Hi all,
I have a question about filter inserts. I am using Aqua Clear 70 and Eheim Canister 2215 for my 29 gallons tank. LFS suggested me to change foam insert from Aqua Clear every month. For Eheim LFS suggested to change Fine filter Pad every month and coarse filter pads for every 3 months.
1.)Is it what you guys doing for your tanks also or any suggestion?
2.)Is it adequate for 29 gallons tank with 5 small goldies(1.5", 1 Rhyukin, 1 Ranchu, 3 perlscales)? (LFS suggested me to get more fish and I followed their suggestion b4 I found this site. I live in NYC; due to the space limitation I couldn't find any space for another thank unfortunately.)
Since I have a lot of bad experience with LFS, I don't trust them anymore. FYI, I don't have carbon in my filter but I have insert for bacterial. I change the water everyweek, somethime twice a week.
Thank you....
Fred
Full Version: Filter Inserts
That is about 16 times turnover in your tank - give or take some when the filters are not clean. That is a wonderful rate of filtration for an overstocked tank.
You CAN keep those fish in your tank, but you are going to have to be VERY aware of your water parameters and very careful in your service of the tank. It will become more and more difficult to keep the parameters within range as the fish grow. 5 fish are going to give you more and more problems in a smaller tank as they grow. You may have to reassess matters down the road a bit. It will become quite a bit of hard work to keep that tank in shape.
You have made a great start, though, by placing such great filteration on that tank!
As far as the filter flosses, you are building your biological colonies in the biological media in those filters. The Eheim cannister is a splendid platform for the beneficial bacteria. I open my cannister every week, rinse the media in used fish water ( a gentle rinse). I take out the fine filter pad from the cannsister and blast it clean under the tap. But I have NO chlorine in my water - I have a well. You can rinse and sqeeze and really clean that pad out in used fish water with no problem. The biological cycle is contained in the media - so the sponge is just extra - and it being clean is far more important that it containing bacteria. A clean pad will allow more water flow. The more water that travels through your filter, the more waste can be processed from the water. So you want the pad freely allowing water to pass. When you no longer can get the pad clean enough that water flow is impeeded, it is time to replace it.
The lareger, blue pad is quite easy to clean. It should never need to be replaced - or if it does it will be years and years between changes. I have never replaced mine - they are YEARS oild and look and behave like new.
I have found bulk fine filter pads available - generic ones - HBH Aqua-Pure cut-to-fit filter pads are what I use - they are 10" by 18 " are far cheaper to use. A pack for $7.00 yeilds two large pads for my Ehiem 2028 and the extra material around the edges cuts into splendid sized glass cleaning pads for cleaning the tank. Every tank will get its own cleaning pad - and they can be thrown away without a care when they are too dirty.
You CAN keep those fish in your tank, but you are going to have to be VERY aware of your water parameters and very careful in your service of the tank. It will become more and more difficult to keep the parameters within range as the fish grow. 5 fish are going to give you more and more problems in a smaller tank as they grow. You may have to reassess matters down the road a bit. It will become quite a bit of hard work to keep that tank in shape.
You have made a great start, though, by placing such great filteration on that tank!
As far as the filter flosses, you are building your biological colonies in the biological media in those filters. The Eheim cannister is a splendid platform for the beneficial bacteria. I open my cannister every week, rinse the media in used fish water ( a gentle rinse). I take out the fine filter pad from the cannsister and blast it clean under the tap. But I have NO chlorine in my water - I have a well. You can rinse and sqeeze and really clean that pad out in used fish water with no problem. The biological cycle is contained in the media - so the sponge is just extra - and it being clean is far more important that it containing bacteria. A clean pad will allow more water flow. The more water that travels through your filter, the more waste can be processed from the water. So you want the pad freely allowing water to pass. When you no longer can get the pad clean enough that water flow is impeeded, it is time to replace it.
The lareger, blue pad is quite easy to clean. It should never need to be replaced - or if it does it will be years and years between changes. I have never replaced mine - they are YEARS oild and look and behave like new.
I have found bulk fine filter pads available - generic ones - HBH Aqua-Pure cut-to-fit filter pads are what I use - they are 10" by 18 " are far cheaper to use. A pack for $7.00 yeilds two large pads for my Ehiem 2028 and the extra material around the edges cuts into splendid sized glass cleaning pads for cleaning the tank. Every tank will get its own cleaning pad - and they can be thrown away without a care when they are too dirty.
Thanks Daryl. I love your suggestion especially, HBH Aqua-Pure cut-to-fit part. It save me a lot.
daryl, how do you calculate turn over for a tank? i have the aqua clear 70 as well, and fluval 104 can filter in my 30 gal tank. totalling 440gph for that tank. if i divide 440 by 30....which gives me 14.66666666666666666666666666666666666...is that my turn over rate?
Yup - you did that perfectly. Since actual turnover is dependant on numerous factors, the gph of the filter is given for maximum turnover. Most filters do a bit less. This means that the numbers are all approximate. Because the numbers are approximate, it is not necessary to carry it out into so many digits. Rounding it off to 14.5 or even 14 times an hour is probably as accurate as anything you can do.
That is a good turnover for a tank.
That is a good turnover for a tank.
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