Filter advice Filter Recommendations, FW 02/14/09 Hi again, While cleaning one of my Eheim 2250's I ended up with both of them leaking from the bottom hose barb fittings. Can you guys give me some recommendations for filters for a 200 gallon tank. Right now there is a single Fluval FX5 and a smaller Eheim on it. I am sure you all can imagine the frustration the large intake hoses leaking would cause a person especially when multiplied by 2. Thanks for all the advice. Ed < I feel your pain. Go to Cichlid-Forum.com and look under product reviews for filters. Readers have rated filters of all types. Soon you will see that no filter is perfect. Some get rave reviews while others have their problems. Monster Fish .com also has discussions on filtration since this group specializes in very large tanks to keep very large fish. I personally like the Marineland tidepool system with the overflow box. Very easy to maintain but a little pricey. I unfortunately think they are discontinuing this product and replacing it with the Marineland Acrylic Sump. I like the design but the product is too new to get any feedback on. If you have room behind your tank I would look at the outside power filters like and Emperor 400. Unfortunately they are not very quiet and may be a problem where noise is an issue.-Chuck>

Internal Power Filters 2/11/09 Im considering an internal power filter for each of my 30 gallon tanks (one is a hexagon). My hex has 2 Kribs in it and the filter is a Penguin 200. The 30 long has 20 assorted platys, swords and mollies and its filtered by a Penguin 350. Id like the internal filters for secondary filters. Any suggestions? Audra <Likely any will do. Eheim is the best (i.e., most reliable, easiest to get spares for) brand, but the second-tier brands such as Fluval aren't bad at all. So choose whatever looks good to you. The one thing I'll mention is turnover. For small fish like Neons, the recommendation is 4 times the volume of the tank per hour, for bigger fish, like Mollies, you can step that up to at least 6 times the volume of the tank per hour. Swordtails are fast-water fish, so the more water current, the better. Likewise cichlids generally enjoy reasonably strong currents, especially riverine species like Kribs. So I'd be looking for models offering 6-8 times the turnover of the tank per hour. For a 30 gallon tank, that's 180 to 240 gallons per hour. Avoid models that lock you into their own "filter modules" as these are typically overpriced for what they. Look for models with simple compartments into which you can stuff whatever media you want. Depending on what filter you've already got installed, likely something like the Eheim Aquaball 2210 or 2212 would fit the bill nicely. They're powerful, easy to clean, and can be filled with whatever media you like. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Internal Power Filters Thank you Neale. Since I'm new to using internal filters, I really do appreciate the breakdown of your information. Audra <Pleasure's all mine. Cheers, Neale.>

Filtration issues 2/10/09 Hiya gang , first comment is as a newbie to fish keeping , 'what a fantastic website for info and helpful bumpf' . My question is, I have just started to keep fish again after 20 years with dogs and cats , I have a 22 gall FW tank , PH 7.6 . Nitrate nil, Nitrite nil, changing about 15% every 3-4 days . The tank came as a set with filter, heater/stat. and inbuilt light 18w . After reading about filter output , I think I calculated mine, for a medium stocked tank as . Filter output = 8.3 litre per min. = about 2.2 gall per min?. using 6 to 8 times the volume of the tank. Have I worked mine out to be about 132 gall per hour. Am I right in saying I am a little short on flow rate for this size tank with the mechanical foam filled filter, that came with the system . I live in Spain and not being a fluent speaker/reader of Spanish it can all get a bit confusing at my LFS.. regards Mitch ..xpat .. <Mitch, let's simplify things by sticking with the numbers on the aquarium you have, and on the products available in your local stores. Yes, here in Europe we tend to use the metric system (though I admit in England we mix them both up, and then use a few of our own, like "stones" for body weight, just to throw off the Americans as well as the French). Anyway, let's assume this tank is around 80 litres, a pretty typical size for a small aquarium in Europe. That would be about 22 US gallons, or about 17.5 Imperial gallons. For small, non-messy aquarium fish such as Neons and Guppies, you'd want 4x the volume of the tank in turnover per hour, so the filter you have should be rated at 4 x 80 = 320 litres per hour (abbreviated to 'l/h' or similar). That would be a very small internal canister filter. Look on the head of the filter and see what number is printed there. If it is 320 l/h or more, you're fine, so long as you stick with small fish. Cheers, Neale.>

Filtration for 90 gallon freshwater 2/7/09 Hi! How many gallons per hour in filtration do I need on a 90 gallon freshwater aquarium? I am currently using one Bio-wheel 350 and a strong air pump. Is this enough? I currently have 25 rainbow fish in the tank. Will the one bio=wheel be enough biological filtration or do I need to add another bio=wheel? I thought that two 350's might be too much water movement. Tanks a lot. Barbara <Barbara, the calculation for turnover is pretty simple. For a lightly stocked tank with small fish (like Neons) you need at least 4 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. For busier tanks or tanks with medium sized species (such as Rainbowfish) anything from 6-8 times the volume of the tank is appropriate. Since Rainbowfish are active swimmers, going towards the higher end of the range would be sensible. So let's say 8 x 90 gallons, which equals 720 gallons per hour. In other words, adding another 350 gallon per hour filter would be appropriate. There won't be too much water current, so don't worry about that. A flowing river is much stronger than anything you're likely to create in the aquarium! Because hang-on-the-back filters don't do a good job of circulating water up from the lower level of the tank, I would seriously consider using an external or internal canister filter instead of another identical filter to the one you have. That way you can ensure proper circulation and healthier fish. Also, don't take the recommended aquarium size statements on the packaging too seriously: manufacturers usually overestimate just how good their filters are, by considering the best-case scenario, rather than reality. Cheers, Neale.>

FW filter options 10/23/08 Hello again Neale, Hope your day is going well. <So far... but it's only 09:30, so who knows...?> I know you told me that you had personally used the Marineland canister filter cseries and that it was a good product. <Nope; not used either. I tend to use Fluval and Eheim products, two European brands.> Please tell me if you have had any experience with the Rena Filstar XP canister. After doing a lot of research and looking at reviews I have narrowed my choice down between these two. If you are familiar with the Rena please tell me which of the two are the best overall (effectiveness, easy to clean, durability). <Rena products are generally reasonably good. They're mid price manufacturers (like Fluval and Sera) with well designed products only a notch or two below Eheim in terms of reliability and longevity. About the only thing worth saying when buying canister filters generally is keep the receipt and buy from somewhere you can easily get help if something goes wrong. Very occasionally people get a "lemon", a filter that leaks or has a noisy pump or whatever. In that case your warranty will cover replacement, but it's a whole lot easier if that means you can get to the pet store and swap the thing within the hour. If you've bought the thing mail order then the whole process is much more of a hassle.> Thank you for all of your help and patience. James <Happy to help, Neale.> thank you. <No problem. Cheers, Neale.>

FW Filtration in A Planted Tank 9/18/09
Hi, What a fantastic web based source of information on fish keeping.
<Thanks!>
Some really helpful people on here. I have read a fair bit but this is the first question.
On to my question I am planning a 800 litre heavily planted tank in the very near future. I would like to have a 55 gallon sump for all of my filtration and to put heaters and probes in.
<Good idea. But do consider the effect extra turbulence will have on the rate at which CO2 is lost from the water. Not all plants are bothered by CO2 concentration, but some certainly do much better when it's provided and properly dosed.>
I have 2x 2028 running on my 400 litre which would be enough just I would think to filter the new one but I don't want any pipes running up the back, hence the sump idea
I am concerned that I may have a problem with my CO 2 injection, IE gassing the CO 2 off by using the sump as my filtration.
<Correct.>
Is there a way to avoid this by building the sump differently, maybe sealing it some how?
<Sealing will make no odds: once the CO2 has left the water, it's not going to go back in at any appreciable level. Moreover, a sealed sump is essentially a canister filter, and being cut off from atmospheric oxygen will only work at a rate dictated by the dissolved oxygen in the water, defeating the object of the exercise. Instead, concentrate on minimising the amount of splashing, perhaps by using baffles to sluice the water into the sump rather than pour it in there. Alternatively, either use an electronic CO2 device that will automatically compensate for drops in CO2 concentration, or else forget about it altogether and go with plant species that don't care either way. Many plants get the carbon from dissolved bicarbonate in the water, so aren't fussed provided the water is reasonably hard. Look up the topic "biogenic decalcification" online or in books.>
I am planning to have the tank drilled with 2 x 2" overflows in each corner and 1 x 2" return in the centre, I also intend to run a closed loop type system to provide more water movement around the tank, by having two 1"- 1 1/4 holes drilled one to feed a separate pump to the sump return pump and the other to feed a manifold that will be under the substrate and exit above the sand in certain places to provide some low level movement, does this sound OK for around 2000 GPH?
<Sounds a nice tank. I do suspect that if you want CO2 fertilisation, switching from a sump to one or more external thermofilters (e.g., EHEIM Professionel II thermofilter) could more easily satisfy your needs. You can (relatively inexpensively) convert any canister filter into a thermofilter by placing an external heater into the pipe carrying the water back from the filter (e.g., the Hydor ETH In-Line Heaters). Either of these approaches will mean that all that's left in the tank will be the inlet and outlet pipes. A spray bar placed along the top of the tank just under the waterline is practically invisible, especially if the tank has a wood or plastic trim around the top. The inlet pipe can be easily hidden using rocks, bogwood, or tall plants such as Vallisneria.>
Thanks Guys , keep up the good work.
<Cheers, Neale.>

Freshwater planted tank lighting and filtration 8/6/08 Hi there :) <Ave,> I recently set up a new freshwater tank which is 33"x18"(H)x15". I bought a complete set-up with the lighting and filter integrated into the hood intending to just have a community tank with a few plants. However, now I'd like to focus more on the plants and see how well they can do. The system I bought seems to be a little odd so I wanted your advice on what I need to change and what I can get away with leaving in place. I live in the Philippines and equipment is very difficult to find here - I'll most likely have to buy whatever I need next time I'm in the UK or USA and bring it back... <Plants are generally easier to keep with "non specialist" equipment than, say, corals. All they really care about is a decent substrate (aquatic/pond soil mixed with silica sand and topped with gravel will do) and 2-4 W per gallon lighting around the 5500-6500 K level.> Lighting - the tank has 3 15,000k tubes that came with the tank. No problem I thought, I'll just buy lower Kelvin tubes and replace them, which I did (Arcadia Freshwater tubes, which I found by a miracle). Only to discover to my horror when I got the new tubes home that the light fittings are non-standard sizes! Instead of 2 30" tubes and a 24" tube which I thought the tank had, I now find it has a 2 x 29 1/2" tubes and 1 x 23 1/4"! Have you heard of this before? <Nope. Just goes to show... read the manual, check the specifications, and _then_ buy replacement fittings. In any case, hoods designed for marine aquaria may well be built for a selection of T5, T8 and Actinic tubes rather than the generic T8 tubes usually used on freshwater tanks.> It's a few years since I was in the hobby but after asking people here in the Philippines, no-one seems to have heard of new sizes. Very weird... So my choices seem to be either to stick with the 15,000k tubes or replace the entire fittings and tubes. What do you think? <To be honest, I'd stick with what you have, but use lots of floating plants to shade the aquatic plants (especially things like Cryptocoryne and Anubias that don't like strong, direct light). Floating plants will also help deal with algae until such time as the fast-growing rooted plats (Rotala, Hygrophila, Cabomba, Bacopa, etc.) get established. Once those plants are growing rapidly, they'll prevent algae from becoming a problem via allelopathy.> I've been getting good growth on Crypts, Amazon Swords and a few others but stem plants become very leggy quickly. <Invariably occurs where stem plants aren't getting enough light. They become etiolated -- i.e., very tall, so the leaves can get close to the light. In strong lighting this won't happen, especially if you prune these fast-growing plants rigorously. So review the strength of the lighting, bearing in mind these fast-growing stem species typically want 3 W or more per gallon.> Bacopa seems to only grow slightly but at least it's not losing leaves. How about algae? Do you think it will be encouraged by my tubes at the expense of the plants? <Algae will be a problem for the first few weeks while the plants acclimatise. Inevitably plants become "shocked" when planted in a new tank because their roots get damaged in transit and when you place them in the substrate. It also takes plants a while to adjust to different levels of lighting. Floating plants will help, even Duckweed! Once the plants are spreading (you'll see shoots and daughter plants) then the plants will largely control the algae for you.> There's a bit of brown algae kicking off in a few parts of the tank... <Diatoms are normal in new tanks, and usually go away eventually. Hair/brush algae (red algae) tends to sprout from the edges of leaves, especially plants like Cryptocoryne and Anubias that grow slowly and aren't adapted to direct light. Some fish and invertebrates will help; I'd recommend algae-eating shrimps (e.g., Cherry Shrimps) and Nerite snails. Florida Flagfish and Siamese Algae Eaters are also excellent for algae control.> Filter - the tank came with a wet-dry trickle filter. I understand that in planted tanks it's better to avoid much surface disturbance so I've modified the water level in the filter so that the spray bar now delivers the water directly under water, but the return to the tank is still via a jet which sucks in quite a bit of air. Do you think this is likely to be a problem? <Not really. CO2 makes good systems better; it isn't the deciding factor that makes a failing system fail.> If I add a CO2 system will it be a waste of money or is it still worth investing in? <By all means buy a CO2 system. Will do no harm. But will it turn around a tank where the plants are "leggy" or don't grow at all... no.> Many thanks in advance for all your help! Dylan <Cheers, Neale.>

Can you have too big of a filter? 06/26/08 Hello, My question is in regards to the size of a filter vs. the size of the aquarium. I currently have a 55 gallon tank which is home to 3 silver tip sharks, 1 Bala shark, a red fin Pacu, and also a plecostomus, which are all getting to big for my little tank. I will be in the market for a new tank in the near future, but I was just wondering if I do purchase a bigger filter now can I run it on my 55 gallon tank with now problems. <You will run out of cabinet space under your tank long before your fish object to the filter current. Realistically, your fish want at least 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour, and even ten times the volume of the tank would be well within their tolerances. So if you have a 55 gallon tank now, anything up to 550 gallons per hour turnover would be acceptable. Indeed, standard issue in marine tanks! Your Plecs are adapted to fast-flowing rivers (that's what their Suckermouth is all about) and the big cyprinids will relish the strong water current. Cheers, Neale.>

Filtration for Deep Tank 5/24/08 Hi , thank you for your enjoyable and informative website . <Thank you, happy you find the site of use!> I am setting a large and deep tank (800litres) with an height of 90 cm sitting on a metre high stand. I intend to keep a few American cichlids but will probably under stock the tank. <Sounds great!> The tank was previously set up for salt water with predrilled inlet and outlet holes on the bottom of the tank. I was planning to filter it with a large canister filter and an internal power head for extra water movement and my question is : can I plug the inlet piping of the canister filter straight into the outlet (20mm pipe) at the bottom of the tank (thereby being able to collect middle to lower level water for filtering (since most filter inlet pipes come up a bit short), or would the water pressure be likely to blow the seal of the canister filter? <A good question, most would not even consider this. It is not really an issue/concern. Any well made (read, wont leak anyway) canister filter will be fine in this situation.> Many thanks, Laurent Australia <Welcome, Scott V., California, USA.>

Deep sand beds 5/5/08 Hell Crew, I have utilized DSB's for my marine aquariums and I was curious to know if the same principles would apply to freshwater aquariums. <In theory, yes, but of course you won't have the small invertebrates (meiofauna) burrowing through the sand. Melanoides snails might work though, but I can't think of other freshwater meiofaunal organisms widely traded that would help.> I want to set up a breeder tank for African Cichlids and if a deep sand bed would work for denitrification the breeding cycle would not be interrupted by overly frequent water changes. <With freshwater aquaria, it is usually more cost effective just to do regular water changes, hence denitrification isn't usually an issue. Fast-growing plants can also work extremely well; Vallisneria for example is native to Lake Tanganyika and rapidly absorbs nitrate from the water.> I am using an old 55 gallon tank that was previously used as a refugium on a reef tank. There are two compartments, one for adults with larger limestone and crushed coral substrate and the other compartment with a 5 inch sand bed for the fry. The filtration is a wet-dry filter with bio balls and a return pump alternating between the two compartments. If all goes well there is a 75 gallon tank next to the 55 gallon for the juveniles to put on some size. Please advise of any adjustments or critique you may have. <Sounds fine to me.> All the research on DSB's was tapered to the marine aquariums. Thanks for your input. Wade <Good luck, Neale.> <<Well-stated, done. RMF>>

Emperor 400 03/26/2008 Hello, I have an Eheim 2028 and an emperor 400 on 90 gallon cichlid setup. How can I maximize mechanical filtration from the emperor and biological from the Eheim?. I would rather not use the disposable filter, media-seems like a waste and don't need all of that charcoal. I did purchase bio forever super cartridge. Any suggestions how to run this efficiently? Thank you and I hope this question is not too confusing. Thanks. Phil. <Not familiar with the precise filter system here, but some basic thoughts. I agree, carbon is redundant in this sort of system. Depending on the cichlids, things like crushed coral (for pH control) may be more valuable. Hooking up the outflow from the external canister filter will provide optimal water quality in terms of clarity as well as ammonia/nitrite removal. For cichlids other than dwarf species, aim for a combination of filters providing not less than 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. Cheers, Neale.>

Large Freshwater Filtration 03/10/08 Hello again everyone....... Ok, I have finally made some decisions for the either 100-125 gal fancy goldfish tank I'll be setting up very soon. I know that I want something longer and not as deep (hence the size I've chosen) and thinking "long term", I plan on having about 5 fish and maybe 2 apple snails. The tank will be? in a new? living room with lots of natural light (but no direct hard light coming into the tank). Sand will be the substrate (looking into the best price for the Estes Marine Sand now) with a variety of silk plants. Not sure if I'll even have lights.....though a member on another forum suggested underwater lights for night-time viewing which sounds pretty cool. My biggest concern with having a fully lighted system is having the temps get too warm for the goldfish. Anyway......on to filtration. Although I seriously considered a wet/dry? and/or sump for this tank.....I had to think about the few "spills" we had with the 125 gal FOWLR tank in the? clubroom.? Sooooooo, with know-How flooring we recently installed in the new living room, I think we'll forget about that idea. So, I have decided to use 2 Eheim canister filters as I've read so many darn great things about them. The tank will have a custom stand and I'll have our friend make 2 cabinets on either side to house the filters. My question/problem is.......which ones to I buy?? For someone who is fairly "new" at this, boy is it hard to determine what size(s) is needed to filter the heck out of a larger goldfish tank. Now I'm going to call myself a liar because I also saw the Eheim makes a wet/dry filter that looks pretty water tight but again....I'm used to a more "natural filtration on my marine system (40gal sump/refugium w/DSB, LR, Chaeto...and a nice protein skimmer). PLEASE HELP as I have read and read and read and can't find a suitable answer to fit my tank and I want to do this the right way from the beginning, rather than have to add on later. Thank? you again everyone for such a wonderful site and for all your hard work. Wish we could pay you for all your time....even if it was in fishy wafers!?? lol Lisa <Hi Lisa. For Goldfish, aim for filters that alone or added together provide not less than 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. I'd recommend at least two filters, so you can position the outlets around the tank to ensure optimal water flow. Because Goldfish produce a lot of faeces, you need the strong water current to ensure these get cleaned up quickly. Otherwise the tank will look kind of crummy, with dirt all over the place. Eheim filters are indeed excellent, and are widely considered to be reliable and perhaps optimal value over the long term. I have a great respect for reverse-flow undergravel filters when combined with Goldfish -- the up flow of water through the gravel pushes the faeces into the water column where they can be sucked up quickly. Cheers, Neale.>

Opinion on Chemical Media in Planted Aquarium 2/4/08 Hi - I wanted to get the expert's opinion on chemical media containing carbon with ion exchange media (such as Chemi-Pure and BioChemZorb) and the planted tank. My fear would be scavenging too many trace elements and hurting the growth of my plants. I've used Purigen with great success, but have heard various rave reviews of the Chemi-Pure, and - to a less extent - BioChemZorb. Thanks in advance for your feedback. Your site is, by far, the definitive online guide for fishkeeping. Very truly yours, Stu <Greetings. I'm not a big fan of carbon in freshwater tanks. It does nothing that regular water changes don't do better. Carbon was most valued in the Stone Age of the hobby, where people deliberately avoiding changing the water. 10% a month was normal. The idea was "old water" was better than "new water". The big problem with old water is that organic decay in the tank produces organic acids that lower pH and turn the water yellow. Carbon adsorbs organic compounds, and by using carbon in a filter, the aquarist could keep the pH stable and the water clear. Nowadays we routinely change 25-50% of the water per week, so the dissolved organic compounds in the aquarium never reach a concentration where they are sufficient to cause harm. In terms of value, biological and mechanical filter media deliver more tangible results per cubic centimetre of filter space, and chemical media for buffering water chemistry can also be useful under certain circumstances. Finally, the active life of carbon (regardless of how it is packaged or what brand it is sold under) is literally a matter of days. One manufacturer of fish medications makes the point that carbon over 5 days old won't have any impact on their medication because it won't absorb sufficient quantity of that medication to affect the efficacy of the drug involved. That pretty much sets it out for you in terms of how often carbon needs to be replaced if it is to do any good. Carbon doesn't removed many inorganic substances, iodine is the only one of note, if I recall correctly. So carbon won't really do anything to the CO2, iron, magnesium, etc. that you need to keep plants healthy. The minerals at least need to be in their reduced rather than oxidised state, so won't be in the (oxygen-rich) water anyway but in the (oxygen-poor) substrate. The carbon obviously doesn't do anything to the substrate. So bottom line, in my opinion, is buy whichever you want since they're all a waste of money and don't make any difference in the big picture. Cheers, Neale.>

Platy companions, filter maintenance 1/18/08 hi there, I've written to you before and got good advice, <Good oh.> what I am wondering is, when I'm changing the filter sponges, which ones can I just rinse through and which ones do I have to replace completely? <Ideally rinse them ALL in buckets of aquarium water, and never replace more than 50% of the filter media in any one go. Typically the mechanical media (the coarse sponges in your system) will need to be cleaned more thoroughly, and perhaps replaced more frequently, than the biological media (the finer sponges). Juwel filters also have little white cotton pads you stick at the very top of the system to trap big bits of waste, like dead leaves. These can be replaced as often as you want. I find it cheaper to rinse them off every week or two rather than replace them every month or so. But it doesn't matter much.> I have a Juwel Rekord 70. also which fish would be good tank companions with platy? I was going for Neons next, my tank is up and running about 7 weeks. <Platies are hard water fish, and for that reason your best bet is to mix them with other hard water fish. That way you can tweak water chemistry, or use salt as a therapy, without worrying. Other livebearers are ideal, but so are Rainbowfish and halfbeaks. If your water quality is good, then certain dwarf Tanganyikan shell-dwelling cichlids can work well at the bottom of the tank. They work surprisingly well with livebearers.> thanks again!! David. Davy-D- <David, please please please use the Shift key next time to put capital letters where they belong! The idea behind this site is that the questions we answer are available for others to read, not just you, and letters without capital letters are difficult to read. This is especially true for those who don't read English as their native language. Thanks! Neale.>

Filtration help... FW set up Qs, learning to read/use WWM 12/18/07 Hi there, first I just want to say how much I appreciate the staff there who run this site and answer questions so fast. you guys are great and have helped me so much with my learning process, keep it up! Now, I have an established 10 gallon tank and am wanting to setup my 30 gallon and 5 gallon tanks (haha Multiple tank syndrome!). The 10 g has a small AquaClear filter on it currently. Yesterday I added the large AquaClear filter and a small sponge filter to the 10g to try to get the media colonized with bacteria. My questions are: How long do I have to leave the new filters on the established tank for it to be colonized so that its good to go on the new tanks? <Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm and the linked files above> I would like to get this on my new tank as fast as possible so I can put Bolivian rams in it...(long story I know they should be put in last, but where I live they never usually come here and they have been sitting in the store for 3 weeks and I wanted to get them before someone else snags them). <Can be "goosed"...> Also there is much happening in my 10g right now, with all the bubbles and movement, 1 of my baby panda cories got sucked into the uptake tube last night (I was sooooooo sad/mad...I'm getting so attached to them!) and it died. I feel terrible that it must have died a slow and painful death. The other fish (3 baby pandas, 4 tetras, 2 harlequins) don't look too happy right now, I had to change around the decor a lot..I just put nylon to cover the large filters uptake tube but will this interfere with the colonization process? <No> Is it possible to have TOO much oxygen or movement in a tank? <Not practically> Also the sponge filtration unit is meant to eventually go on a 5 gallon with a Betta, it seems quite noisy and bubbly.. will the Betta be ok with it? <Likely so> What I did was I tied 2 knots into the tubing to slow the rate of air coming out of the pump, will this wreck the pump due to backflow? <Back pressure? Perhaps shorten its effective "life"> Finally my last set of questions...I bought a bunch of driftwood to put into each tank.. about 1-2 pieces each.. I bought them to soften the water a bit since water is very hard here. I don't want to boil them because I want them to leach tannins, is this ok, can I just soak them? <Can> How long should I soak the pieces for? <Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/rkwduseaq.htm and the linked...> Is there such thing as too much driftwood? <Yes> I don't know my water hardness but I know its very hard. How long will it take for the tannin levels to be established...what I mean is do I have to constantly monitor pH, or say after 1 month that pH that its at it will stay there? <See WWM re FW pH...> Sorry I hope it makes sense. I take out the carbon to have the tannins in the water, is this correct or do I leave the carbon in? thank you so much! <Read on... RMF>

FW Fluidized bed filter question, Loricariid sel. - 12/13/07 Considering a fluidized bed filter as alternative to bio balls from sump on 120g planted freshwater tank (rainbows and Plecos). 2 questions - Is there any value to sizing up on filter...it is only $10 more to go from 300g to 600g to 900g. Ignoring size limitations on height, is there any reason to not get a bigger one - unnecessary overkill? <No real functional advantage... perhaps some disadvantage in electrical costs to push water through a larger unit> second, re: Plecos, I plan on having the following...any Compatibility problems (I searched PlanetCatfish and can't really find the info): gold nugget, queen arabesque, royal, blue phantom, maybe a zebra. I also have a striped Raphael. Only one of each. Any issues? thanks <Mmm... well... not compatibility... but the smaller Loricariids are more social... I'd likely get more than one of these. Bob Fenner> Paul

Two questions... platy repro., filtration maint. 10/16/07 I have a 10 gallon freshwater tank at school with 2 platys (male and female) and one fry that is about 1 cm long now. I found the fry during a water change about 2 weeks ago and have him in one of those breeder nets in the tank. It has been so much fun seeing him grow from just a speck to where he is now. When should I put him in the main tank with the other two platys? <When its big enough not to be eaten! At a couple of months should be fine.> Also, how do you know when to change the filter? <Ideally, never. You clean the filter, yes, but that's nothing more than rinsing filter media in a bucket of aquarium water (not under the tap, as the chlorine can kill the bacteria). When you've washed out the worst of the sponges (or whatever), put them back in the filter. Only if the filter media is completely blocked up should they be replaced, and even then, no more than 50% of the media per three months.> My filter is one that hangs on the side. I've had the tank running for about two months now. Should I put a new filter in some old tank water so that the good bacteria can start getting on it? <The water carries virtually no filter bacteria, so what you suggest is a complete waste of time. Instead, avoiding changing too much filter media at once, and let the mature media colonise the new stuff.> Thanks! Carolyn <Good luck, Neale>

Using a brand new filter on a seasoned tank 10/3/07 HI, <Hello,> I have a 75 gallon tank. I had a Eheim Filter that just decided to not run correctly no matter what we do new parts etc.... <Too bad.> I went and got a new Fluval filter last night. The place I bought the filter told me to keep both filters running for about two weeks to get the bacteria into the new filter before I stop running the old filter. <Not the way I'd solve this problem. Much easier to simply take all the mature media from the old Eheim and put them into the new Fluval. Problem solved.> The problem is the old filter is blowing air, lots of air. It will run ok for 1/2 hour or so and then a big burst of air comes out in to the tank and needles to say a lot of micro bubbles with it. <Ah, seen this happen. It usually isn't the filter per se, but how the filter is set up. Air (obviously) can't magically get into a watertight filter. But if you configure the inlet (the "sucking" pipe) somewhere that gets air bubbles, those air bubbles get sucked into the filter. Certain canister filter designs don't handle this problem well, and the air bubbles collect at the top of the canister, often around the impeller (the spinning blades). Eventually the top of the filter gets so full of bubbles that some bubbles break away and go into the outlet stream of water. There's usually a lot of rattling noise as well. Anyway, the solution is to re-jig the position of the filter inlet. You also need to take great care you are reassembling the filter properly, such that you aren't trapping air inside the canister to begin with.> It is stressing the fish out, they run for their lives (so to speak) when this happens. Last night I had both filters running but the fish started to stress out swimming fast and changing color etc..... <Hmm. Can't really imagine it's doing them much harm. Compared with, say, heavy rain or ocean waves, a filter blowing bubbles is pretty trivial.> My question is, is it ok to just run the new filter alone, is there anything I should do to the filter, what is the correct thing to do. <As above, take the media from the old filter and install in the new.> I have both filters off right now, <No! Never, ever switch off a filter. Anything more than, say 20 minutes, can kill the bacteria.> also could the fish have stressed out do to the two filters running could this be to much filtration for a 75 gallon tank at one time. <Not a problem. Aquarium fish will tolerate as much as 10 times the volume of the water in turnover per hour. It is very difficult to have too much filtration. Compared with the flow of a river, filters are insipid trickles.> The fish were so stressed that I have both filters off right now and this calmed them down. <They get used to it. My freshwater tank has ~10 the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. It took the fish an hour or so to get used to the extra water movement when I installed the third filter, but they're fine now.> I will wait for your response until I do anything with the filter. Thanks in advance for your help. Deb <Hope this helps, Neale>

Filters and pH questions 9/26/07 Our tap water here in Oregon is very very soft (dH 2-3), but they use sodium hydroxide to raise the pH to 7.7 so as not to rust pipes. <What a horrible set of water conditions... very soft, but slightly alkaline. Nothing much really likes these conditions.> It quickly drops to 7.2 or so in the tank. <Well that's lucky.> Is this OK for cardinal tetras, Apistogramma, Loricariids? Soft water Amazon fish seem to be doing well. <I'd be tempted to add a certain amount of a pH-down product to reduce the pH to exactly 7, while increasing its buffering capacity. On its own, very soft water tends to fluctuate in pH quite a lot. This is not good. Standard pH-down products (usually sold as bottles, and you add a bit to each bucket of water just like dechlorinator) stabilizes the pH at some value. In hard water they're a bit of a waste of time and money, but in very soft water such buffering solutions (as they're called) can be very helpful.> Also, I have a Rena Filstar filter. Has the standard 2 layers of foam, a bag of carbon (bio chem Zorb) and a layer of micro fleece pads. Was thinking of replacing either one of the layers of foam or the carbon with either some ceramic biomedia or keta peat nuggets. <Bin the carbon. Total waste of space. In very soft water, the filter bacteria tend to be less happy than in hard water (they like hard, alkaline water best of all, and stop working completely below pH 6). So concentrate on adding as much biological media as possible to get the best water quality. Choose whatever according to your budget and preferences. The main thing is that the filter should have not less than 4x the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. In other words, for a 100 litre tank, the filter must have a turnover of 400 litres per hour.> That's a lot of foam sponge, and maybe the carbon is not so necessary. The peat would lower that NaOH induced pH. <Don't use peat. Peat is wonderful stuff in aquaria if you know precisely and absolutely what you're doing. But peat can rapidly change the pH and its results are completely unpredictable. In very soft water with practically zero buffering capacity, you could easily drop the pH from 7.2 to 6.0 overnight if you added too much, and this would kill your fish. Instead, use the buffering solution mentioned above, following the instructions on the bottle, and performing pH tests every day or two at first until you get a sense of how pH varies in the tank. What you're after is 7.0 day in, day out.> What do you think? <Messing with pH is something a lot of aquarists get into trouble over. There's a very good argument for not thinking about pH at all, and focusing instead on general and carbonate hardness. Both of these have a much bigger impact on the fish. With your very soft water, the KH value is likely to be very low, and as a result water chemistry stability practically non-existent. So your job is to stabilise water chemistry. Adding buffering solutions to the water will do this. This becomes more important the more fish you add, because the loading of the tank is positively correlated to water chemistry stability as well. In other words, heavily stocked tanks experience a drop in pH more quickly than the same tank would if lightly stocked (a process called acidification). So, move slowly, research the water chemistry topics here at WWM, and measure pH regularly to check that acidification isn't getting serious. Cheers, Neale>

Supplemental Filter - Freshwater 9/11/07 Hi there Neale, <Hello Lisa,> I've switched three of my tanks over to black sand substrate - I love it and it no longer poses a problem for the catfishes' barbels. However since the fishes' solid waste doesn't sink through the gravel anymore, it is in plain site and the canister filter's intake won't pull the waste into the filter. <This happens. Of course, all that gunk went into the gravel before, too, so the problem is only that you *see* the stuff rather than it wasn't there before. My tip is to [a] adjust the water flow and the slope of the sand to push the gunk towards one corer; and [b] simply use a siphon to remove the stuff when it gets too unsightly.> I'd very much like to install some in-tank supplemental filtering and simultaneously add some additional bio media and water flow to remove any dead spots. I've been looking at sponge filters however I've noted that these are used for tanks with no substrate (and especially for fry). There are also some small corner filters - both small enclosed plastic boxes run by an air pump (that I used when I was a kid!) and exposed cushion type that affixes to the tank glass. <Both these are EXCELLENT for biological filtration, but less so for mechanical filtration. You might actually find a powerhead or an airstone would do a better job of creating water current, and so help the gunk get pushed around. It's only when it's the water column, as opposed to sitting on the sand, that the canister filter gets a chance to slurp it up.> What would you recommend in this case please? I have one tank set up with a powerhead and quick filter however was looking for something a bit less obvious for the other (smaller) tanks if possible... <I suspect that even if I recommended stuff, in a small tank, it would be either cost prohibitive or else just disappointing. In a small, not too heavily stocked tank, you would probably find a plain old turkey baster a better investment. (Second time I've recommended these tonight. Odd.) Adjust the sand as mentioned before so one corner (at the front) is lower than the three others. Adjust the filter so it pushes water about such that the gunk collects in one corner. There's some trial and error involved here, obviously. Once it works, you'll find all the waste sitting in this corner. Whenever it becomes too unsightly, you whip out the turkey baster, suck out the gunk, and throw the waste into a pot plant where it can do some good (excellent organic fertiliser!). No fuss, no muss. Since you're going to be doing water changes every week or two, the turkey baster tends to work perfectly well as a spot cleaner the rest of the time. Given a turkey baster only costs a couple of bucks, it's a cheap solution, too. There's also great for moving fry, dishing out live food, feeding invertebrates, separating dwarf mouthbrooding cichlids from the their fry... so many things!> Thank you very much!! Lisa <Hope this helps, Neale>

Auxiliary filtration, FW 06/27/07 Hi Crew! <<Good afternoon. Tom with you.>> I am upgrading from my 55 gallon FW tank to a 90 gallon. <<Congratulations!>> I plan to use my Eheim 2026 (rated up to 92 gallons). Would an Emperor 400 be a good choice for supplemental filtration in the larger tank? <<Im running an Emperor 280 along with a Fluval canister filter on one of my tanks (50-gallon) and like the filter just fine. Id heard reports from some folks that they found the filter to be noisy particularly when evaporation drops the water level somewhat. I've not found this to be the case but, then, I dont let my water level drop excessively, either. The Emperor units, as you're no doubt aware, come with two filter cartridges (four on the 400 model) along with the bio-wheel(s). The lead cartridge has a polyfiber pad attached to the plastic container which is filled somewhat with Black Diamond activated carbon. This is the use and toss cartridge. The second is of like-construction but can be opened and filled with whatever your media of choice might be. I like the polyfiber pad on the first cartridge for a little extra polishing of the water but the carbon is unnecessary, for the most part. The recommended change interval on this cartridge is 2-4 weeks. Replacements are cheap enough so it kind of comes down to your own call, the pros and cons of using carbon media in FW filters notwithstanding. Bottom line? Id do it if it were me.>> I plan to make it a planted discus tank. <<Another good reason to go with the Emperor. I've found that the design of the filter is such that there isnt a lot of current/disruption created by the output. Something that your Discus if they could would thank you for.>> Thanks in advance for your reply. <<If you haven't done this already, check out the articles on our site written by Alesia Benedict for Conscientious Aquarist. These deal, very specifically, with planted Discus tanks and are a joy to read as well as being very informative. Best of luck in your venture. Tom>>

Under ground filtration with a canister filter - 06/27/07 Hey! <I really, REALLY don't like "hey" as a greeting. Is this a common salutation in America? In England, it would be considered very rude -- as in "hey you, grotty little poor person who's name I can't be bothered to remember"...> I must say that I have found your website very helpful! <Cool.> I have a 125gal set up with an under gravel filter at the moment. It worked fine as long as my fish population was small, but I now want to increase my filtration. <Typically, undergravel filters work fine until a tank is overstocked, at least where small community-type fishes like barbs and tetras are concerned. Just like any other filter, if you dramatically increase the number of fish, it takes some weeks for the undergravel filter to "scale up" in response. So during this phase, keep an eye on nitrite and/or ammonia levels.> I want to go to a canister filter (Eheim pro 2 or 3). Should I draw the suction through my under gravel filter or should I remove the under gravel filter and just pull from the tank? <The best of both worlds is a reverse flow system. Here, water is sucked into the canister filter, and then pushed outwards into the undergravel filter so the water emerges back into the tank upwards through the gravel. Why this works well is that it uses the canister filter to mechanically treat the water, removing solid wastes, and only clear water gets pushed into the gravel where bacteria remove the ammonia and nitrite. Because water is rising through the gravel, it pushes out solid waste, stopping the gravel from getting clogged, improving its performance and also making it much easier to maintain.> Is one situation better than the other? Why? <Explained the best system above.> I also have a few (two or three) plantings in the tank and I have been told that the under gravel filter is detrimental to their growth. What is your opinion on this? <It depends on the plants. Plants without roots, like Anubias and Java fern, couldn't care less. But plants that rely on their roots to extract minerals from the substrate do indeed grow better without undergravel filters. This isn't to say you can't grow plants in tanks with undergravel filters, you can, it's just they don't do very well. You're also limited to the hardier species, and will need to take extra care to put fertiliser tablets close to their roots periodically. In a tank with an undergravel filter it is simply easier and more reliable to skip plants or go with species that don't have roots. Anubias, Java fern, Java moss, floating plants, and things like Elodea that have midwater roots are the way to go.> They are mainly for snacking in between meals by the veggie eating fish, but I would like to grow a bit more if possible. <Growing plants in tanks with vegetarian fish is a bit of waste of time unless you choose inedible species such as Java fern and Java moss. Anubias sometimes does well, but herbivorous Plecs rasp it away to nothing.> Thanks for all your help. Ed <Cheers, Neale>

Used SeaClear Aquarium-poor choice? For FW... 6/5/07 Hi, I have researched these questions on your site and can't find the answers, so am writing to you. I am new to your website; just discovered it yesterday, 2 days after buying a used (10-11 years) SeaClear Eclipse 2, Clarity Plus 75 g. tank. I had set my heart on a Tenecor; it looked like the best quality, but then I saw this ad and it sounded really good, with a beautiful hand-made large cabinet and hood all for $400. <Both companies make good products in my estimation. If the used one has been not abused, it is likely fine> I researched it for 3 or 4 days, but now after poring over your website for 2 days, it looks like it might have been a poor choice. <Well... the "Eclipse" line I am definitely not a fan of... but the "built-in" filtration back can be supplemented, or best even ignored...> Anyway, it's been set up for 2 days now and things are going well; the fish are very happy, since they outgrew their old tank (35g.) I have only 6 fish in it; 3 Pink Kissers (6-7 in.) <Nice!> , a Pleco (14") <Yowzah!> and 2 Clown Loaches, (3"). I've had aquariums for 40 years, but nothing over 35 gallons. The tank is beautiful, but now I find out the truth, that filters for a 48 x 18 x 24" tank are ridiculously pricey: $50 to $60! <Heeee! And there's electricity to run them... and replacement media!> Where can I get cheaper prefilters, or can I make them? <Mmm... if you're handy... there are DIY varieties... but really... Unless you have plenty of spare time, the commercially made ones are superior> I live in a rural area with no LFS, but I have catalogs from That Fish Place and Drs. Foster & Smith, <Both mighty fine companies as well> so is there something I can order from them to substitute? <For? Do try a search on WWM, using the cached-view version here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm with the terms "SeaClear", and "Eclipse"... read the modifications proposed...> The rest of the filter is the bioballs and the pump, in other words, the original system. <Is ridiculously inefficient by itself... and a pain in the keester to try to work on> The previous owner was very happy with it for 10 years. <Right... that's why they sold it for so little...> What can I add to the filtration to make this a better tank? <As stated... seek per above... I myself would drill the back, make the filtration in a tied-in sump below likely... pump the water back from there to the main tank...> It looks great right now. Also, after it is established, I would like to add another Kisser, 2 more clown loaches and maybe a small school of tetras or rasboras. Will this work? <Maybe... take care with the new Kissers... they're going to look/be tiny compared to your present ones... may be chased mercilessly... and DO quarantine all new/incoming livestock... Likely about the last thing you want is to introduce a pathogen here...> I feel like a novice after looking at the expertise on your site. Thanks, Carol M. ;<) <Heeee! Keep looking... you'll be one of us soon! Cheers, Bob Fenner>

How often should filter cartridges be cleaned/replaced 05/21/07 Dear Crew, <Nicole.> I have what is likely a silly question about filtration, but I've been puzzling on it for a while and I can't seem to figure it out. I have a 10 gal tank with a Tetra Whisper Power filter, and my question is this: the manufacturer's instructions suggest changing the cartridges once per month, but if I throw out the cartridge, won't I be throwing out the beneficial bacteria that are growing on it? <You are right.> How long will it take the bacteria to re-establish themselves in the new cartridge <A few days, many will be left in the substrate and on the decorations.>, and will this be harmful to the stability of my tank? <It could, if you'd also clean decorations and substrate.> Should I just be rinsing the cartridges out <Yes, just rinse the cartridges as soon as you recognize water flow to become significantly weaker or when water just overflows the tube like chamber. Those cotton or foam like materials can last for several years, only wool in other models needs to be replaced more often.> and replacing the carbon instead of changing them every month? <You do not need to use carbon at all. New activated carbon will only be good for one or two weeks. Its only useful in specific cases e.g. to help removing some chemicals such as remedies or certain toxins. It needs to be introduced fresh to your filter in such cases.> Thanks in advance for your help, my tank is going along so well and I just don't want to mess it up! Nicole. <You are welcome. Have fun with your tank. Marco.>

Too much Filtration? FW 5/11/07 Dear Crew Members, <Hello Anna> Is there such a thing as too much filtration? <Yes and no. Yes, you can have too much water movement, and if there is too much turbulence and the water becomes super-saturated with oxygen, tiny gas bubbles can cause serious problems. But no, you can never make the water too clean, because by any practical standard the conditions in an aquarium will usually be poorer than most "wild" environments in terms of water quality and density of livestock.> I have a 55 gallon freshwater community tank. It has a wet/dry filter roughly 20 gallons I think and double BioWheel ( two BioWheel filters on either side of the intake). <Do you mean the filter is rated for a 20 gallon tank? Obviously inadequate for a 55 gallon tank, assuming you have an average level of stocking.> I also have a large protein skimmer. <Which probably won't work in a freshwater tank.> The tank is planted and will be home to mollies and other tropical fish under 4 inches of adult length. <Do bear in mind mollies don't like the same water conditions as most tropical fish. At the very least they need hard (20-30 dH) alkaline (pH 7.5-8) water with practically zero nitrate (difficult to get in densely stocked aquaria). If you can't maintain those conditions, switching to brackish water (around 10-25% seawater salinity) helps keep mollies healthy, but the range of salt-tolerant freshwater fish is relatively small.> I don't have any fish right now. Is there anything that is redundant or unnecessary? <Personally, if you have your heart set on mollies, I'd go for a brackish water set-up and keep brackish water or salt-tolerant fishes such as gobies, glassfish, certain cichlids, certain catfish, sleepers, livebearers, etc. If you want a planted tank, skip the mollies in favour of platies or swordtails, both of which do much better under "normal" conditions than mollies.> Thank you, Anna <Cheers, Neale>

Freshwater Tank Filter 3/21/07 Hello, <Hello!> I just found your site today and am AMAZED at all the wonderful information. And I need some advice please. I just purchased a used 70 gal freshwater with an Ecosystem sump? Filter but also came with a Lifeguard filter set (4). When I get the aquarium up and running (needs A LOT of cleaning!), it will be planted and not sure just yet on what fish. <Used aquaria can be good value, but be sure and check for leaks. Have the thing filled with water and sitting somewhere 'waterproof' for a few hours or overnight. Simply moving an aquarium can damage the seals between the panes of glass.> But it will be awhile for them anyway. It came with a cherry barb, a clown Pleco, 2 other Pleco's, a rather large catfish, 2 Horseface loaches and a few other odds and ends. <By and large, Plecs don't get along with one another, especially when mature, so assuming the "other Plecos" are one of the common grey/brown giant species, consider trying to find another home for one of them.> Right now they are in a QT tank. <Very good.> Not sure what I will do with them yet. Anyway, back to the filter system. Which one should I use? Are there pro's / con's to each type? <Yes there are pros/cons to each. Be sure and read the Freshwater Filtration article here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwfiltration.htm and the various FAQ attached. In a nutshell, filters are a compromise between price, efficiency, and ease of use. Internal canister filters for example are easy to clean but are expensive in terms of how much water they clean per hour (the "turnover", which will be quoted on the packaging). External canister filters are bulky and a pain to service, but in terms of cost per unit of turnover, they are good value. Undergravels are cost effective but a pain to clean. And so on for all the different types of filter on sale. With Plecs and other large, messy fish you really want to be looking at some filter system that will turnover the water around 5-6 times per hour. So buy a filter with a turnover of no less than 350 gallons per hour and sufficient capacity to hold media for your 70 gallon tank (actually, with Plecs I'd step that up to a 100 gallon tank). An external canister filter is probably the way to go if you want this performance at a decent price.> I can't seem to find much information anywhere else. I'm new at this. Thanks, Teresa <No problem. Neale>

Re: Freshwater Tank Filter 3/23/07 Thanks Neale. However, I wasn't planning on purchasing another filter. <Right, I see. Sorry.> I would like to know which of the 2 that came with the aquarium would be best to use, the EcoSystem or the LifeGuard. <The Ecosystem is a "hang on the back filter" I believe, and for that reason inadequate for keeping large, dirty catfish. Lack of water flow (suction of all the poop). Best for small species like neons and guppies. The only Lifeguard filter is a fluidized sand filter. Again, best for small fish because it becomes easily clogged (and thus less effective) in tanks with big, messy fishes. > Unless of course, the canister that you mentioned would be better. <Yes, a big canister will be better. For one thing, you can arrange the water outlet to push water about better and keep the solid waste these big fish make moving towards the filter inlet. Also, big canisters have lots of space for mechanical filtration, which is what you want, so that the solid waste is removed from the water before the bacteria get to work on the ammonia. Choose a filter with 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour, so around 400 gallons per hour turnover. It is usually recommended you go for 4x the turnover in freshwater tanks, but for big fish you should scale that up. Also, quotes on packaging ignore head pressure (the work the filter does if sited *underneath* the aquarium as opposed to next to it and the effect of clogged up filter media. So always be generous with filtration.> And thank you for the advice on filling it up in a "waterproof" area overnight. It was still up and running when we went to pick it up but we did bring in home on a 4 hour ride. So will definitely do that before setting it up! <Cool. Enjoy your new aquarium! Neale> Teresa

Enhancing FW filtration, Adding larger wet/dry or canister filter ?? 3/6/07 I have a 155gal bow front with the manufactures corner overflows (2). Underneath I have the wet/wry that came with the Tank (around 1999), there are three pumps, one for a 48" UV, and two larger pumps for each return with ball valves to adjust Return flow rates. <I'd just have one good pump...> I have an ocean clear Filter on one return and a nu-clear on the other return (I prefer the Nu-clear) both with paper cartridges with the smallest holes (25 micron I think). <A pain in the keester to keep clean?> This is a freshwater tank and has been running for 6 years now. My question is related to how to improve the system for a larger bio load. I have several dozen small tetras, barbs and several large Bala's That I often find at local stores. They are ones people turned in and need a bigger tank, Balas sure are jumpy. <Ah yes> The wet/dry takes up A lot of room but the actual area for the bio balls is less than 12 inches sq. The water does not drip evenly around that area so it Seems I Am only using 60% of the bio balls. I do run a white filter pad that is about 10" x 11" on top, the return lines to the top of the wet/dry <Also, like the cartridges in the Nu-Clear filters, this needs to be cleaned at least weekly> Enter two close to each other in my option, they are 2-4 inches apart. What is the best approach to add more bio filtration ? <A living sump... a refugium... yes, for FW> Do I get a wet/dry with more bio balls or can I add a large canister filter <You could> Filled mostly with ceramic rings to the current system? <See WWM re...> The large the wet/dry seems to also add to the open sump area and I have plenty of room for that. If I add a canisters filled with bio media, do I draw from the wet/dry sump area or from the tank <The tank> directly and bypass the corner overflow (not what I want to do of course). I hope you have some thoughts on this, I have asked many questions locally with no real answer. Regards, Bob. <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/refugium.htm The linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Switching from Under Gravel Filters To Other Filtration Methods - 02/11/2007 Hi WWM Crew, <<Hello, Glenn. Tom here.>> I hope you all are doing well today. <<And you as well.>> A few years back y'all helped me plan for changing my saltwater tank from UGF filtration to LR/DSB and sump/refugium. I made the change in 2004 and Nitrates have been undetectable since then. <<Cant argue with success, Glenn. Good job.>> I have a small 30L Malawi Cichlid tank that has been running for 7 years. I've always used UGF and the same gravel. After reading about some of the problems that a poorly maintained ( i.e. lack of regular water changes and substrate vacuuming) UGF system may develop, I've decided to switch to a power filter. <<Nothing wrong with making the switch, Glenn. Id say that a tank running a UGF filter for seven years isnt at all bad but, I wouldn't disagree with the decision you've made.>> My plan is to run the UGF and new Power filter together for a period of time, then remove the gravel, UGF plates and vacuum out the bottom of the tank. Rinse the grave in tank water and add several inches back into the tank. Of course the fish will be moved to a 30G Rubbermaid tub while I remove the filter. <<A suggestion? If possible, pull the plates without pulling out the gravel. Easier said than done, I know. Will very likely stir up a lot of gunk from the bottom but Id rather not see so much of the beneficial bacteria potentially compromised. When all has settled out, a few deep (all the way to the bottom) gravel cleanings will put your substrate back in good order. This will become the order of the day, anyhow. As I say, just a suggestion.>> My first question is how long should I run the Power and UGF filter together before removing the UGF? <<This one somewhat goes back to my last point. A couple of weeks should be more than sufficient provided the whole bacterial farm hasn't been badly disrupted or disturbed. The media will seed with beneficial bacteria quickly in a cycled tank such as yours so I see no reason to run both together longer than this.>> The second is, how deep can I make the substrate? I know in marine systems, a SSB should be <= 1". Does this apply to fresh water as well? <<This one depends on the type/size of the substrate being used, Glenn. The finer the substrate, the shallower the depth should be. Im running about 1 of fine, natural gravel in one of my tanks and about 2.5-3 of coarser gravel in another. The key is to prevent pockets of build-up from forming away from the oxygenated region of the tank. No hard and fast rules here other than good common sense, really.>> Thanks, Glenn <<No problem at all, Glenn. Good luck with the change-over. Tom>>

SW setup to FW setup, free goodies, filtration misunderstandings - 1/20/07 Bob <JustinN with you today, Riki.> I hope this e-mail is still active (I found it doing a search on the net). I won't take up much of your time (but I was hoping you could offer a few lines of feedback. Thanks if you can accommodate. <Oh, yes... This email address is still quite active *grin* but please do not worry about taking up our time -- this is why we provide the service we do.> I am modestly experienced with freshwater tanks & will stick with this. I scored on having someone GIVE me a boat-load of free industrial aquarium gear (formally used for a salt water set up). <Score! Free swag is always fun!> Since I am not setting up as higher-maintenance SALT water aquarium, I'd like to ask your opinion as if all the stuff I acquired should be used (or if some of it would actually be redundant). <I'll give it a go, my friend> My FRESH WATER set up will be only for 4 Oscars & 8 Crawdads (no live plants). I do not want to cut corners with the set up but also do not want to invest unneeded in "maintenance & media". <Crayfish and fishes are not really compatible here, Riki. Crayfish are very opportunistic feeders, and too likely to snip away at fins and scales.> ACQUIRED GEAR 1 100 GALLON FISH TANK 1 KENT MARINE MAXIMA RO/DI 60GPD HI-S 2 RAINBOW FLUIDIZED BED FILTER FB300 1 LITTLE GIANT 3-MD-MT-HC WATER PUMP 1 IWAKI MD20RLT WATER PUMP 2 BECKETT M200 200GPH FOUNTAIN PUMP 2 MAXI-JET 1200 POWERHEAD <Very nice, Riki! That's QUITE a steal you've got there -- a very much complete marine configuration!> In your opinion, will it be overkill to set up BOTH a Kent Marine Maxima Ro/Di 60gpd Hi-S & Rainbow Fluidized Bed Filter Fb300? Also, is there a way to test if the media for both still has life left? <Mmm, I do believe you are a bit misunderstood on the purpose of a RO/DI unit. This is not an in-tank filtration device, this is a water purification device. By attaching it to a spigot in your house, and providing the unit with unfiltered tap water from your source, it will output purified water. See here for more information on these wonderful units: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i4/RO_systems/reverse_osmosis.htm As far as the fluidized bed filters go, they will be an excellent filtration addition to your configuration. I would remove the media from them and give them a very thorough rinsing in freshwater, several times over to ensure their cleanliness. You might also consider simply replacing the media, as it is fairly inexpensive, and piece of mind is definitely worth something.> Via the internet, you seem like a major player in the industry. <Bob certainly is that> I know you are a busy man & I will not milk you for too much time. However, any comment you can offer would be great. Thanks bud! Riki <Milk away, my friend. We provide this service to be squeezed for the knowledge we contain collectively. Congratulations on your aquatic score of a lifetime, do enjoy! -JustinN>

FW Skimmers, Re: Schuran Freshwater Skimmers 1/9/07 Pufferpunk, <At your service!> I do weekly water changes, vacuum half the gravel each week and feed our fish once a day. I have a lot invested in these fish because they help my wife take her mind off her disabilities. <I'm really glad to hear that, what a wonderful distraction!> Wherever possible, I like to eliminate or reduce pollution before our fish have to deal with it. <<You are wise here>> We all do that with ammonia and nitrite. Did you get a chance to review the Schuran Freshwater Skimmer on their website? From what I've read on other forums they make great Saltwater Skimmers. So what about their claim of having a new design allowing for effective freshwater skimming? <I will forward this to someone more qualified than myself, to analyze their skimmer along with the link you gave me: http://www.schuran.com/freshwater/index_e.html but I really think water changes are good enough. I keep discus (among many other creatures) which require pristine water conditions & never had a problem keeping them with using just 90% weekly water changes. If you're really concerned, get a diatom filter.> By the way I also have a plumbing question. I'm looking for an inexpensive three way valve that allows me to divert the flow in two directions such that I can adjust how much goes one way or another, e.g. 25% one way 75% the other way. I realize I can always use a Y and two simple valves. <On my reef tank, I have water coming from my tank & 3/4 of is diverted to my sump & 1/4 to my refugium. I only have a valve on the pipe going to the fuge & back it off till only 1/4 of the water is diverted to it--the rest goes into my sump. ~PP> Frank <<Freshwater skimming is a difficult proposition due to physical characteristics of interacting parties (phobic molecules mostly) and partial pressure... it's hard to get proteins lined up, attached long enough to bubbles to extract... I would do as you suggest and just keep up with your excellent maintenance protocol here. Bob Fenner>>
Re: Schuran Freshwater Skimmers 1/10/07 Bob, <Frank> I appreciate your quick response. It's precisely because freshwater skimming is so inefficient that I want to explore Schuran's claim. Did you review the freshwater skimmers on their website? Would these be effective? <Have/had read this over: http://www.schuran.com/freshwater/index_e.html and seen these units at Interzoo... and no, I would not employ them... though I have considerable experience in such designs (we manufactured foam fractionators for koi ponds years back), and have seen real working units (the best were made by Sanders... incorporating a partial vacuum to decrease the partial pressure in the collector/skimmate area... I would stick with other technology. Bob Fenner> Frank

From Marine to Fresh Water 1/5/07 Hello. <Hi> I have a 55 Gallon FOWLR tank that has nothing in it but live rock. I have tried for many months to maintain a marine tank but it is just to time consuming and far to expensive for me. <Sorry to hear you did not find success.> I want to convert it back to a fresh water tank but I have 50lbs of live rock and a 200.00 skimmer that I dont want to get rid of. Can the skimmer be used for fresh water or is this pointless and the rock I really like but I am assuming that I will kill it if I put it in fresh water so will my best bet be to just sell it for what I can and take the lost? Thanks for any help Brian <Unfortunately skimmers are not very effective in fresh water, and you are correct in assuming the freshwater will kill off the LR. Best bet is to try to sell them off and cut your losses.> <Chris>

Question about an odd shaped tank, powerheads, filtration 1/3/07 Good morning, Crew, <Good evening, by the time I got to this!> Just a casual question. Someone has asked me a question about the best way to filter an octagonal tank of about 10 or 15 gallons. They are currently using an AquaTech power filter rated at 100 gph and an undergravel filter with an Aqua Tech powerhead. The undergravel filter seems unlikely to be functioning effectively, since for an undergravel filter to serve its intended purpose, doesn't it need to cover the entire surface area of the bottom of the tank? Are they making octagonal undergravel filter plates these days? :) <In all honesty, I'm not up on UGF advances; personally, I don't like or use that type of filtration. I can't see a reason why you cannot filter an "odd" shaped tank with normal mechanical filtration that you would use on any "standard" rectangular tank...> The reason I asked for Jorie is because I know she has a Hex tank that she's a bit unhappy with, and I wondered how she filtered, it since it does pose some unique challenges. <You are right - I'm not thrilled with my hex. tank, but it is because of the depth and the freshwater plant problems caused by lighting (or lack thereof). Filtration-wise, I've never had a problem with the tank. I have two powerheads (400 GPH) to increase water circulation, along with an Emperor 280 power filter.> This gentleman is having trouble with the powerhead overly buffeting his planted decorations, and possibly the fish. <Most powerheads have a deflector-piece that can re-direct the water. Also, some allow flow rates to be adjusted. He should be able to move the powerhead, if necessary, to a less obtrusive spot. Process of trial and error, I'm afraid. Alternatively, perhaps he needs a lower-rated powerhead, if the plants and fish continue to be disturbed.> I am thinking I will tell him to ditch the powerhead, use airstones instead (perhaps in the center of the tank?) and use a stronger filter, maybe an AquaClear 30. What do you think? <Unless the fish are really sensitive, I wouldn't recommend getting rid of the powerhead altogether; an airstone doesn't provide nearly as much circulation as a powerhead. He should be able to move the powerhead to a better spot, no? Worst case scenario, your solution would be OK, but I would save it for a last resort. Water circulation is a good thing...> Thank you for any assistance. Happy new year to you all. Nicole <Nicole, I don't feel like I was very helpful, but honestly, all I can say is to deflect the water output, if possible, or move the powerhead so that it isn't pointing directly at any plants. If this all fails, then yes, airstones and an upgraded power filter may work, but I'd try to salvage the powerheads if possible. Perhaps the gentleman in question can put one powerhead directly opposite another (e.g., on opposite sides of the tank)? That might work... Jorie>
Re: Question about an odd shaped tank, powerheads, filtration PART 2 1/4/07 Thanks, Jorie! Those sound like good solutions to me. He hasn't even stocked his tank yet, so I told him to try some fish that appreciate a current and continue to use the powerhead. I also told him to double up on the filtration for some redundancy. I know the AquaTech filter he's talking about, it only runs in the low tens. He could stock one with bio media and the other with chemical/mechanical filtration. I also told him to place the heater near an area of high water flow to aid in distribution. Thank you again for your help! Nicole <Sounds like you've got it covered on your end with a very thorough solution - want a job?! Best regards, Jorie>

Fresh Water filtration, HLLE questions 1/2/07 Hi Folks. <<Hello, Jim, and Happy New Year. Tom here.>> I have two large Blood Red Parrot Fish in a 55 gallon tank and am wondering what I can do to remove dissolved waste from the water like my Berlin airlift skimmer does for my 55 saltwater tank. The other day I noticed algae growth in the fresh water tank and cleaned out the tank. Currently I am using two large filters on this tank. One is a Bio wheel filter (penguin <<Penguin>> I think) and the other is an Aqua Clear 500. My question is what can I do to lower the algae growth and improve the over all water conditions and prevent hole in the head worms from ever showing up? <<As with any problem, Jim, eliminating the root cause is key to success. In your case, as you most likely realize, excess nitrates and phosphates feed the algae but lighting is, of course, another major consideration. In a great many cases, simply reducing light levels or the duration of lighting exposure can greatly reduce algae build-up in the tank. Ensuring that the aquarium isnt exposed to natural sunlight should go without saying. As for overall water conditions, vacuuming the substrate deeply in conjunction with regular water changes is an absolute must. (When I suggest deeply vacuuming the substrate, I mean to the bottom of the tank.) Now, by way of explanation, Hole-in-the-Head disease (HITH) is the degeneration of the sensory organs in the head and/or lateral lines of the fish (you'll also see reference to HLLE which is Head-and-Lateral-Line-Erosion). Even though the disease has been arguably tied to high nitrates (>40 ppm)/poor water conditions, there aren't any worms involved. In reality, improper diet and lack of appropriate vitamins/minerals are the commonly-held culprits of this illness. In a nutshell, regular water changes and substrate cleaning to keep your fish stress-free along with a varied, high-quality diet will all but guarantee that your Cichlids will never suffer from HITH/HLLE.>> Would a UV light help? <<Not worth the money, in my opinion, Jim. You have little to no-cost options available to you might even save some money if you reduce lighting that make a UV sterilizer unnecessary. If, on the other hand, you have money burning a hole in your wallet and you find a unit suited exactly to your tank, water conditions, etc., it can help in reducing the suspended algae and microorganisms in the water. Worthless for anything that doesn't make it to the contact chamber, however.>> What about a canister filter with a built in UV? <<A better option but you've plenty of filtration now and, again, there are more cost-effective options to exercise here.>> Would adding sand and live plants help? <<Now were on to something. The sand, in itself, isnt really necessary but the plants would be an excellent consideration if your Parrotfish will leave them be. Certainly a natural and inexpensive way to go if you're looking for something to out-compete the algae for nutrients. I wouldn't go crazy with this without a little experimentation to see if your fish will keep from tearing them up, though.>> Jim <<Well, now you've got my two-cents-worth, Jim. Hopefully, I've given you something to work with. Good luck with your tank. Tom>>

Filter for 55g FW Tank 10/28/06 <Hi Anthony, Pufferpunk here> Can you tell me what the best filter to get? I know this is a general question, but I have a 55 gallon tank. I bought a Lifeguard Fluidized Bed filter and it sucks. I want to buy a filter that will keep my tank water CLEAR, so what is the best filter I should get? I read that you said some eat up electricity, so one that does not. <I'm not sure if you are very young or not but I really had to clear up a lot of spelling & punctuation in your letter. We post these queries on our FAQs & it is necessary to correct this before posting. Please try to correct/proofread that yourself the next time you post to us. Now that that's out of the way--on a 55g tank, I like to use a HOB (hang on back) filter, like the Aquaclear 500 (I believe it's called a 110 now) & a canister filter, like the Eheim 2213. The AquaClears are great, because I can stack the filter materials the way I like: sponge on bottom (for mechanical filtration, rinsed during weekly water changes), 1" filter floss in the middle (to "polish the water crystal clear, changed monthly [can be found cheap at sewing machine stores--used as pillow stuffing]) & BioMax on top (for biological filtration, rinsed every 3 months or so). The cheapest place I've found these filters is at www.bigalsonline.com. The Eheims can be found used, on EBay. The filter you have purchased sounds like a very efficient biological filter that could be used instead of the Eheim. You still need some sort of mechanical filtration though, that can be rinsed out weekly. Another important way to keep your water "clear" is weekly water changes. I do 50% every week & use a Python (also found at Big Al's) to drain & fill on a tank that size. ~PP> Thanks, Anthony

Filter Recommendations For A 55 Gallon FW Tank-Chuck's Take - 10/25/06 Thank you. I bought an Eheim 2217 to make sure I will have crystal water and that way when I buy a larger tank I can change the filter. And I will use it with the lifeguard. But it has given me nothing but problems. If it worked, it works great by keeping the problems at 0. It is a very bad design, and the check valve does not work. Filter for 55g FW Tank 10/28/06 Can you tell me what the best filter to get? I know this is a general question, but I have a 55 gallon tank. I bought a Lifeguard Fluidized Bed filter and it sucks. I want to buy a filter that will keep my tank water CLEAR, so what is the best filter I should get? I read that you said some eat up electricity, so one that does not. Now that that's out of the way--on a 55g tank, I like to use a HOB (hang on back) filter, like the Aquaclear 500 (I believe it's called a 110 now) & a canister filter, like the Eheim 2213. The AquaClears are great, because I can stack the filter materials the way I like: sponge on bottom (for mechanical filtration, rinsed during weekly water changes), 1" filter floss in the middle (to "polish the water crystal clear, changed monthly [can be found cheap at sewing machine stores--used as pillow stuffing]) & BioMax on top (for biological filtration, rinsed every 3 months or so). The cheapest place I've found these filters is at www.bigalsonline.com. The Eheims can be found used, on EBay. The filter you have purchased sounds like a very efficient biological filter that could be used instead of the Eheim. You still need some sort of mechanical filtration though, that can be rinsed out weekly. Another important way to keep your water "clear" is weekly water changes. I do 50% every week & use a Python (also found at Big Al's) to drain & fill on a tank that size. Thanks, Anthony < The best filter is the one that you will find the easiest to service. Canister filters are a pain to clean but are a sometimes the only option. I like the hang on power filters the best. Easy to service and easy to tell when they need cleaning. I prefer the Bio-Wheel design of the Marineland products. The filter medias last a long time, even after they are routinely cleaned with a blast from the garden hose. I would recommend an Emp. 400 for your tank. Lots of water flow and easy to clean.-Chuck>

Power Filter Choice 9/4/06 Hello there, <<Hello, Steve. Tom>> I currently have a 55 gallon planted discus tank. I have four 3-4 inch discus and one 5 inch Pleco. I am currently running a Jebo canister filter along with a Penguin 125 power filter. I realize the Jebo was a terrible choice. Guess I had to learn for myself that it is worth it to pay extra to get something decent. I would like to replace the filters and was considering either an Emperor 400 or an Aquaclear. Due to the brace on the middle of the tank, an Emperor would have to be off centered and I worry about not getting a good circulation of water in the tank. I like the simplicity of the AquaClear filters. I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to use two smaller Aquaclear filters in order to create better circulation. (Maybe two Aquaclear 50's) I realize that opinions vary, but what would you do in this situation? <<Steve, both the Emperor and AquaClear models are good choices for this style of filter. My preference for the AquaClear filters is only due to my own experience with them as I've never had a bit of trouble with any that I've owned (I currently have two running, a 50 and a 70). Were it me, I'd probably opt to go with two AquaClear 70's - as opposed to 50's - just to get the extra filtering capacity on a tank the size of yours.>> Thanks for taking the time to help. Hope you are having a great Labor Day Weekend. Steve <<Happy to help, Steve, and I hope you're enjoying your holiday weekend as well. Tom>>

Some Freshwater questions... tank mis-over-too-soon stocking... 8/21/06 Hello, and thank you for your website, and help. I recently purchased a 55 gallon tank kit. I wanted to purchase everything separately, but my girlfriend insisted on some tank kit. <Don't hold yourself in bad faith... make up your own mind, or agree that you coalesced> It's a 55 gallon freshwater, with an Aqua-tech 30-60, and has been a major headache for me. <Take it back> Unfortunately, the tank is not at my house, so I cant keep an eye on it as much as I can with my 3 20 gallon tanks. Okay, now, for what we have in it. We have: 3 dwarf gouramis (the largest being maybe an inch and a half long), 2 silver dollars (each about two inches), 2 Bala sharks (maybe three inches), 6-7 painted tetras (the biggest is an inch), a Pleco (maybe 2.5 inches), and two striped blue Raphael catfish (the biggest being about 2.5 inches.) I know this is a lot of information, <Mmm, nope> but I just was wondering: Is this too much for the tank at the moment? <If it's not cycled, for sure> My girlfriend went out while I was at work one day and came home with the tetras and the catfish, so I wasn't even planning on getting them. I understand and know how big all of these fish can get, and will be buying a bigger tank in the future to accommodate those. Is my tank overstocked? <Will be> Secondly, the water in this tank tends to be cloudy, <A bad sign... isn't "completely" cycled...> and if I look closely, I can see tiny particles floating in the water. I was wondering what the cause of this could be? <Likely bacterial population explosion...> Could I need better mechanical filtration? Should I invest in a better filter? <... please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwh2oqualfaqs1.htm and the linked files above> I was looking into buying a Penguin 350 or an Emperor 400, since I've heard good things about both. Should I invest in one? <Can> And if so, which? <The bigger the better> If I got the 400, I'd have to cut more of my hood out to accommodate it, since the hole I have now is only fifteen inches, which from what I understand, will fit a 350 well, but not the Emperor. Is the difference that much to make it worth the cutting? I'd really like crystal-clear watering it, which I haven't had yet. Lastly, lately, I've had algae appear in the tank. I don't think this is related to the cloudiness, since the water has been cloudy for months, while the algae is just recently. It's a dark brown algae growing on the glass and decor. My girlfriend swears that it's not because of excess sunlight, because she doesn't let sunlight hit it. Is it possible there's another reason? Or is she just trying to cover it up? Also, are there any recommendations for anything I might want to add to help the filter or cloudiness? And any recommendations on whether I can add live plants or not. Thank you for your time and effort, I really appreciate it. I've never had this much trouble with any of my tanks, and it's driving me insane. -Brian <Have just skipped down... Learn to use/read WWM. Bob Fenner>

Can a new aquarium filter be defective?? 8/21/06 <Yes> All of my fish died within 24 hours of replacing a filter. <Frightening...> I emptied the tank, cleaned (with no soap, etc.) with aquarium sponge. Rinsed all decorations, etc. When I started the tank using only the under gravel filter the water looked fine. Then when I added the bio filter, the water appears to have tons of little white particles in the water. <Likely bits of packing material, or plastic bits from manufacture?> I have never had this before. After circulating for 24 hours, it still looks the same. Could it be from the filter (it came from the same pack that was used prior to the fish dying)?? <Yes... though I've rarely seen, heard of this. Do you have a means of magnification? Perhaps the store where you bought this unit does... I would take a water sample into them for testing, a look-see. Measures of nitrogenous wastes at this point could easily be from the stress, death of your livestock> Deborah Marsh <I would thoroughly clean (dump, rinse, re-fill) this system, and leave running w/o livestock for a few weeks before trying some hardy animal to do a bio-assay. Bob Fenner>

Filter for small aquarium 7/23/06 Hello there, <<Greetings, Steve. Tom>> I have recently started keeping fish again after more than 20 years absence from the hobby and found that there are so many more filtration systems around these days than there were before. <<First of all, welcome back! Second, you are so right about the quantity of filtering systems available nowadays.>> I have recently purchased a small 20 litre tank with aim of keeping a Betta in it. <<Based on some of the containers we see Bettas kept in, your 20L isn't at all bad! A 40L would be about as optimum as it gets for these fish but you've made a good choice.>> The tank came with a small power head and an area for placing the filter medium in which the water flows into and out of. I'm sure you guys would be familiar with this kind of set up. KISS. Keep it simple stupid for beginners again like me. <<Nothing wrong with simple as long as it does the job.>> I have a bio-sponge pad to place in the filtering area and some ceramic noodles also. Is this sufficient filtering of the water, if not what would be required? <<Should be plenty, Steve. You could consider using floss in place of the ceramic media for additional "polishing" of the water but this is largely a matter of personal choice.>> Are the ceramic noodles useful and how much do I use in a 23x7.5cm area? <<The noodles are effective in providing additional space for the bio-colonies to establish to control ammonia and nitrites. There would be "some" mechanical filtering, as well, but the primary purpose is to house the beneficial bacteria. I confess that I can't be exact on the amount of this media to use but would suggest that whatever amount you can place in the space will work provided your powerhead will maintain adequate flow over both the sponge and ceramic media.>> Any other useful information would be more than gratefully appreciated as I really enjoyed the hobby in my younger days and am looking forward to getting back into it again with gusto. <<You're aware that your new tank will need to go through a "cycling" period before adding your new pet. As a "refresher", please check out our site for more information. We advocate "fishless cycling" by substituting alternate sources of ammonia for the so-called disposable fish that were invariably used for this in the past. Along with this, your Betta will need a heater as it does best in water temperatures that are high even by "tropical" standards. The addition of aquarium salt to the tank is highly recommended, also. Finally, you'll want to look into the diet your Betta will thrive on. Their systems are geared for "meat eating" so you'll want to provide them foods like brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms and the like. (My personal recommendation here would be to avoid Tubifex worms. This food source has been linked to too many problems in my experience to run the risk of introducing troubles that are unnecessary.) Once again, welcome back to the hobby, Steve, and enjoy!>> Regards Steve <<Tom>>
Re: filter for small aquarium 7/25/06 Hello Tom, <<Hello, Steve.>> Thanks for the prompt advice you passed on and I have taken all "on board" so to speak. My wife has picked out the Betta she wants and has named him Kevin, who is now in temporary quarantine before joining in his new home which has started cycling as suggested. <<A fine name for a Betta, Steve, and I'm pleased to hear you've got him quarantined. Like riding a bike, isn't it? :)>> Once again many thanks and keep up the wise words of advice. I will continue to look out for many other useful tips from you guys. <<My/our pleasure to help whenever possible, Steve. Lots of help available here so, please, do come back with any questions you might have. Don't be reluctant to share any tidbits that you might have, either. Everything gets relayed to our readers through the FAQ's so we, collectively, gain insight.>> Regards Steve <<My best, Steve. Tom>>

FW Wet-Dry, Af. Cichlid Sys.... 7/8/06 Hi <<Hello, Rene. Tom>> I'm getting a 125 gal. tank with a wet dry filter system. <<New or "pre-owned", Rene? Information sheets contained with a new system will have the manufacturer's recommendations for cleaning/maintenance of their particular filter.>> Currently I have African cichlids. My question is what is the best maintenance? How often do I have to clean it? <<I state the obvious here but the "best" maintenance is that which keeps the mechanical filtration media clean and free of built up solids along with maintaining a healthy supply of beneficial bacteria in the bio-media. Some wet-dry filters come with built-in protein skimmers, which will fairly ineffective for a FW system. As far as how often to clean it goes, this will be largely experimental on your part but I would recommend cleaning the "pre-filter" media on a monthly basis to start. Wash this out in used aquarium water (optimal) or in tap water that you've prepared with a dechlorinator (less optimal). The frequency will, of course, depend on the load your fish place on the filter based on number of fish, sizes, feeding habits, etc.>> Do I remove all of the filter media and replace it? <<No. The pre-filter will ultimately need to be replaced as this will probably break down over time but the bio-media need never be replaced short of a calamity in the tank. Depending on the type of filter you're getting, this bio-media may be plastic, ceramic or some other sort of material and will house your beneficial bacteria. Replacing it would throw your tank into a "tailspin" toxin-wise, which is why you should rinse it - again, in used tank water - and put it right back into service. Provided you keep your pre-filter in good order, cleaning the bio-media of built-up solids shouldn't have to be done very often. As I've mentioned, hopefully you'll have access to the manufacturer's recommendations. Eheim, for example, makes a wet-dry filter system wherein the foam pre-filter should be discarded after about a couple of months. The mechanical and biological filtration is left to the other media contained in the canister after this time.>> Any suggestions will be much appreciated. Rene <<Hope I've given you enough to go on, Rene. Enjoy your new set-up! Tom>>

FW Tank filtration 6/26/06 Hello, I would like your advice on the filtration that I have for my tank. < I will do my best to help! > I have a 75 gallon tank which houses a 10 inch Tiger Oscar, 6 inch Jack Dempsey, 6 inch Jaguar Cichlid, 5 inch pictus catfish, and two Plecos about four to five inches. < That sounds like quite a crew! > For filtration I have two 70 aqua clears hang on back filters. I also have an under gravel filter which is connected to a 802 Hagen power head. Is this enough filtration for the tank load. < It may be, if you are not overfeeding. > I do a 30% water change every two weeks and clean the filters once a month on a week that I am not changing the water. < It might not be a bad idea to change out about 25% weekly, with one filter cleaned at the same time. > My levels are normal except occasionally my ammonia hits 0.25. < This may point to the possible need for more serious biological filtration. Consider a trickle or wet/dry filter. They are extremely efficient in breaking down ammonia and nitrites, as well as keeping the oxygen content high in the tank. > However I constantly have to bout brown algae in the tank which is a pain in the butt. < It is possible your light tubes are too old. After about six months, the original spectrum the lights produce shifts to too much red. This encourages unwanted algae/bacterial growth. A good indicator is the end of the tubes. If they have black dust rings, they are in need of changing. Look for tubes that have a lot of blue spectrum, with very little in the red. The weekly water changes will also curtail the unwanted growth. > I am very conservative with the feeding, I feed them once a day and not to much. < Check the ingredient list on your foods. If they have fish meal in the first five ingredients, that can contribute to excess phosphates, (from the ground up scales and bones), and can be exacerbating the situation at hand. > Any advice you could lend me would be greatly appreciated, thank you. < I hope I was of some help, and you are welcome! > JK < RichardB >

Water changes and DE filters - 06/22/2006 Hi crew, <<Hi, Michael. Tom with you today.>> I just purchased a Vortex Diatom Filter and it came with a gravel cleaner that hooks up to the intake of the filter. <<Ahhh, you're "serious"! :)>> Could I use this as a substitute for some of the water changes? <<If you're looking to keep your water polished to a "Fare Thee Well", you just purchased a great tool. There's a string attached, though...>> I usually do a partial change every 2 weeks while siphoning the gravel. I am sure there is no complete substitute for water changes but I was thinking that if I still remove any of the debris out of the substrate this may cut back on the water changes. <<Water changes aren't all about keeping the water "clean". You've just gotten yourself a fine product to do that. Water changes replace elements in the water that our pets need. Water, in short, goes stale, no matter how clean it is. We advise, for example, against using "distilled" water for water changes because it doesn't have all of the "goodies". You hear about "trace" elements but rarely hear about "major" and "minor" elements that our tap water provides.>> I am curious to hear your thoughts on this. <<You might cut back on the siphoning of the gravel (a little less time spent, perhaps) but I'd be reluctant to stop the water changes. Still very good for the fish.>> Thank you in advance. <<You're most welcome.>> Michael <<Tom>>
Re: Water change 6/23/06 Hi Tom, <<Hi, Michael>> Thanks for the quick response. <<You're more than welcome.>> What I was doing was a water change every two weeks (about 25%) on my 90 gallon. I just set up 2 150 gallon and 1 300 gallon Rubbermaid containers in the basement that are cycling as we speak. The 90 has misc. cichlids with an Eheim pro 2 and a Tidepool. Should it be okay to siphon the gravel on the 90 once a month with the diatom filter attachment and then only do a water change once a month as well? I know I could just try it and test the water as I go, but I would rather error on the side of caution. <<In the name of "caution", why don't you try a three-week interval first with appropriate testing? If all is well, particularly with pH levels, extend it to four weeks. pH changes, especially significant ones, would be my primary concern here.>> The 300 and 100 gallon I have home made wet/dry filters made out of 5 gallon buckets. I was hoping to cut down on water changes on these as well and using the diatom filter once a month and water change once a month as well. Any thoughts? <<Other than the reservations I have regarding a potential "roller coaster" ride for your fish where pH and "hardness" issues are involved, Michael, I don't see why you shouldn't give your plan a try. If you don't already do so, please, keep a detailed log of everything that you do. Might seem mundane but small details that can reveal a world of information can be forgotten over a period of weeks/months. I'd also appreciate it if you'd get back to us with a report on your efforts. What you're able to share with us will be shared with all of our readers, as well. Best of luck to you. Tom>>

Bulkhead and pump size? 6/22/06 Hello WWM Crew, <Robert in TX> I am new to this hobby and I am in the process of building my first tank. I really appreciate the vast knowledge you have placed on your web site! Your information has been extremely valuable.( Perfect 10!) <Shades of Bo Derek!> My question is on pump and overflow size. Here is some info on my tank to give you an idea of what's going on! The tank is 150 gallons and will be a freshwater home to 4 small Arowana, <Will fight as they grow... even just at less than a foot...> 2 small clown knifes, and a 14" Pleco. I have already built a few custom acrylic pieces for tank. Please tell me if my current plumbing setup seems OK? I have 2 x 1" bulkheads <Too small, too few...> in the rear corners with self-made skimmer boxes (they look like a siphon overflow box but drain through an elbow on a standard bulkhead and use a Durso style tee and vent on outside of tank). Following me so far? Both overflows drain 8" down the back of tank through ball valve unions (control / stop flow and disconnect for maintenance) to a self-made 30" x 6" x 16" tall box with filter screen and bio balls. This back of tank filter box then drains through two more 1" bulkheads and flex PVC to a custom sump tank below. The sump is 36 x 18 x 18 tall housing two inlet areas/center refugium/and a center return pump section. I just ordered a Mag 9.5 pump to return back up through 3/4 flex PVC, a union for removal, and a 3/4 return bulkhead centered above the water on the back wall with a tee spray bar. (sorry a lot of info) Also I figure there is approx. 6ft of head. Does this sound OK so far? Any suggestions? <Increase the size of the bulkheads to at least 1 1/2" inside diameter, and possibly increase their number to four> Will this pump be to much flow for the bulkheads? <As it is presently, yes> Also will this be to much flow for the fish? <This speculation is dependent on other factors... as you will find> Any input would be very much appreciated! Thank You, Robert in Texas <BobF in CA>

Sorry to sound foolish ,but what exactly is biomedia? 6/12/06 <Not at all a foolish question - important to understand. Read here: http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/biofiltration.shtml http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/biofiltertypes.shtml http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm Understanding the nitrogen cycle in an aquarium is essential to your future success. Good luck. Jorie>

Bubbles From Filter - 05/06/2006 I have a big problem, and yes my water is good every thing is where it should be. My problem is I have very small bubbles at the top of my tank. When I say top of my tank I mean on the surface of the water. Ok hears the problem my Filter shoots those bubbles every were in my tank and its making my fish act funny like jolting around and scratching against my gravel. My question is how do you make the bubbles disappear?, and no my fish don't have a parasite because its been going on for a while and they would be dead by know. I'm just worried my fish are going to stress and give of a disease, so can someone please help me. < Usually these bubbles remain for awhile because of oils and fats that remain on the surface. Your filter should have an adapter to eliminate the air being sucked in to the filter. If you vacuum the gravel, change 50% of the water and change food with less oil in it , then it should help.-Chuck> Thanks but what do you mean adapter? <With powerheads or some underwater pumps there is a tube that sticks out of the water. This tube will suck air as it pumps water causing bubbles to be projected from the pump into the aquarium .-Chuck>

Freshwater Refugium - 2/28/2006 Hello WWM Crew, I was curious to see if you could guide me in the right direction as far as setting up a freshwater refugium. I have an AES catalogue with a section containing a number of freshwater invertebrates such as copepods, daphnia, blackworms, etc. Would these critters have the same potential for reproduction and feed benefits as the organisms in my salt refugiums? <Yes> Would these critters also help to maintain a soft substrate within the refugium and if so would this substrate provide NNR as does a DSB in a salt refugium? <To a large extent, yes> Thank you in advance for your advice. Myk. <I would substitute embryophytes/vascular plants for algae/thallophytic life used in marine refugiums, but otherwise mimic the technology utilized in saltwater settings. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm see a few lines down, the linked files having to do with refugiums? This and a Google search on WWM re "freshwater refugiums" (looked at the cached version), will show what we have on the subject. Please write back re your experiences/adventure. Bob Fenner>

Biological Filtration - 2/21/2006 Please confirm I am correct here, for biological filtration I only need a piece of seasoned sponge ?. < No, a seasoned sponge filter like Hydrosponge.> Can this float on top, or do I need some weight to have it on the bottom of the tank? < The Hydrosponge filter is hooked up to an airstone and is already weighted in the bottom. Just hook it up to an airline and you are ready to go. Place it in an already established tank for a month and pull it out and place it in the QT tank when adding new fish.> This would suggest there is nothing else in the tank, except some PVC pipe and a sponge. < A sponge filter and a heater.> The reason I thought the internal filter was suitable is because it provides mechanical, biological filtration, and also good water movement for airflow. < By definition, any filter placed in an aquarium is an internal filter. It can be as simple as a sponge filter or as complicated an internal powerfilter. For QT tanks I think the simpler the better.> What is the difference between a outside power filter, please can you quote me a manufacturer and model #, and a canister filter? <An outside power filter would be like an Emperor that hangs on the back of the tank by Marineland. A canister would be like a Magnum 350 by Marineland. It goes under the tank and is connected to the aquarium through a couple of hoses.-Chuck> Regards Alan Dalgarno

Need Filter Instructions 2/3/06 We inherited a 100 gallon aquarium with a red-ear slider turtle that is 8 years old. We do not know how to install the Cascade 500 filter system. Any directions / instructions? Nicole Eppl < Go to customerservice@pennplax.com with your request for instructions.-Chuck>

Help me clear my water... FW cycling, filtration 1/31/06 I have an established 30 gal freshwater tank for 4 years. On Dec. 28th bought a 125gal tank with a Fluval 404.(Sales lady said is was large enough.) I have aquarium sand as a substrate, just enough to cover the bottom. I put a dirty filter (emperor) inside my 404 to help seed it. <Good move> A week later I added four 2 and a half inch Balas. My ammonia never spiked. Water turned slightly cloudy. Nitrates begin to rise. A week later, I added three 3 inch iridescent sharks from my other tank. <At this size, these fish are starting to become "saltier"...> The water became cloudier and brown algae began to grow. Ammonia 0 and nitrates 20. I did a 25% water change and my ammonia spiked to .50. <Yes... the change likely "bumped off" useful microbes> I added Zeolite to my filter. Ammonia returned to 0 in 2 days, but the water got very cloudy again. A week later I added my Pleco from the other tank to eat the algae in the tank. I replaced 30% of the water a few days later. Ammonia spiked again to .50. I added some water from my established tank, about 3 Gal. <Good> Two days later, back to 0. Now my water is slightly green and very cloudy. I have a bubble wall along the back of my tank although you can't see the bubbles. ammonia is 0 nitrite is 0 KH is 106 pH 7.0 used Proper pH But my GH is off the chart. I can't even measure it. I filled the test tube up with GH solution and it still did not turn green! <Need to dilute this with some water that is more "just water"> I obviously have a bacterial bloom in my water to support my fish population. <Yes... and inadequate (canister) filtration...> That's why ammonia spikes when I remove/replace water. Is time the only thing that will encourage the bacteria in my water to colonize in my filter, on my decoration etc? <Mmm, no. I would add a purposeful bacteria here (the product BioSpira), more of your established systems water, old filter media... of course, hold off on adding any more livestock... and most importantly, add more biological filtration, aeration and circulation> If my fish are safe and I have to live with an ugly tank for a while. I'll do that, but if I can clear my water up some, that would be great! Thanks. Marisa Wortman <Not possible to state whether they will be safe or no... I would have done pretty much what you did... If you can't add to the mechanicals in a short time frame, I would (drain if necessary) remove the present fish life, back to whence it came... allow the system to settle for a month or so. Bob Fenner>
Re: Help me clear my water 2/2/06 Thanks Bob. Two days ago, I bought another 404. Added peat to 1/2 of a chamber. I'm watching my pH. 6.9 for the last 2 days. Will continue to monitor. Can't find BioSpira. My local pet store is out. She said to call back in a week. I bought a tap water filter. I takes forever to make 10 g. I reseeded the old filter. I'm going to place an ornament from the established tank into the new tank today. <Good moves> I have an eight inch tinfoil barb, for whom I bought the tank for the first place, in my 29 gal tank. <Yowzah! No room to zoom> After the tank clears, how long should I wait to add him/her? <A few days after no ammonia or nitrite> What should I do with the iridescents? I didn't know they prefer saltier water. It's my understanding that Balas don't like it...whoopsie...conflict! <Give/trade them to someone with brackish to marine system/room> I read online they make good tankmates. You all are wonderful. I appreciate and respect your advice! Marisa Wortman <Glad to share. Bob Fenner>

What does a sump mean for a beginner's freshwater system? 1/31/06 Hi, <Hello there> I'm fairly new to the hobby, and I have a 12-gallon freshwater tank (eclipse). In my short time involved in the world of freshwater fish, I've read a decent array of books, online sources and TFH regularly! I'm well-versed on water parameters, nitrogen cycle, etc. I cycled my tank, then slowly stocked it with 4 white clouds, 3 Corys and a Betta. They live happily with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and always <10 ppm nitrates. I do 50% water changes weekly (I know that sounds like a lot, but that was recommended in the first book I read--by a self-admitted "water change fanatic"--and this has worked nicely for me thus far, about 6 months), and am quite dedicated to my fishies. <"If it works..." though for most folks, areas/water quality, limiting these changes to about a quarter the systems volume is a good "rule of thumb"> So that's my story. <And mine> Here's my question: at my very reliable and helpful LFS, they have a used 70-gallon glass tank with oak cabinet & hood, plus a sump, for $400--the cabinet is of high quality workmanship, too (the previous owner moved). I am considering purchasing this set. I'm not at all daunted by going from a 10-gallon to a 70, quite excited at the prospect, but the idea of a sump/pump/hoses is what's causing my hesitation--I'm totally unfamiliar with sumps (I just have my happy little eclipse where everything comes in one purchase and resides in the hood!). In my Googling around your site, I kept pulling up reef tanks in my "sump" search. Why didn't I see many topics about sumps and freshwater--are they less commonly used for freshwater? <Not nearly as commonly... though are of utility, and are used occasionally> If not, what problems are likely encountered with a sump that I don't currently experience? <Mmm, issues of transit volume (spills), and design differences...> I ask because much of what I read dealt with the subject of high nitrates--is this associated specifically with using a sump? <Mmm, no. Quite the contrary. Many folks utilize technology (e.g. DSBs) remoted in sumps to alleviate nitrification accumulation> Also noise level--is this something I should be asking about? <Oh yes. Definitely. Plumbing, pumping need to be investigated, arranged to reduce noise trouble> Is it the sump or the pump that would be noisy? <Either, both> I ask because the set doesn't come with a pump, and if that's the noisy part, then I could spend more $ and get one that's not noisy, yes? <Yes> If the sump is the offending culprit in noisiness, then I need to re-consider, because that comes as part of the set, so I don't have the option of shopping around. I do not want a noisy system for where I'd place this tank. <Mmm, you may not even want to run, use the sump if you intend to keep this set-up as a freshwater system...> I do understand the process that the sump performs: the filter pad for the "big stuff", and the plastic balls that get colonized with nitrifying bacteria, water gets pumped/forced through, etc. I guess the bottom line question that should also be asked: is using a sump biting off more than a beginner should chew? <No, not necessarily... though you are "new" to the hobby, you obviously have a "good mind" (curious, discerning...)... and taking this novel experience (the sump) a bit at a time in consideration... the plumbing, water flow, design, operation... you will do fine> Thanks, and sorry so long! I want to be able to act on this if I decide to go ahead with it. Katie <I understand, and agree with your cautious approach. Bob Fenner>

Filtration Recommendations For a 150 FW Community Tank 1/30/06 Hello, and thanks for your time. Here is my question....I recently sold off a completely loaded 400 Gallon Reef System. To no avail, I painfully and costly realized that Reef Keeping is not in my attention span....LOL... I am going to set up a large (150 Gallon) freshwater system. I am mainly going to make it a mixed tank, but NO specialized fish such as Cichlids, etc. Just mainly hardy fish...Oscar, <This is a cichlid> Catfish, the usual assortment of basic freshwater fish. A system that would be flexible in terms of freshwater fishkeeping. My question to you is, if money was not really an issue, what type of filtration, circulation, lighting would you go with ? Drilled tank and sump or canister filters? Please give me your opinion or a few of your opinions on your dream set up, for a 150 Gallon Freshwater Mixed Tank...72 X 18 X 28 Thank You for your time.....It is greatly appreciated. <Go with a wet dry system that is easy to maintain and can filter at least 500 gph. I have a personal like for the Tidepool by Marineland. The big bio wheel takes care of all the biological filtration you will ever need, and the trays are exceptionally easy to clean. I also went with the SOS system to pull the water over the edge. I threw a submersible pond pump in the sump to pump the water back up to the top. Keep the end of the hose at the water level of the tank. If the power goes out it will act as a siphon and siphon water from the tank down to the sump. If the end of the hose is deep then it will overflow your system onto the floor.-Chuck>

Filtration Setup Wet-Dry 1/13/06 Hello, <Hi there> I'm sure some where among all the links on the fresh water page lays my answer, but I am not able to find it, or may it's there and I do not understand. <... easy to use the Google search tool (if you're familiar with terms to search) and view the cached version...> Anyhow I was given a fish tank any where between 150 to 200 gallons... I have never done anything above 55 gallons before. The filtering system seems complex (bio-balls) and a sump tray. I would really like to get this tank up but the size and new system to me is very overwhelming. <Mmm, take your time... just consider a part at a time...> What I need help with is what kind of air pump do I need? <Possibly none> Since there already is a filtration system, the bio balls, is there anything else I need to get? I recall reading from the site, I'll need a filtration pad of some sort to filter out the debris before the water goes through the wet/dry system (bio balls), where does this pad go in the tank? <The pad is placed above the bio-ball area... is used (and cleaned at least weekly) to remove much of the solids...> It seems like I'm probably over analyzing the whole situation. But if some one can give me a check of list of things I may need to check or get for my tank, it'll definitely help me out, and maybe I can get a grip on this new tank system. Your help is much appreciated. Thanks, Leeann <Might be worth your while to have another aquarist come on by (a fish store employee, service company, neighbor)... Bob Fenner>

Filter question 1/10/06 Hi crew, Rach here all the way down in New Zealand! <Hey Rach! Am down in FLA, about to cross over the continental U.S. back to California> I have a 57 litre tank equipped with hood containing light, heater on one end wall and Shark ADV400 filter at the other end. I am always confused as to which setting I should have the filter on for optimum filtration. <Mmm... about as high as your livestock can stand the water motion> I set up the tank using water from the original tank, which I also took my male Betta, 3 (or perhaps now 2 just checking) swordtail fry which are only about 3 weeks old, and 2 platy/swordtail cross which are a few months old. The instructions on the filter leave a lot to be desired and aren't very clear at all, the air flow settings are simply, normal aeration, water flow without aeration, 75% water flow, 50% water flow and 24% water flow. Apparently as water flow decreases, air flow increases. I have no other filtration system in this tank, i.e. undergravel filter; nor do i have an air pump connected as i thought the filter adds air given there are bubbles coming out of it at a furious rate! I have adjusted the suction grill to very small spaces so the fry don't get sucked into the filter, so far the Betta hasn't eaten the fry, and the other platys are too small to eat them either. <All sounds/reads good> I would really like some clarification as to which setting I should have the filter on, at the moment I have it on 25% water flow, as I wasn't too sure if the fry would get sucked into the filter if it was set too high. Can you please advise which is the best air flow setting for me to be using. And additionally the water temperature is sitting around 28 degrees C, is that temperature ok for the combination of fish i have? <Yes> I am aware that Betta likes to be warm, but I don't want it to be too warm for the swordtails or platys, nor to breed bad bacteria. Cheers <And to you. Again, I think what you have done is fine... I take it your water is clear and all else checks out okay... I would not change anything here. Bob Fenner>

Filter Recommendations - 1/6/06 Greetings to the WWM crew, Thanks for doing an outstanding job for all of us no matter what our skill level! < We try.> I have spent days reading all the subject matter on your site, but I still have a question or two -I currently have a 45 gallon pentagon tank housing 4 discus, 2 Bristlenose Ancistrus, and 6 penguin tetras. The tank also has some Amazon swords in it and other plants. All is fine and has been for some years. My questions concern the tank I am moving up to, a 110 gallon tank which may or may not be drilled. I want a planted tank, so I am going to use laterite covered with a layer of gravel for the planted areas, can I use sand for the non-planted areas and if so to what depth? < You can use any material that is inert and looks good to whatever depth you choose.> If I go with a drilled tank, I have the choice of a Tidepool bio-wheel filter or some kind of wet-dry (any suggestions). If I don't get a drilled tank then I am going to have to use a power filter (or filters, as I am currently) or a canister filter, which I don't get on with very well (too messy and I tend to forget to clean them as regularly as I should). I am rather confused with all the talk of bio-balls being nitrate factories etc, Is there a better media for a wet-dry filter? Is this the best choice or maybe a fluidized bed filter, or the Tidepool? Help! Thanks, John from Jackson. < For fish you can't beat a Tidepool filter. Very easy to clean and service. I have found that plants don't do too well in a wet/dry filtered tank, especially stem plants. The wet/ dry filter gives off excessive CO2 but will pick up some from the air. I have found that canisters work best in planted tanks, especially with CO2 injection, but I share your opinion on how difficult they are to service. Fluidized beds might be a happy compromise. I know they work great with lots of fish, but the bacteria quickly die off when the power goes out.-Chuck>

Freshwater bio filter/sump setup 12/21/05 Hi Folks. <John> Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza, or Happy Holidays. You choose. <To you and yours as well> I've been reading your site for biological filtration on freshwater systems. Although there is a lot of mention about freshwater wet/dry - sump set ups, I can't find some specifics. . . Here is where I am coming from/going to. I currently have a 60 gallon SW reef set up, back drilled, that flows thru a home-made sump, with a bio-ball chamber and a MAG 7 pushing water back. I can control the flow with a gate-valve on the return line. Over here in the North East, I can not seem to get good SW livestock anymore. I am raising the white flag on Salt water, and considering going back to a FW setup. Once I get all the LR and Sand out of the tank, and thoroughly clean it, I want to start up a FW system. I have always used Hang-On style filters in the past on my FW tanks, but this time, I would like to re-use my current setup (minus the skimmer, and the in-tank powerhead for current). My goal is to have a HEAVILY planted tank, (I love real plants) and almost exclusively Gourami's. Aside from perhaps adding a pre-filter sponge, is there any big difference between a SW sump and a FW Sump? <Mmm, not really... though these can be specialized> Is carbon required? <Not required, but a good idea to run occasionally (enclosed in a Dacron filter bag, in your filter flow path)... a handful every few weeks...> Am I missing a major component? <Nope... don't need the skimmer...> I am a newbie to the freshwater bio wet/dry/sump concept. Thanks a bunch!! John M <Enjoy the plant/Gourami system! Bob Fenner>

Diatomaceous Earth - 12/20/2005 I love your site. Very informative. <Thanks for these kind words!> I have read many FAQ's but have yet come across my specific issue. I have a 65 gallon tank, just cycling it now. About 2 weeks into it. I have Eheim filtration and a Diatom filter for clarity. My question is what is the differences between DE. <Err? DE? Oh. Diatomaceous Earth. Gotcha.> I understand that some DE from Pool supply places may be treated with chemicals and may not be the best for my freshwater tank. <Agreed.> I have a friend who works for an aquarium and can supply me with as much DE as I need. However, They only use DE filtration on their marine tanks not there Freshwater. <Bizarre that they use these little silica-based skeletons in saltwater situations - as Crewmember Lorenzo points out to me, silica in a saltwater aquarium can contribute to algal blooms.> Do you think the DE they use will be safe for my freshwater setup? <Almost certainly.> I have tried to read as much about DE as possible but can't seem to find the answer I am looking for. Thanks for your help. <I'll also point out here that filtering with diatomaceous earth is unnecessary (though not detrimental) in most aquaria.> Heath <Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Better FW filtration 11/22/05 Can you recommend a better filtration system/method than the one I have described? (Instinct told me that whatever came in the box was only going to be adequate at best, but I wanted more experience...) Many thanks for your good advice. I will chill out and read. :) <... http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwfiltration.htm and the linked files above... Bob Fenner>

Freshwater Sump - 11/03/2005 I would like to design and have built a freshwater wet/dry sump to fit under a 48 inch discus fish show tank, can you direct me to site (with drawings) that would help (you can't buy these things in England). Many thanks, Roy Runcorn. Manchester England. <Try here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sumprffiltfaqs.htm and all the other Sump FAQs links, in blue, at the top of that page; these are for marine aquaria, but the principle is generally the same. Also can try here: http://www.thekrib.com/Filters/ , especially under the Do-It-Yourself section, there is a bit on building your own wet/dry filter. Wishing you well, -Sabrina> <<I know a fellow who did this with his discus and some other freshies, they did outstandingly from all reports. MH>>

Tank Too Small, Filtration Too Heavy - 10/17/2005 Hey there, this is kind of crazy but I'll ask any way. I have a 29 top fin tank with two Bala sharks and two Pictus catfish and one black ghost knife. <This is too small for Balas and ghost knifefish.> I am currently running one hot magnum 250 and one penguin 330, is this to much filtration? <In a 29? This is way too much current in my opinion.> PS I am upgrading the tank size to a 75 should I buy the Eheim pro two thermo 2128 model <I have and adore my Eheim Professionel II 2128. It has my hearty recommendation for replacing that magnum if you choose to do so.> or do I have enough already. <Can possibly get by. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

55 Gallon Filtration 10/6/05 Hello Girls/Guys, <Howdy Mike> I set up my first, 55 gallon, tank approximately three months ago. Your website has proved to be an invaluable source of reliable information along the way - most retail stores around me give varying advice depending on the time of day. So, thank you. Anyway, the tank seems to be fully cycled (nitrates present at a comfortable level, nitrites and ammonia very low, <Should be zip, nada> and pH is stagnant). My current stock consists of 2 blue Gouramis, 2 dwarf Gouramis, 2 pictus cats, 2 common Plecos, and 4 tiger barbs (seems to be the right amount to keep them preoccupied with each other rather than the Gouramis' fins). <Yes... adding one more, odd numbers works out even better> I have a question and a concern. My concern is that the water is still cloudy. I do partial water changes weekly and vacuum alternating halves of the gravel biweekly. I scrub off the algae biweekly as well. I've changed the filter media according to the directions. What could be causing the cloudiness and how can I get rid of it? <Inadequate filtration, circulation, aeration, the types, amounts of foods fed... water quality in general...> My question is about the filtration system and heaters. I've read through countless pages of FAQs and haven't found an answer that pertains to my setup, but I apologize if this is redundant. I currently have a Whisper 60 power filter and an "All Glass Aquarium" heater. I recently ordered a Marineland Visi-Therm 200 watt heater and the Marineland Emperor 400 (notice the definite article). Would I be best off to run both filters and both heaters at the same time if I have the power? <Yes to running all... the filters will do well together... and don't use much power, and the heaters will not use any more power... as they only "turn on" when temperature is low> Will this create too strong a current for the fish I have? <Nope> I've received conflicting advice from local retailers. I'm hoping you can clear it up for me. *no pun intended <Heee!> Thank you for your time, Mike <Welcome. Do just clean one outside filter per that water-change, gravel-vacuuming interval... leaving the other with its filter media to re-inoculate the newly cleaned ones. Bob Fenner>

Is high ORP achievable with very green water? 9/30/05 Hi WWM crew! <Rich> I am trying to improve water quality and control algae in my 150g Malawi Mbuna setup. To that end I recently started injecting ozone through a protein skimmer, mindful of your guidelines/precautions in your ozone and ORP FAQs. In the past few days, however, RedOx potential appears to have skyrocketed from ~270mV to well past the safe range. RedOx potential as of this morning is ~440mV <Mmm, I would be careful here... and keep this ORP reading below 350> but green water remains in my tank. This is the problem. <?> I gather from this that 1) it is possible that high RedOx potential and green water are not mutually exclusive, or 2) my brand-new, cleaned and calibrated ORP probe is reading a voltage that is higher than actual. <Possibly... both can occur> I would very much appreciate your opinion as to whether I can continue to inject ozone at low dosage despite my not-so-sure ORP of 440mV until the algae is defeated. <Takes time... a few days to weeks...> Thanks in advance, crew. You do a great service to aquariumhobbyistkind. Regards, Rich Choy San Francisco, CA <Patience my friend... and do turn down that RedOx dial. Bob Fenner>

Big Tank, Big Fish, Big Filtration - 09/03/2005 I just purchased a used 135 gallon tank. Here is what is in the tank: 1- Oscar appx 8" 1- Bala Shark Appx 5" 3- Clown Loaches 2 1/2" each 1- Pleco 1 1/2" 1- Pleco appx 6" I plan on getting another Oscar. My tank came with a Aqua Clear 500, 3-402 Power heads and a UGF. I'm certain this is not enough filtration and have considered a Refugium set up. <Ahh, a VERY good consideration, indeed. You might additionally plant the main tank with tough plants like Anubias, java moss, and java fern, which can be attached to wood. Hardy rooted plants like Crinium thaianum and Vallisneria should also tolerate the abuse the Plecs and Oscars will dish out. Of course, your refugium can house whatever fast-growing, nitrate-consuming goodies you can get your hands on. Something with space for floating plants like water lettuce, hyacinth, and Ceratopteris would be awesome. These can also go in your main tank (especially the Ceratopteris).> The tank is stocked with the fish I plan on keeping and no live plants. <Can't convince you to plant?> Hopefully this isn't a loaded question, what would you suggest for a optimum filtration system that is under $400.00? <Can I give you a loaded answer? No? Well, you've got lots of options. I like Eheims (especially the Professionel II series - holy WOW, what awesome filters! But a wet/dry, homemade or otherwise, would perhaps be best, and could house your 'fuge, as well.> I'm very handy with building and large projects, could I build this myself <Sure.> or would you recommend I just buy an already engineered setup? <Up to you. Got room for a 55 under the stand? Can build your own wet-dry/sump/fuge, as large or small as you like. The bigger the sump, the more space for your 'fuge, and the more water volume added to your system of insanely poopy fish. (Seriously. I bet your Plecs make poop strings a foot long some days.)> I've read that water should be cycled 10 times per hour is this true? In my case with a 135 gallon tank -5 to 10 gallons due to gravel, decorations, and misc. tank inhabitants, I'm probably at 120 gallons of actual water, so my rate of circulation would be 1200-1250 per hour? <This would be nice. Somewhat less will be fine as well, with the 'fuge included, as the plants will handle a GREAT deal of filtration.> With the addition of a refugium water filter will this help bring down my nitrate levels? <Uh, yeah, absolutely. You'll be amazed.> Thank you, Richard <Wishing you and your new system well, -Sabrina>

Question about rinsing bio filter media with tap water 8/29/05 I have a question. I set up my 29 gal tank almost 4 weeks ago. I have 3 albino Corydoras and 3 blood fin tetras. All of them seem to be doing fine so far (have had them for about 2 and 3 weeks respectively). I did not know at the time, but I had what seemed as an excess of calcium, so besides doing a water change, I rinsed my bio filter under tap water (slightly) because it was all covered with this white stuff (that was all over the water, ornaments, etc). I read later not to do that because it kills the good bacteria. <Mmm, yes... at least not to do "so thoroughly", particularly in a newly set-up system> I asked somebody at Petco and they told me this bacteria should build back on. I want to know if this is true and how long it should take more or less. <Is so, a few weeks> I also have a carbon filter of course. I have had ammonia levels of 1.0 ppm pretty much since I set it up. <Dangerous> My nitrates were pretty low, almost zero since set up, as well as nitrites. I tested today (had not tested for about 5-6 days) and my ammonia is the same still, but my nitrites went up as well as nitrates, although nitrates are in the safe level still. I want to hear your insight about this, about the cycling of my FW tank, and so on. <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm and the linked files above> I feed my fish very little twice a day, but I am going to start feeding them just once do to the spike in nitrites as well now. Please let me know, I am not sure where and when to look for my answer. I had written an email a few weeks ago but can't seem to find the answer for it anywhere in the website. It was about RO water among other things. Thank you for your time. - Zeke - <Read on my young friend. Your good, discerning mind will see you through. Bob Fenner>

Oceanic 72 Bowfronts, FW filtration options 8/29/05 25 years ago I was big in freshwater. Had lots of tanks but not much money. <Mmm, a quarter century ago I was the same, still don't have much cash...> Now, I'd like to get back into fish keeping and would like to start with 2 72 Oceanic Bowfronts. Now, here is my ignorance. The tanks have an overflow tower with holes in the bottom. I'm guessing that I'm to run filter lines there. Also, a sump comes with the tanks. What set up is this tank designed for and will that make me happier than hang on filters. Both tanks will be South American community tanks. One mostly tetras and the other live bearers. thanks, Rob Eddy <Ah, the openings are for filtration hook-ups... can be made into a bunch of types, with sub-types beyond... wet-dry, sump/s, refugium/s, even pressurized filtration... The basic question is: How do you intend to filter, aerate, circulate water in these tanks? The holes can be plugged, ignored... Please read on both the root (marine) and freshwater subweb on WWM re your filtration options... you will find "things have changed". Bob Fenner>

Refugiums/freshwater? 8/25/05 Hello, I have been reading a lot about refugiums for salt water tanks. I like the idea and want to add one to my tank, the thing is I have freshwater. Can a freshwater refugium be made and be beneficial? <Yes> If so what kind of plants or algae would be grown? thanks.. Jason <Rooted or not plants of many types would work here... better on a "reverse photoperiod" (lighted opposite the main tank schedule)... species of plants dependent on the type of system, livestock, water quality... Please see our Planted Aquariums subweb re selection. Bob Fenner>

Wet/Dry Filtration on Freshwater 7.21.05 Great info on this site! You gave me great advice about washing my substrate when I upgraded my tank. Here is my new question. I have read a lot of info about wet/dry filters in the marine environment being nitrate factories. Is this true for freshwater? <yup>Will live plants such as Java Fern use the nitrates? <yes, but i would no rely on them, still need to do water changes.> I guess my real question is about my current set up. 3 weeks ago I upgraded from a 55g to a 125g. I put everything (substrate, water, plants, rocks) from the old tank into the new to avoid cycling. I set up the 125g with a wet/dry bio-ball system. I am running the wet/dry plus 2 Penguin 330 w bio wheels from the old tank. <good plan> All water parameters are good. My fish load consists of 4 clown loaches 4-5 inches, 3 Boesemanni Rainbows 3-4 inches, 7 Corys, and a 6 in Royal Pleco. <Nice> Could I remove the Penguins after the wet/dry is seasoned? <Most likely. If the return pump moves enough water around the tank, sure.> Or would I be better off keeping the Penguins? <If they do not bother you they are only helping.> The tank is moderately planted with large Java Ferns (only plant I could get to grow in the 55g). I would like to put some different plants in but, I am only running 110w of compact fluorescent light. I also added 50lbs of Fluorite to the old substrate in hopes of growing some different plants. <Try to stick with low light plants, I like Anubias, water sprite grows like crazy and floats at the surface so that might be something to try. Java moss also does ok in lower light tanks. The only problem with plant takes and wet/dry filters is if you are injecting co2, the disruption of the wet/dry aerates the water and blows off all the co2 you just added, but other than that I really like wet/dries. Make sure it does not overflow if there is a power outage. I like to get everything setup and running then yank the power strip to see what happens with no power, then plug it back in to make sure everything starts up on its own. -Gage> Thanks, CW

Wet/Dry and Nitrates in Freshwater - 08/19/2005 Hello, <Hi.> Thanks again for the great wealth of information. I have been doing a lot of research on wet/dry filters. There seems to be a lot of info on using live rock instead of bio-balls in reef applications for the reduction of nitrates. Are there any options for freshwater systems that use wet/dry filters? <As in, similar to live rock and opposed to bio-balls?> What about the use of sintered glass in the bottom of the sump under the bio-balls? <I would fear you'd actually end up with more trapped organics than worthwhile.... if you can ensure a flow through the sintered glass, this may be a good idea.> I am looking for a way to control nitrates without ditching my wet/dry. <Can you plant this tank? Vascular plants will soak up that nitrate.... Look to floating plants like water lettuce, water hyacinth, and even <yuck> duckweed if you can do so, otherwise a great deal of fast-growing stem plants (Anacharis/elodea/Egeria, for example) will help....> My nitrates were well over 100ppm a couple of week ago, but after a lot of water changes, it is down to an acceptable level of 20-40 ppm. <Wow, still high!> Any thoughts? <How much bioload is in this system? It is rare for a properly stocked freshwater tank to build up nitrates that high, wet-dry or no.... If the tank is properly stocked, is there perhaps an undergravel filter plate in place (still in use or old)? Is the substrate/gravel very deep and not well/often cleaned? Perhaps a canister filter on this system that has not been cleaned in a long, long time? Look for the causes of this problem (not likely the wet-dry alone) before trying to solve....> Thanks, CW <Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Re: Freshwater Wet/Dry and Nitrates 8/19/05 Hello, <Hi there> Thanks again for the great wealth of information. I have been doing a lot of research on wet/dry filters. There seems to be a lot of info on using live rock instead of bio-balls in reef applications for the reduction of nitrates. Are there any options for freshwater systems that use wet/dry filters? <Sure> What about the use of sintered glass in the bottom of the sump under the bio-balls? <Yes> I am looking for a way to control nitrates without ditching my wet/dry. My nitrates were well over 100ppm a couple of week ago, but after a lot of water changes, it is down to an acceptable level of 20-40 ppm. Any thoughts? Thanks, CW <How about a DSB? Live plants? Bob Fenner>

Wet/Dry and Nitrates in Freshwater - III - 08/19/2005 Thanks for the reply. My aquarium is a 125 gal that has been running for about 6 weeks. This is an upgrade from a 29 and 55 that I combined into the 125. When I did the upgrade, I moved everything from the old tanks into the new. I suspect a lot of the nitrates are coming from the substrate. When I did the upgrade, I moved all the gravel from the old 55 into the new tank and added 50 lbs of Fluorite and another 50 lbs of new gravel. The old gravel was pretty dirty, but I wanted to preserve the bacteria, so I did not rinse it. <This could be the issue. I would try doing a pretty deep gravel vacuuming....> My fish load is pretty light. 3 4-5in clown loaches, 3 4in boesemanni rainbows, 1 6in royal Pleco, 1 5in Chinese algae eater, 1 4in Raphael cat, and a couple of Corys. <Yeah, that's not the issue, then.> My wet/dry is moving 980gph. I am also running 2 seasoned penguin 330 bio-wheel power filters from the old tanks. All my water parameters are good--except for the nitrates! My plant load consists mainly of Java Ferns that are doing great. I recently added some floating Watersprite that is growing well. <Ahh, these will suck up nitrates so well, they won't know what hit 'em! More of these, and other such plants will do a great job.> My light is 2 55w compact fluorescents in a 4 foot fixture. The light is centered over the tanks, so I have some subdued lighting on either end. My loaches and Corys seem to appreciate that! I've tried some stem plants, but my Royal Pleco eats them. <Try Anacharis/elodea/Egeria, either loosely anchored, or floating.... Though he'll nibble it, it should be able to grow quickly enough to compensate. Vallisneria may also be of use, here, and the large Crinum thaianum.> I have been making steady progress in the reductions of nitrates with water changes. When I first tested the nitrates they were off the chart--deep red on the test kit. Now, 5 weeks later, I am around 20-40 ppm, according to my tests. <A significant change, indeed.> Thanks, CW <Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Freshwater Filtration - 07/16/2005 Hi Bob, <Actually, crewmember Sabrina with ya tonight....> Love the site and all the great info the team provides! <Thanks very much for the kind words; we love hearing this stuff!> My question(s) deal with a 240 gallon tank I'm currently setting up. The tank is an upgrade for a silver Arowana (and three Plecos) which has outgrown its current 55 gallon tank. It may house an additional Arowana in the future as well, btw. But anyway, I've always had problems with nitrate management in the 55. <Certainly.... huge bioload in a relatively small tank....> I currently feed once a day small portions, only what the fish will finish w/in about 8-10 minutes and immediately remove uneaten food. I also do water changes every week, approximately 25% twice a week, or 50% once, depending on how busy I am. The filtration currently consists of a penguin 330 (BioWheels only) and a Rena FilStar xp3 canister filter sponges replaced with clean ones, and biomedia lightly rinsed of detritus in aquarium water, every other week). There is no substrate in the tank, nor has my tap water tested for any appreciable amount of nitrates. With this setup/regimen my nitrates still end up around 20-30 ppm by the end of the week, around water change time. <Seems like you're doing everything right - just too much fish load for the volume of water.> I want to avoid this problem in the big tank by incorporating a 6" DSB in the sump. <Risky at best - little to no research is available for trying a DSB in freshwater aquaria. It's something I very much want to toy with - load a moderately sized tank with sugar-fine substrate, then pile in jillions of freshwater amphipods/scuds, rotifers, small worms, etc.... Maybe even a scoop or two of muck from a clean stream for more microorganisms.... But, again, quite possibly this would end in disaster.> Now in taking the 'natural' route to nitrate reduction, how much of the bioload could the DSB handle? <Completely, entirely, 100% unknown. At least to me.> Would I need to add additional bio-media? Would adding a wet-dry somehow overload the DSB's denitrifying ability? Any advice on what I should do, and additional comments about my soon-to-be setup would be greatly appreciated. <Quite honestly, I would scrap the DSB plan for now - maybe try it in your fishless 55 after you set up the new tank, and play with the idea some. I'm going to try with an outdoor 55 some time soon.... as soon as the rest of the tadpoles move onward and upward.... silly frogs.... Anyhow, back on topic, I would just run a regular wet/dry or a couple of heavy duty canisters (Eheims, if you can).... You'll be amazed what the increased water volume alone will do for you.> Thanks for your time, Phil <Please do update me/us if you choose to try a freshwater DSB, and let me/us know precisely what and how you do! Wishing you and your fishes well, -Sabrina>

New Filter for New Tank Hey gang. I recently inherited a 10 gallon setup, and I'd like start a small community tank. I'm planning to keep a couple of Corys, and a small school (7 or so) of Zebra Danios or perhaps White Clouds. My question regards the filter that came with this tank. It's an Aqua Clear 150, which I know is meant for somewhat larger tanks than this 10 gallon. I know it will not provide too much filtration per se, but I'm worried that even at the lowest flow setting, this filter will create too much current for my little fish. Should I invest in a smaller filter? < The white clouds and Danios should have no trouble with the filter flow. I would go with the 150 and add some extra long plastic plants to absorb some of the force from the filter.-Chuck> JM

Protein Skimming Fresh Water Hi, I looked through your FAQs and didn't find anything related to the use of protein skimmers with freshwater systems. Please forgive if this is discussed on your site. After having a marine tank and will be moving in two years, I wanted to know if my protein skimmer will 1) work in a freshwater tank, and 2) will that coupled with gravel be sufficient at maintaining water quality for discus? Thanks. Geoff R. < This topic comes up from time to time with other aquarists in the same situation as yourself. Basically proteins are more soluble in fresh water then in salt water so the don't accumulate on the surface of bubbles like they do in salt water. Also in salt water the bubbles can be made smaller to get more surface area on the bubble. So for the most part they are not as effective in fresh water but I have recently heard from some aquarists that their FW tanks have benefited from very efficient protein skimmers on their fresh water tanks. They report that their tank seemed to have much less algae and lower nitrate problems.-Chuck>

Freshwater Filter Selection, 5/27/05 I have two small red-eared sliders (3 - 3 1/2 in long) in a 10 gallon tank. I will be moving them to a 30 gallon long sometime in the next few days. Currently I have a Whisper in-tank filter, and I was thinking I could just get a bigger version of the same filter for the new tank, but apparently (from what I've read) in-tank filters don't really cut it in aquariums that big. My tank doesn't have any holes in it, either to let a filter hang down lower on the edge, or to come up through the floor of the tank. What are my options without having to find a way to cut a hole in the tank? <Hi Rebekah, Ryan with you today. There are plenty of filter options that will work for you here- Your best non-drilling option is a sump wet/dry filter with what's called an OVERFLOW. This uses suction to take water from the aquarium over the edge, rather than through a drilled hole. Hang on filters are capable of filtering a 30 gallon tank, however. I'd go with a large hang-on style power filter if all this seems a little overboard. Good luck, Ryan>

Freshwater Fluidized Bed Question Hi WWM Crew. I just have a quick question on filtration for a 180 gallon cichlid tank that will have an Oscar, 2 Severums, and a few other cichlids/dithers. I plan on using my filtration from my current 75 and 40 gallon setups: 2 Fluval 404's, 1 AC 300, 2 powerheads with filter attachments (170 and80 gph). Is a fluidized bed filter a worthwhile investment to use with the above filtration? Would the quick collapse from a power failure be offset by not using the fluidizer alone? <I would go with an external power filter instead.> Thank you for your help. Corey <Corey, I think you would be better served to get an external power filter if you are looking for more filtration. With the type of fish you are keeping a fluidized sand filter will constantly clog and be more maintenance that it is worth. Good Luck MikeB.>

Freshwater too! Bob: <Barry> You responded recently to my request regarding "salt reef" system labeled "bio-diversity". God am I amazed at your swift response! We had a discussion there regarding my "coming soon" 220 gal.( including R-UGF etc. ) with 70 gal.( DSB or plenum ) "refugium-secondary-show-tank". I have a long way to go with that design, and will contact you again sometime soon regarding that design. <Okay> In the mean time, I currently have a 55 gal. "fresh-tank" with African cichlids and will be adding an existing ( but currently unused ) 150 gal. tank to the freshwater "group". I also have a 10 gal. that will most likely function primarily as "quarantine". I also have room in the "under design and construction" home built "display center" for a 30 to 50 gal. "supplementary tank" should the need arise, as it almost certainly will. ( adequate "hidden" support areas are also included ) I realize that there is a lot of "scope" in this presentation and the series of questions that I am asking here, and I have spent a lot of the time investigating the "best current information" on the web in general, and on your beautiful site specifically, in preparation.( I don't think "that" information gathering will ever be complete ) Again, I am looking at being able to display ( and enjoy ) a fairly wide range of specimens in this closed system, with priority being given to the fish and the creatures that can be supported, and allowing for some live plants that are beneficial to the fish and the system, but are easy to keep and do not especially complicate the system requirements. To wit, it seems that the 55 gal. is going to remain the "hard water" system with attention to keeping the "smaller of the species" ( mostly cichlids ) and with the addition of any compatible "creatures" and "easy-plants". Now comes the 150 gal. tank; Here, I think that the water conditions will be "neutral to soft" to accommodate the apparently "wider range" of fish and creatures that can be kept in a single "closed system". Am I on target here, or suffering from some lack of pertinent information? <Sounds fine thus far> Regarding the 150 gal. setup, I would like to supply brighter lighting at one end of the tank for the specimens that prefer it, and subdued at the other end for the same reason. Heavily built cave structures at one end with lots of planting at the other, with a sparser area maintained in the middle for "display and swimming". I have put a particularly large amount of research ( investigation ) into substrates and filtration systems, but I must admit that as I learn more, the "confusion level" is not abating! <It will> My current tendency is toward reverse UGF for it's high nitrification capability along with "low" maintenance requirements ( high quality intake filtration and high flow required to reduce "particulate" and to direct detritus "up" and into the "primary mechanical filtration systems" ) I do not want the UGF to be a mechanical filter. It is really only intended to reduce maintenance by way of "upsweep away from the substrate, with this one possible exception. I have very recently read about reverse flow undergravel "turf scrubbers"( lit from underneath ) and I am at least intrigued. Do you have any experience, attitude, or information resources relative to this supposedly "nitrate consuming scheme"? <Can be made to work... but like other types of "turf scrubbing" technology is time consuming, water yellowing... not all it's cracked up to be> Well Bob, that is quite a bit of "scope". Do you think that there is a better way to accomplish the objectives in the 150 gallon tank? Gosh, is the "diverse soft-water environment" that I have described even reasonable to pursue? Will I ever run out of questions? Of course I won't, but any suggestions that you may have for the filtration to begin with, and the flora and fauna in the "big" tank would be dearly appreciated. <What you have in mind will work> I am "eyeball deep" in the design and "eminent" construction of the "freshwater-display-center" and any comments that you may have regarding the "filtration system" ( again ) and "pitfalls to avoid" would certainly help me to "get on" with it. The education will never end, but isn't that the "whole" idea? <Part of it> Thanks in the extreme Bob, Barry H. Carpenter <Bob Fenner>

Diatom filter I converted a 1000 gallon outside fiberglass spa (at level, sunk into the cement patio) to a gold fish bowl in which I presently have one Koi, 6-8 feeder gold fish and about 5 algae eaters "Pleco"?, little black ugly guys that stick on the side of the tank. I've been doing tank changes once a week with Amquel because the water becomes green and murky in just a few days. I run a filter 24/7, have two large pond pumps running, one through a waterfall with four water streams running through three levels of polished river rock and then free falling about one foot into the pond. Live in Southwest Florida. The pond is about 3-4 months old. Fish all appear very happy and growing. But I can't stand the murk! A friend told me to buy a diatom filter to polish the water. Do you agree and what size? Thank you for your help. Pam Comstock < Check the nitrates. Your fish are messy eaters and produce a lot of waste. The waste is not gone it is contained in the filters and in the bottom of all the water ways. Their it will continue to breakdown and create lots of algae. The trick is to clean your filter often and vacuum the bottom of the spa and water falls when you do your water changes. The other problem is probably no biological filtration. Many filters for fish tanks have media for bacteria to grow on and break down the fish waste. I think you only have mechanical filtration, which removes solids and nothing else. A diatom filter would quickly clog up under the conditions described above. Try feeding you fish only enough food so that all of it is gone in two minutes once each day.-Chuck>
Re: diatom filter Chuck, Thank you so much for responding. I think you must be right. I will obtain a gravel vac today. The filter is cleaned at least once a week. I will start cleaning it twice a week, falls as well. You are right. I do not have a "biological filtration system" but will do some research and hopefully be able to incorporate one into the pond. Any recommendations would be much appreciated. You have been most helpful. Pam < Go to Marineland.com and look at the Dr. Tim's Library for lots of good info on filtration basics. Once you understand what is going on then you can best decide what filter you need .-Chuck>

Filtration with Little to no Money? >Hey guys, >>Good morning. You've got yourself Marina today. >My 13yo nephew has just moved in with us, (mum's having a rough trot)... >>Tah, happens, it's good to be able to help. >...& he's got an 80 litre FW Tank with 7 Fantail Goldfish. >>VERY small tank for all these fish, my friend. VERY small, I'd cut the number down to two myself, or sort something bigger perhaps? >The tank has a 600l/h Powerhead pump and nothing more (a ceramic Castle & gravel of some sort). >>Hee! Google our site for "Albert the Goldfish" and see what troubles may come with fish castles! In any event, as I think you've surmised, the pump can't do too much (though changing water every few days sure can). >I imagine he would need a filter of some sort, but cash is VERY scarce right now (just bought our first home). >>Familiar with that myself. >How can my nephew & I set up a filtration system with little or preferably NO cash outlay? >>MM.. well, fortunately you've already got a "driver", something to move the water around with. I am already familiar with different filtration types, I'd probably set up a plastic trash bin or similar container with small gravel and push the water through (pushing generally better/easier for pumps than pulling), or go with an inexpensive undergravel filter. If you look at how these are constructed, and you're handy, you ought to be able to recreate filter plates and lift tubes (PVC for the lift tubes, egg crate - used for fluorescent light fixtures, and plastic window screen), all driven by this little pump. You could also go with a simple sponge filter. >We're both pretty handy & we both get called MacGyver from the rest of the family so we're not scared of DIY. (I have a garage full of PVC pipes and bits & pieces, my friends say I'm the hoarder from hell.) >>HA! Well then, there you go, hey. I'd say it's probably MUCH easier to create an undergravel filter with the PVC, etc., rather than try to recreate a power filter, but know that it can be done. Link, DIY trickle filter can show basic premise of using gravity to pull, pump to push - be aware of "head", pump's ability to push to a particular height. http://www.thekrib.com/Filters/trickle-blackford.html I think the following might also be helpful http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/upflowfiltpds.htm as well as searching our site via our Google search. >Hope you can point us in the right direction. >>I hope what I've provided can help, unfortunately I cannot draw you a diagram which would be much more helpful. >ALSO, one of his Goldfish looks like it has swallowed a golf ball. He said it has been like that since he bought it 4 months ago, it wasn't that big but it was swollen since day 1. It has some "bald" patches and a seemingly constant stream of light brown faeces coming from it's anus. >>Since it's been that way almost from the get-go, and the feces are NOT white and stringy, I believe the fish may be slightly constipated. All goldfish can use plenty of vegetable matter in their diets. I like things like frozen green peas (squeezed out of their skins), and terrestrial veggies either parboiled for a few seconds or nuked in the microwave - the intent here is to break down the cellulose found in terrestrial plants as the fish cannot readily digest this. >It almost looks like the poor fish is splitting at the rear. >>This sounds extreme, am curious about other symptoms. For instance, does it look like a pine cone, with the scales sticking out? >I have spent hours on the net to try & find what's wrong with this fish but all sites hint at "Dropsy", yet they also say that the fish would be dead already. >>Not at all true. Dropsy is more a symptom description than an actual single disease. It is a symptom of internal bacterial infection, and while this is certainly possible (and IS the diagnosis if the fish looks like a pine cone - search our site as we have some piccies), it is not necessarily a death sentence. A quick, inexpensive means of helping to alleviate certain problems is to use about 1 teaspoon non-iodized salt (Kosher, sea salt, aquarium salt) per gallon of water as a prophylactic measure. This helps reduce how hard the fish's body works to keep osmotic differences in balance (fish's body is saltier than the water, reverse with saltwater fishes). >I'm SOOOOO confused!! Any help would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks heaps, Frustrated Uncle Ant. - Sydney, Australia >>Uncle, I would first talk to your nephew about how these fish are best housed. Right now they may be small and don't appear cramped, but this WILL change very quickly. One of the ways to tell is continuing problems usually associated with poor environmental conditions (we have a great deal written on this on site, also see our goldfish sections). I think the number fish really must be reduced by at least half (I'd go for three vs. three and a half fish, as the other half won't be much fun). The remaining fish will fare better for a little while in this tank, but WILL need a much larger tank, as even the 80 liter (about 21 gallons U.S.) is small for just one. Marina>