Habitat - Indoor :: what size filter for new tank

[blulite]

hi guys i am finally getting my upgraded tank tomorrow but instead of a 60gal i am getting a 131gal 60"x24"x24"

i have ordered a new filter from the local aquarium store. it is capable of pumping 800L/h.

as 131gal tank holds 495 litres will this filter be suitable. or will i be better off buying 2 x 700 L/h filters for the one tank. i am not in a financial position to buy the filter i want at the moment so i need some guidance. what should i buy????

btw the 700 l/h filters are £8.99 each or the 800 l/h is £29.99

[MTski]

my personal recomendation would be a Fluval FX5 for any tank over 100 gallons. Its rated for 400 gallons which is about what you need (filter should be rated for at least 3 times tank capacity)
they might be a little pricy but u should be able to go on ebay and get them cheap.

[blulite]

ok ive checked out ebay and the prices are still a little high for my budget at the mooment i am looking for a temporary solution untill i save the cash to buy one

[MTski]

whats your price range?

[blulite]

could go up to about £50 at the moment hence why i need to save

[MTski]

oh i see and your tank is 130 gallons roughly? do u know how many gallons/liters the 700 l/h filter is rated for?

[blulite]

im not too sure to be honest but what i thought was the tank holds 495 litres. so if i used 2 x 700 l/h filters then the tank should be circulated almost three times an hour (1400l/h). but if the 700l/h filters are rated then does that mean they might not actually circulate as much as i have worked out

[seanwb]

Assuming you are referring to £50 in UK money you are going to struggle to get a filter that copes, unless you go down a second hand route.

It is not just l/h that matter, but also the amount of media. So you will need to check the filter for a maximum aquarium size.

For example;
Fluval 4 Plus internal is 1000 l/h but only for tanks up to 215 litre aquariums (for fish)
Fluval 304 is also 1000 l/h but recommended for up to 300 l litre aquariums (for fish)
Fluval FX-5 is just over double at 2300 l/h under load, but suitable for a 1500l aquarium

Without knowing more about the filters you are thinking of, my first instinct is that filters at £8.99 are going to be really small and not up to the job. The larger one will still be underpowered.

The Fluval FX-5 looks like a very good recommendation. Have a look at second hand ones on EBay. Search FX5 as wells as FX-5

What filter do you have already? Why not put that in as well, as any new filter will need 6-8 weeks to mature. Underpowered + not matured = problems.

[blulite]

hi at the moment i have a fluval 1 and a fluval 2 +... i will find out the rating for the others tomorrow and let you know. i have seen an fx5 on ebay for quite cheap about £30 uk. but it has no pipes or media so it will probably end up costing more than what i got at the moment. i will have the money in a week or two but at the moment i am stuck

[untsmurf]

I have 2 XP3's in my 125 gallon tank.

[blulite]

this is the new tank which i am well pleased about exept the filter of course. i just need to set it up. i resealed it today so tomorrow i am going to start setting it up. just need some new rocks and ornaments. oh and a filter lol... whats your views on biying a pond filter insteadtheres a store, local, that does filters and pumps relitivley cheep.

[blulite]

man i really gotta sort the date out on my camera.........?????????? i only took that pic yesterday. oh and that white blob on the front of the lid i believe is duck tape sticky stuff. i got this tank for free from FREECYCLE..

[mat012]

Free! fantastic!

Can you just add an XP3 to what you have already? Although and XP5 would be great. 50 pounds is about $100 right? You might be able to find an xp3 for that. I like the idea of having multiple filters actually. You can stagger cleaning and you have two colonies of bacteria. If you need to wash out one and do a full clean you dont have to recycle the tank.

[blulite]

a single xp3 could handle this tank according to this article my tank is approx 130gal

http://www.petsolutions.com/Rena-FilSta ... 22+C1.aspx

and that article says the xp3 is for use on up to 175 gallon tanks

[Daniel3507]

for a turtle tank the filter should cycle the tank at least 3 times an hour but 5 is ideal. turtles are a lot messier than fish