Taku

Question.....
Is it possible to have too many filtration systems?
The reason i ask is, I have a custom made 30 Gallon that I house my platy/guppy/swordtail community in. I have and UGF with 2 air intakes, a hang on tank designed for a 55 gallon, and an internal filter/powerhead designed for a 75 gallon. Everything seems to be working fine, as the water is always crystal clear. Just wondering if it is overkill or not.

Shaina

I really don't think you can have too much filtration. I was doing something like 500gph on my 29 for a while when I was running extra filters to seed them for my other tanks. Assuming you aren't using activated carbon, all your extra filters are doing is providing extra surface area for bacteria and extra media for mechanical filtration.

As long as all those filters aren't giving you so much current that the fish can't navigate well, I wouldn't worry about it.

Taku

The 2 air intakes for the UGF do use activated carbon, but i find it necessary to keep the clarity of the water to a maximum. The current is just about perfect for the fish, they do very well with the amount of current. Is the activated carbon a problem? It is only a small amount about 4 tablespoons total.

sgould

It is if you don't change is frequently. Once it has absorbed as much as it can from the water, it starts bleeding the stuff back into the water.

Taku

I usually do a 25% water change weekly and a 50% monthly, every 2 months i do a complete water change and use the same filter material in the hang on filter for cycling.

mrsmuffin

Why are you doing a complete water change every 2 months? I would be afraid that this would be too much stress for the fish. Also please make sure that you are changing your carbon out at least every 4 weeks for the reasons stated above. I have chosen to use carbon in a couple of my tanks because it definitely makes the water clearer, but I am very diligent about changing the carbon out every other week.

Taku

I do a complete water change every 2 months because it is also a breeding tank and that is when i find most of the fry. The fish are put into a separate 30 gallon tank using the water from the first. They have never been stressed before, this tank has been in operation for almost 5 years this way. The carbon is changed every week by the way when i do the 25% water changes.