Filter Question

[David894]

How many gph does a 29 gallon tank need, for canister filter it would be 150 gph or? :/

 

[JeffK]

I think with a canister filter you want to pump about 5x the tank volume in gallons per hour, so 150 gph for a canister filter is perfect!

 

[David894]

Ok I think I messed up because I have a Eheim Classic 150 (2211) and that’s only 79 gph. But Eheim says it good up to 150 liters which is 40 gallons, so they don’t know what they’re talking about or I am confused or? :/ That’s pretty much double the gph

 

[David894]

Can anybody help me with this? :/

 

[aussieJJDude]

A lot of the time manufacturers overestimate their products, I would suggest at looking at a more powerful filter.

 

[CraniumRex]

There does not seem to be much standard in the filter industry in terms of tank volume ratings on filters. I think to properly assess your filtration you need to consider not only GPH but also:

1. Tank volume
2. Do you have live plants, and if so how densely planted?
3. How heavily will you stock fish
4. How often will you do water changes
5. How much media is there in the filter itself to house bacteria?

All these things should be part of the consideration when choosing filtration. 5x water turnover per hour canister and 10x for HOB are great first indicators but not necessarily the only ones.

 

[David894]

Those are pretty good points,
1. 29 gallons
2. I have fake plants and decor, driftwood
3. Normal stocking, not overstocked
4. Once a week water changes
5. There’s a lot of biomedia in the filter, including sponges

 

[CraniumRex]

Well I can't substantiate this but I have heard that Eheim rates its filters WITH media - some brands rate the GPH differently.

I personally overfilter. I have a 55 gallon with 2x Aquaclear 70s and a sponge filter rated for 60 gallons. But I'm like that

Your alternative, provided you have a test kit (you do have a test kit, right?) is to run the Eheim and see how it goes as you add fish. It may keep up to your stocking and maintenance regime just fine. Adding live plants will always help keep nitrates down.

That said, it's tough on the fish if your filter can't keep up and you might not have a lot of wiggle room once you are stocked. You could always supplement with a sponge filter or HOB rather than upgrade the one filter. Backup filtration = good.

 

[David894]

Thank you for your help, I’m gonna see what I can do

 

[spencergarl1]

I have a 29 gallon and use a penn plex cascade 1000 and it pushes 265gph, there is no such thing as over filtering a freshwater tank (to a sense). The only thing you’d have to worry about is output flow but I don’t see to have a problem

Before this I had a marineland 220 and it puts out 220gph and that thing worked wonders on my tank

So I wouldn’t really follow what the packaging says

 

[David894]

Wow, that is a lot of gph for a 29 gallon. I mean I’m just confused because everyone is saying the people that actually made the thing don’t know what they’re talking about. That’s like a car manufacturer saying you need to change the oil in your car every 5000 miles but, you do it every 1000. Ah well, idk

 

[David894]

Thank you all for your input

 

[B1GD4DDY]

I don't know that it is so much the manufacturer doesn't know what they are saying as, most of us just like to over-filter. I have Quiet Flow 20 HOB on my 20 tall and also put in a big sponge filter rated for a 60 gallon tank. Also the manufacturer won't know what each different tank is going to need. Their rating may work just fine for a minimally stocked tank. But, like I mentioned, most of us here love to over-filter. Besides, having multiple filters is a good thing too.

 

[clubtc05]

I have a 29 gallon and use a penn plex cascade 1000 and it pushes 265gph, there is no such thing as over filtering a freshwater tank (to a sense). The only thing you’d have to worry about is output flow but I don’t see to have a problem

Before this I had a marineland 220 and it puts out 220gph and that thing worked wonders on my tank

So I wouldn’t really follow what the packaging says

How do you like your Penn Plax 1000 and how long have you had it for? I just got mine for $67 about a month ago, it's so far running well on my 38G cichlid tank.

 

[David894]

I don't know that it is so much the manufacturer doesn't know what they are saying as, most of us just like to over-filter. I have Quiet Flow 20 HOB on my 20 tall and also put in a big sponge filter rated for a 60 gallon tank. Also the manufacturer won't know what each different tank is going to need. Their rating may work just fine for a minimally stocked tank. But, like I mentioned, most of us here love to over-filter. Besides, having multiple filters is a good thing too.

Very true, very true

 

[spencergarl1]

How do you like your Penn Plax 1000 and how long have you had it for? I just got mine for $67 about a month ago, it's so far running well on my 38G cichlid tank.

I love it, it creates a good flow for the fish. I got it on sale for $65 last week and it’s running well