Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fishtank Filtration and Cycling => Topic started by: Wild Rover on October 27, 2014, 09:03:04 AM
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Hi
I have a Fluval Roma 200 which came with a U4 internal filter which works very well and is virtually silent. I was playing around with the stocking calculator and if I entered the fish I want with the U4 it showed the stocking level at 85%. However, if I change the filter on the calculator to an over sized external (thinking Fluval 306) the stocking level drops to 47%! I realise the filtration is better and the volume of water increases a bit but does it really make that much difference?
Would you make the swop? I have five reservations
1) I live in a first floor apartment and I have worries about an external filter flooding
2) How noisy are they?
3) Would I need a lot of space behind the tank to set it up?
4) Would increasing the stock just look too crowded and if I didn't would the 306 be overkill?
5) Would the established filter cartridges from the U4 fit into the 306?
Any advice appreciated, don't feel you have to answer all of the points - If you can offer an opinion on any of them it would be great. Thanks :)
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Hey wild rover,
I have an aqua manta eco 100 (200L) aquarium and use an external filter. It came with an external EFX 200filter rated up to 200L however I upgraded it to the next model up EFX 300 (300L).
1) I live in a first floor apartment and I have worries about an external filter flooding - I haven't had any issues with this, other members may have better advice on this?
2) How noisy are they? Mine is quieter than some internals I have in other tanks. This can vary brand to brand and the cheaper models can be noisier.
3) Would I need a lot of space behind the tank to set it up? Mine sits inside the tank cabinet. Is you tank on a stand?
4) Would increasing the stock just look too crowded and if I didn't would the 306 be overkill? What stock have you already got? You could displace the 306's flow using long spray bars so your fish aren't fighting a concentrated current.
5) Would the established filter cartridges from the U4 fit into the 306? I cut up filter media from another aquarium and the ceramic media just fitter into the baskets within the external filter.
I hope this helps a little and I'm sure other members may have some ideas too :)
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Thanks for the reply DJT, much appreciated :)
The tank is on the purpose built Fluval Roma cabinet, the cannister would be inside and the tubes out the back and up between the back of the tank and the wall which is about 5.5cm.
Not fully stocked yet but I will have 6 Sterbai Cory's, 6 Conga Tetra's, 6 Pearl Danio's, 10 Glowlight Danio's and 10 Cardinal tetra's. My question wasn't so much about overkill on flow, more that if I didn't increase the stock, would there be any point in getting the external at all and if I did would it look overcrowded.
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Externals do allow more stock simply on the grounds that they don't displace water inside the tank. And they contain so much more media than internals.
I don't have any externals. But from what I read, the main causes of leaks are failure to re-attach the top properly after cleaning, and perishing of the seals due to lack of proper maintenance. The seals do need to be lubricated, but I don't know what with :-[
I have heard of people who stand their externals in a bucket or bowl to catch any leakage :)
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Cheers Sue
I've decided to go for the external. My U4 is nearing the end of fish in cycling (ammonia 0, nitrite .5, nitrate 10) and was wondering when to switch. Would you run both together leaving all of the filter media in the U4, run both with some of the media in each or just run the external with all of the media transferred from the U4?
And would you do it now or wait until the U4 is fully cycled?
Thanks
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Swap as soon as you have a new filter. And put all of the media into the external, some in each tray. The bacteria will colonise the new media better if they are in physical contact.
Keep an eye on your water as it is possible you will lose some bacteria during the transfer - though i don't need to tell you that ;) You may find your ammonia and/or nitrite will go up for a few days, but if they do it shouldn't last long.
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Thanks again Sue :)