too long or the bio-wheel gets jammed for too long, it will grow beneficial bacteria (and the brown goo) unevenly, causing it to not spin right. Keeping the impeller assembly and the intake screen clean and clear of debris (and the lid on right) usually keeps things rolling just fine....

Wanna see what a well colonized bio-wheel looks like? Check this baby out:


Its been growing for two years straight!

[attachmentid=6847]


Once its at this point, and with media baskets too boot, you KNOW your water is getting cleaned as fast as your fish can poo!

Oh, and do you mean that your water flows OVER the filter cartridge? For the filter to be running correctly, the water has to always flow THROUGH the filter cartridge so that it can trap suspended poo and debris. If the waterflow is impeded and it flow over the filter cartridge, this would certainly explain why the bio-wheel isn't rolling properly.

Another point is the waterlevel in the tank, if the water level is too low, the filter cant flow as fast as it was designed to. the correct waterlevel is 1-2 inches from the rim.

I wasn't sure if I got that correctly and I wanted to elaborate.... sorry.

Holy cow, that's wheel's creepy! I've seen ones at my lfs that were brown, but never like that! That's crazy....

So does that mean I shouldn't vacuum my gravel untill the cycle's completed?

Yeah, the water level is 1 inch from the top, and the water goes through the cartridge. It's just that the wheel spins funky now, and it didn't before...

Its all good. As long as it doesn't completely stop......


If you swish the gravel and you see a good amount of stuff swirling up, you should gravel vac regardless of wether the tank is cycling or not. Unless your going the fishless cycling route. Then you have to let the fish food on the bottom rot for a day or two so ammonia is released. Then gravel vac and replace the fish food.

When I move the gravel, poo and stuff comes up, and lots of fine particulates. So I should gravel vac even though it's not cycled? Won't it affect the bacteria living on the gravel?

Nah, most of the actual beneficial bacteria is housed in your filter. There's some in the gravel too but gravel vacs wont harm them. They stick to the gravel surfaces really well.

In fact, if your tank is 55 gallons or less, it's a very good idea to vacuum the gravel DURING waterchanges. Run the gravel vac for as long as it takes to remove the amount of water you want to change. In doing this, your gravel will be kept nice and clear of particulate matter. Less particulate matter means better waterflow through the gravel wich allows the bacteria there better access to waterflow. Follow me there?


All in all, you shouldn't be able to see lots of stuff getting kicked up from the gravel.

Paul

All right. I'll get to work on that soon.

A stupid newbie question here....

I have a power filter AND an air pump ... do I need to use both to get oxygen into the water or is just the power filter enough?

The filter is a topfin power 10 and my tank is 10 gallons....
the air pump is also a topfin and its good for 20 gallons.... the airpump is pretty messy though so if i don't need it I would remove it. BUT if its good to have both ill have both.

*blush*

I have a problem, toothless. I need to extend the intake tubes of my filters. THere are 2 problems.


1. It takes more effort for the filter to drag up water from the bottom of the tank than from the top, and if the extension pieces are on, the wheel doesn't turn.

2. The intake tubes on the new penguins are not round, they're rectangular. Is there some tubing that will fit still?

No worries.


It takes the same amount of force to draw water up the tube from the bottom of the tank as it does from the top. What would reduce your waterflow would be if the water level in the tank was lower than the suggested level in the operators manual. The lower the water level, the lower the GPH flow from the filter. If your wheel stops turning when you add the extension tube, you might not have the intake tube pushed all the way down. Keep fiddling with it and I think it should get the wheel to start turning.


As long as your filters intake screen is sitting within a couple of inches of the tanks bottom, you should be fine. I think you'll find that the stuff that collects under the intake screen slowly swirls up into the intake screen after a while. Kind like an upside down whirlpool......

Give it a try and see how it goes.


Paul

Well, actually I haven't seen any poo in my tank for a while. Is it really getting sucked into the filter? I just assumed it got eaten by bacteria, but I guess not!


Next time I change water, I'll fiddle around with it. Its just that more than half the bio base is in that filter, since its been running muuuch longer. I can't afford to have the bacteria die...lol

Right you are! It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Paul

what about internal filters? are they any good?

Sure! They work great!

But, they are best used as powerfilters are, 100 gph for every ten gallons (at least). If that is being provided, then internal filters are every bit as good as a standard power filter........

I have an overhead filter. Is it true that ceramic rings and bio balls need to have sufficient amount of air passing through them? I see some people just having water "trickle" over the ceramic rings and not submerging them completly?

Either way, really. The trickle effect is mainly for ponds and very large tanks.

The heavy agitation of the water as it passes over and through all the filter components helps to oxygenate the water. the main thing about bio-filtration is flow rate through it. If its too slow or too fast, the ability of the bacterias to "clean" the water is impeded.


Paul

Hi all,
Newbie here,

I am soon going to get a 50 gallon at the end of the month and looking at filters. My plan is to get the Eheim 2026 canister and 2 Penguin 200's. I only have two fancytails now (one is 4" and the other is 5", not including tails), and plan to get two more eventually, keeping only 4 in the 50 gallon. Anyone out there who can give me additional advice? Would these filters be sufficient?

Also, I have limited top space. I will have about 6" to 7"'s of clearance. For anyone who currently has the Penguin 200's, how far does the unit stick up from the tank? Will 6 or 7 inches top clearance be enough space to maintain the filters in the Penguin 200?

Thanks for your replies!! This forum is waaaayy helpful, learning a lot!!

Cisco

Hi Cisco.


Yes, you will have sufficient clearance for the Penguin 200's.

Yes, the filtration you listed will put your tank at VERY able to handle the bioload of 4 full size fancy goldfish. In my opinion, you would only need 1 penguin 200 with the Eheim running as well. but, if you want two penguins going with the Eheim, by all means, go for it. The currents created by all three filters would certainly be more optimal than the Eheim and one 200.

As for the new tank, make well and sure that you DO NOT introduce any plants to the system without first learnining how to disinfect them properly. Most parasites are EASILY brought in on/with plants. Also, when you look to getting the two other fish, you should put them through quarentine before adding them to the main tank. Parasites are a REAL problem in this day and age and it would be terrible for you (and your fish) to experience this without first knowing the risks. More on that later if need be.......


Hope this helps!


Paul

Hi Toothless,

Thanks for your reply. I've read a lot of your posts (and other knowledgeable member's posts) and I have found them very informative and helpful. I think I will get 2 Penguin's with my Eheim, coz from what I understand, more filtration is better.

I enjoy my goldies!! It all started with a friend winning a "common" at a state fair. Helped her set up her tank, and it got me started on wanting one or two goldfish for myself. Blink:

Anyway, my two fish I have had for 2 1/2 years now, Goldie and Calico are in a 12 gallon Eclipse, yikes! I know, but I do two 25 to 30% water changes a week and check for amonia once a week (reading 0%) and nitrates are steady at 40 ppm. No spikes in 2 years, but so very tired of changing water twice a week!! They are happy and healthy, but I want to give them a "better" "bigger" home. They have certainly out-grown the Eclipse. No kidding :-)!

Regarding live plants in my aquarium, don't think I want to go that route. I have plenty of fake plants and I think they look nice and "real" enough. I know real plants probably offer some assistance in being beneficial to fish, but I think goldfish are enough for me to handle right now. If they want to eat plants, I will feed them lettuce or zuccini once in a while.

I do plan on a medium size "natural looking" gravel substrate, (although from what I read, the large size rocks are better), only 1/2 inch deep to put in the tank. When I buy new fancy tails, I'm sure I will need more advice on quarantining(sp?) them!! Also, will need assistance on cycling my new tank before I put Goldie and Calico in it. Thanks in advance for the help!! :-)

Cisco

Oh, and thanks for letting me know the Penguin 200's will work with 6" to 7" top clearance. I am ordering a custom acrylic tank due to space criteria so it was very helpful to know that it will work.

Tanks so much!!
Cisco

One more question ?? I know this may sound stupid, but I need all the help and experience I can get!! I am going to order my new aquarium (custom size) tomorrow. The Eheim will be under my cabinet, the cabinet being 17 inches tall, my aquarium being 17 inches tall also, will the Eheim work properly being only 34 inches below my tank? Your help is greatly appreciated!

Cisco

Yep! In fact, it will work even better than what the suggested distance in the owners guide says. the GPH is rated for the suggested distance from the top of the filter to the top of the water level. This is taking head pressure (back pressure from the weight of the water in the tubing) into consideration. Since you'll have less hose above the fitler, you'll have less head pressure. thats will make the gph a little more efficient.......


Good luck and I'll be happy to help you whenever your ready to get started on cycling a Q-tank! My PM box is always open. So, when you start your thread for it, just PM me letting me know.


PAul

Hi Paul,

Thanks so much for all of you help.

Cisco

I'm aspiring to get a 100g tank (having just missed out on one by a whisker in the last 20 seconds on ebay - Drat, drat & double drat !!) and was wondering about the 10x filtration rule. They seem to come with a 265 gph filter as standard, which doesn't seem anything like enough. Does it have to be 10x when the tank's that big if you have, say, 5 fish in it? And how would you achieve that?

Also, I was looking in the Interpet Fish Health book about filtration and it says:
"Many fishkeepers equate filtration efficiency with a high circulation rate, but a relatively slow filter can be very effective, while a high-turnover filter may not be so efficient. Fishes not accustomed to fast-running streams may not have the physique for dealing with powerful currents and, even if they are not physically damaged, they may succumb through too much stress."

That's something I've noticed since putting a more powerful filter in my existing 18g tank - poor old Clive keeps getting sucked towards it all the time. I've now put a small filter at the opposite end (they're both internal filters) and it seems to balance the flow a bit better.

Hi Dawn.


The ten times per hour suggestion is mainly for people who are just planning on putting any old HOB or internal filter onto the back of their tanks. A safeguard, really. If you were to use a wet/dry filter or canister filter (something with a large bio-media area), you could get away with less flow and still retain excellent water quality.

Thats why I suggest that sponges or some other biomedia be used in filter with the space to do so. This adds an extra layer of protection against bio-filter failure from too much of a cleaning or swapping out old filter cartridges for new ones.

If the 10X per hour suggestion is used and you find too much of a current in the tank, the turbulance can be buffered with strategically placed ornaments and plants. Providing a "sweet spot" for fish to relax in can be done by adding a cave or a pocket in between ornaments or plants.

All in all, a larger tank has less of a tendency to create too much turbulence when sticking with the 10X per hour suggestion.........

Thanks Paul! I understand it a lot better now: it's as good to have a LARGE area of good bacteria for the water to flow through as it is a small area with faster flow.

I've bought a big ornament for Clive to hide behind, and another tank's come up on ebay so hopefully soon I'll be able to put the 'extra biomedia' thing into practice.

Hey Paul,What an informative guide you've done.I think that your research into all this info will certainly pay off for people who need some help. Very easy reading by the way,and interesting. Are you going to get a research award for this? I would think.

Thanks Sharon!


No awards necessary though. I realized, some time ago, That filtration was a mystery to most newbies and even experienced keepers alike. I decided that we needed a good comprehensive thread going that not only puts forth a good amount of info in the beginning, but to be an ongoing dialouge that helps explain anything that needs clarification........

I have a 10 gallon tank with 2 fantail goldies in it. They are about 1-2 inches long without the tails. I have a Tetratec Power Filter 150 on it. Is that too much for them? I was told that they are poor swimmers and I don't want to stress them. Also, how far should the intake tube be from the gravel? The manual of the filter says 3 inches. Thanks for your help!!!

If I put a bendable bubble wand in my filter in front of the sponge, will it maximize the amount of oxygen the BB's can use? Also, as I asked in the other thread, is it hard to maintain the tetratec? Is it really loud? What do you have to do to maintain the "living filter?"

Could you give more details on how to extend the intake tube? I'm dumb. Sorry.