TuesdaysChild

I'm going to be setting up a 30 gallon goldfish tank over the next few days, doing a fishless cycle. I plan on 2 fancy goldfish and eventually a couple of ottos, if they're compatible. The plan is to upgrade to a 46 gallon bow front in a few months so I'd like whatever filter(s) I get now to be good on the larger tank but not too strong for this tank. At this point, I'm leaning towards aqua clear, though not sure which one(s) would be best. I've also seen a couple of eheims on Craigs List that I have considered. I know goldfish are pretty heavy waste producers and I need some good filtration. What do you guys think would be the best way to go?

Thanks!!

Jaysee

I say an AC70 or even an emperor 400.

Chopstick

For goldfish id go with Eheim 2213 for your 30 G or Eheim 2215 if you want more power. They come with the substrat in it.

aquarist48

Hello Tuesday. Hope you're doing well. You're going to get a lot of everyone's favorites here. Personally I like the Aqua Clear (AC) as well. The AC70 has 300gph and the AC110 has 500gph. I think for Gold Fish I would lean more towards the 110 although the 70 will work I'm sure. More filtration is always better as long as your fish can handle the current.

Too, if you'll go to The Fish Form Home link at the top of the page, then scroll down to the reviews/filters filtration section of the forum, may be a big help to you as well.
Hope you can share some photos along the way!
Best of luck.
Ken

eiginh

I would go with eheim canister filters. Goldfish are major waste producers!

TuesdaysChild

I've read the reviews and about 10 pages in this forum. It seems like everyone loves their eheims and aquaclears which is why I'm leaning towards them. I just don't see many posts that refer to filtering for goldfish.

Would the eheim 2215 or AC 110 also be strong enough to handle a 46 gallon bow front with 3 or 4 fancy goldfish?

There are 2 used eheims listed on craigs list that aren't too far from me. One is a 2026 with an asking price of $150 and the other is a 2028 with an asking price of $175. She says that each of these includes $75 worth of media. Would either one of these work for both my current 30 and future 46 that I plan to replace the 30 with? I don't really want to have to buy another filter in a few months. Are those even good prices for used filters? Though, the 2215 new would be cheaper.

eiginh

Eheim supports up to 92 gallons and AC110 supports up to 110 gallons.

Eheim 2026 cost about $237 new
Eheim 2028 cost about $225 - 250 new
AC110 cost about $80 new

TuesdaysChild

Would the eheim 2026 be overkill for the 30 or 46 gallon tank? I'm a little confused with all the talk of filters not being adequate for the tank size they are rated for and that goldfish seem to produce so much waste. I don't want to get something that creates too much current for the fish to handle and would prefer to go with only one filter that can handle the waste produced.

yukoandk

Hello!

I have Eheim classic 2213 and 2215 in my 55 gal goldfish tank. They've been running for about 3 months and I'm fairly happy with them. I think 2215 will be a good size for your 30gal and 46gal if you choose to go with a canister.

What I'm contemplating lately however is that canister filters may not be the best choice for goldfish. As you know goldfish are high waste producers, and my tank being over stocked doesn't help, but I'm having to clean my filters more often than I thought. The water flow started to slow down after a few month--one time I changed out the white polishing pad and that helped, and last week I had to clean the impeller as well. Also I'm wondering if the large amount of media in a canister, though good for beneficial bacteria, may contribute to high nitrate.

With HOB filters you will have an easier access to the media such as a sponge to give it a gentle rinse on regular basis. You may also like to look into simple pumps, something like a small pond pump, they are cheaper. Attach a sponge on one and I think it will make a simple but efficient system.

ccb04

For the 30 gallon ... considerations for HOB could be.....

- AquaClear 70 (300 GPH) or 110 (500 GPH)

- Aqua-Tech 30-60 (Made by Marineland...330 GPH)

- Emperor 400 (400 GPH)

- Penguin 350 (350 GPH)

You could also consider a canister as mentioned by others, especially when going to the 46 gallon ... or you could run a combination of two HOB's.

namehater

i would be leary of buying any used filter unless your buying from somebody you actually know. you never know what kinda age and mistreatment the thing has seen.

Tropical Aquarist

Well one thing to about the Aqua Clear, is that you can adjust the flow rate, so it still will filter all the water, but it won't increase the flow of the water. I think that the AC filters are good because you can put in amonia inserts that reduce amonia. With four gold fish, I would go with the AC 70, it inexpensive, good quality and basically like a canister filter, but it's back pack. Its $50.
Hope it helps.

Borisbbadd

I would recomend the Aqua Clear 70 as well...........


Randy

metal_fish

GET AN EMPEROR 400! ( 400 Gallons on hour)
Marineland makes the best filters bottomline IMHO.

Its on sale for $60 Dollars at Petco!
http://www.petco.com/product/5541/Ma...:referralID=NA