filtration for a planted 90

[aspen]

i need some advice on what would be best for filtration for my new 90 gal, with co2 and high light. i am leaning toward a magnum 350 with a micron cartridge and an eheim canister. what would you use?

rick

 

[farm41]

I like the magnum, use one on my 60g. I don't use the micron though, it's a hassle to clean and I don't need it, I just fill the cartridge with filter floss and of course the blue sponge filter and it does a fine job. Oh, and I also use the filtermax prefilter sponge on my cannisters.

I use a filstar xp2 on my 75g and it does an exellent job too. If I was to buy another cannister, it would be the filstar. Easier to service and quiter.

No experience with an eheim.

If I had the room underneath, I would build a wet/dry sump. But I have used up the room underneath for multiple 10g and 20g QT's and breeding tanks.

 

[ddaquaria]

If this is a usual size 90, and it will be heavily planted. Then I would go with a single Ehem 2217 or a pro 2228 (2028). If not so heavily planted consider teh 2226 (2026) model. I like the pro modles more because they are quicker to clean than the regualr canisters. Also with your media in a small basket, you can easily add peat (or coral - depending on your needs) to the water. All of my 120s run 2 filters, a 2226 and 2228. The tanks are heavily planted, especially my discus tank. I may rethink my angel tank and only use one filter (the 2228). Especially since I'm about to set up another 120 in about 1 month. I have never used magnum. It is like buying a car, you get somehting nice and never have problems so you don't want to try anything new. Everything I have either runs an eheim pro, eheim regular, or aquaclear (garage tanks).

 

[aspen]

hey farm, i'm using the micron cartridge on my discus tank (bb, growout) and i realy like how clean the water is. with floss and the filter pad, is the water as clear, or nearly so? i may actually lean towards just this filter, if i can get the water nice and clean. i will also look at the filstar.

donald, i hear you about sticking with somethng that works. that is why i am leaning away from a fluval, i hear that the eheim is a really good filter, wirth the extra money, and a lot of people are throroughly satisfied with them. i also use aquaclears, right now they are all i'm using, but i don't really have any exp with canisters, except this magnum i just bought. it is true, it isn't very quiet, are the eheims really quiet? some have suggested a wet/dry, but to me, it makes no sense to use a filter that will cause the co2 to come right back out of solution. this seems very counter productive, let's say, a flawed system right from the start. i'm putting some thought into this, and don't want to make any stupid mistakes.

rick

 

[ddaquaria]

The eheim is rather quiet. The only time it is loud is when it is dry or when you are filling it up. When bubbles get trapped (again when you are filling it up), just shake it a little. Personally I would not do a wet dry - I see no benefit in a plant tank. If you need extra oxygen at night, just lift your spray bars a little out of the water or pop in a powerhead.

I'm not sure about the current eheim line, but the 2228 and 2226 are not water polishers. You will see some suspended matter if you look real close. They do a good job, but the water does not sparkle - sparkle.

 

[farm41]

I can't see any reason for the micron filter in my tanks. A trio of cacs, a pair of nannies and a pair of ancistrus in a 60g heavily planted tank just doesn't require much filtration, if any at all, maybe just circulation. I mean the water is clear, not just kind of clear, you can't see the water. But in a bb, you will find out real soon when you try it. You are using the blue sponge on the outside of the micron I hope, and get one of the filtermax prefilters from 'That Pet Place'.

If you decide you have to use the micron, make sure you get some spare cartridges.

If you want quiet, the filstar would be a good choice, and I think you could get 2 of them for the price of 1 ehiem.

 

[aspen]

thanks for the help guys. i cleaned the magnum, after running the micron filter for almost 2 weeks straight. the flow was starting to be reduced. it was really easy to clean, and reprime. and it is clear, something i really like, but didn't even think about before.

discus are a dirty fish, or hard to keep clean. their slime comes off in the water and lands on all surfaces and needs to be cleaned. in my growout tank, the fish get fed as much as they'll eat, 4 times at least daily. and i feed beefheart, which can be messy. the intake of the magnum was slimy, but the return line was as clean as the day i put it in, and the cartridge NEEDED to be cleaned. the tank water is a sparkling as any i've seen. (90 gal 11 juvie discus up to 5") if the filter on this tank, can do this kind of a job, it will easily keep 2 discus in a planted 90 clean and be much easier to keep clean than on the growout tank. i have loaded the sponge around the basket, and will get lots of floss tomorrow. i think that this one is likely going to be the first candidate for the 90, and if i see a reason to get another filter, i may consider getting another magnum for the growouts, or something else. for now, i will just be doing a bit of cycling in advance.

thanks, rick