150 Gallon Tank Filtration for a large tank..

[TClare]

I have posted on another thread about the new tank we are making, it is 160 x 60 x 60cm with a volume of about 570l or 152 gallons approx. I have a canister filter, Jad (same as Boyu) EF-45, the only one I can get easily and reasonably priced here in Ecuador. I have the exact same filter running on my established 240l (63 gallon) tank. The filter has a flow rate of 1,100 liters per hour and according to the box is suitable for aquariums up to 650 liters, but I am not sure if it will really be sufficient for this size of tank as most people seem to use two canisters or a sump. The 240l tank came with a submergible pump and top filter built into the hood. I am not using the pump but the outflow from the canister runs through the top filter before returning to the tank. We were wondering if we should build an additional top filter in the top of the new tank. The top is in two pieces and my son suggests having the top filter in two parts, one operated by the spare pump and the other for the outflow of the canister. I am not sure how this will affect the type of flow in the tank and if this would be good or might cause any issues. Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome.

And while on the subject of filters, if I simply change the established filter with the new one will I have an instantly cycled new tank, or would this upset the established tank (which would still have all the substrate, plants and top filter material)?

 

[Madeline Peterson]

This would upset your tank. The majority of the bb are in the filter. Try running both at once for a bit, or moving old filter media to the new filter.
No idea about the amount of filtration required. Good luck!

 

[altwitch]

Have 120g with a high flow Fluval filter, but I never run a larger tank without backup filtration. My preference is to use 1 or 2 sponge filters simultaneously MP above referenced. Could also use HOB instead of sponge if preferred. Nice thing about sponges is you can always keep 2 and pull one when needed to seed a new tank. Can't imagine trying to maintain 2x cannister filters on one large tank but different strokes and cool with that. As an open confession I get confused fast when we start talking liters versus gallons.

 

[RayClem]

A filter serves multiple roles in an aquarium. It provides mechanical filtration to remove small particles that would make your tank cloudy.

It provides biological filtration by supporting the growth of nitrifying bacteria that turn ammonia into nitrites and nitrites into nitrates. Some filter media will also support the growth of denitryfing bacteria that can convert nitrates to nitrogen gas, but this is by no means assured.

It can provide chemical filtration though the use of activated carbon, zeolites, granular ferric oxide, alumina-silicate phosphate removers, and various resins, etc. You may not need or want chemical filtration depending upon your water, stocking levels and plants.

Another important aspect of filtration is water flow. If your filter of choice does not provide sufficient water flow, you can always supplement with a powerhead.

Loading your canister filter with as much effective media as the trays can hold will improve the effectiveness of your filter, but realize that that can also reduce the flow rate, prehaps by as much as half. If you find the bioload of your tank is such that the filter cannot keep up, you can use any combination of filters. You could get a second canister. You could get a hang on back filter. You could even used inexpensive sponge filters. Testing has proven that sponge filter are one of the most effective means of supporting biological filtration in your tank.

As far as seeding your new tank, one of the best ways is to put a sponge filter in your old tank and allow it to run for a few weeks. Then move the sponge filter over into the new tank and allow it to run until your new tank is fully cycled. At that point, you can decide whether to remove the sponge filter, or leave it to supplement you primary filter. Remember that the bacterial colonies in the tank only grow based on the amount of nitrogen in the tank. Thus, even after a tank is cycled, adding too many new fish at one time can cause an ammonia spike until the bacteria can catch up with the increase in bioload.

The effectiveness of the mechanical and biological filtration in a canister filter depends upon the types of filter media you use. For example, using a prefilter sponge on the filter intake tube can make the mechanical filtration more effective.

Plastic bioballs are not a very efficient biological media; they work better in trickle/shower filters in sumps. Some types of porous volcanic rocks like lava, pumice, and perlite provide huge internal surface area that make these media highly efficient.