30 Gallon Tank Is this sufficient filtration?

I recently hooked up a used Ehiem 2213 to eventually replace my AC70 and AC30. I am aware it will take a few weeks before the 2213 has built up enough bacteria before I can disconnect any filters but thought I should do some research in the meantime. Is a 2213 enough filtration for my 35g tank? The stock list is in the aquarium info, I have read it is rated up to 66 gallons also read reviews of people with planted 29gs not being happy with its performance.

 

Why don't you just put the media from the ACs in the ehiem and be done with it?? That's the best thing to do.

running the old filters with the new one just doesn't make sense. I know people suggest it all the time, but that doesn't change anything. There is only ever 100% filtration in the tank. I'm not including the bacteria colonies within the tank, only the filters. Right now you have an AC70 and an AC30. 70% of the filtration comes from the 70 and 30% from the 30 to equal 100%. Adding all the media from the ACs to the ehiem transfers that 100% so that the tank doesn't skip a beat. And since the canister holds even more media, the transferred bacteria will colonize the new media significantly faster than if you were to let it happen naturally, resulting in a much stronger biofilter.

When you add another filter to the tank, that 100% filtration gets split 3 ways now. So now the AC30 s 15%, the AC70 is 40% and the ehiem is 45%. The turnover rates of the HOBs will compete against the canister's bacteria development, especially since ehiems have low flow rates to begin with. The food for the bacteria is in the water, and if more water is passing through the HOBs than the canister, then that's where the majority of the bacteria will live. After all, the bacteria in the HOBs is already established. So that doesn't leave the canister in that strong of a position when the HOBs are removed.

To answer the question of your thread, if the filters you have now are sufficient, and the ehiem holds more media than them, then you will have more than sufficient filtration with just the ehiem.

 

I am running 2 sponges in the AC 70 along with carbon/ammoinia media on the top. With the sponges holding large amounts of the bacteria I can't transfer the sponges into the Eheim.

Would slowing the flow rate on the AC's help? Not right away but every week use the flow adjuster on the AC's to increase the load on the canister?

 

Yes it would - I would think you'd want to do that for the fish's sake.

Why can't the sponges go in the eheim?

 

A 2213 will be fine for your tank. And running it with the two existing filters will cycle it just fine. Run it with the two HOB for at least a month, then you should not have any problems. If you feel like the 2213 is not giving you enough filtration, then put one of the HOB filters back on. I like to run HOB with canisters. It will give you more surface movement, and it will mean longer times in between cleaning the filters themselves.

 

I have a small air pump running as well which helps surface movement along with a small powerhead on the same end of the tank as the spray bar. The powerhead isn't aimed at the surface though.

 

No space for the large AC70 sponges in the 2213 as it is now. I will see how things progress and decide what to do in a few weeks time. I bought the 2213 for $40cdn, they retail for $110+ up here.

 

No space because it's already packed full of media? Or because the shape of the sponge doesn't fit? Cause the sponge is very easily cut to fit. If it's packed full of media, them you would need to remove some. You can always swap it back when you clean the filter.

I'm familiar with several kinds of canisters, but not eheims so perhaps I am missing something looking at the diagram.

 

Full of media, it has the media basket you pull out.

 

okay I watched a couple of videos on the filter. I see what you mean, it's one big basket versus a series of stacked baskets. Doesn't seem very customizable. In that case, I would just get a bag of biomax in the canister. Transferring established media into the new filter will colonize it significantly faster than just running it along side. Over the time running the old and new filters, I would remove media from the HOBs piece by peace, to build up the canister.

 

If were to remove one and then another. Which would you suggest I shut off first? The 30 or 70?

 

30 first, then remove portions of the 70.

 

The reason Eheim classic's don't have baskets, is so that there is no bypass of filtration. This does not mean that you cannot put what you want to into them. If removing media from them seems like it would be a issue for you,(it's not) then you can put the bio and mechanical filtration into media bags.

Personally, after a month, I would remove the 30, and keep the 70 going with the canister. But, if that not something you want to do, turn the 30 off after a month, then wait another 2 weeks, and shut off the 70.

 

Thanks for the input. For now I will leave them all running as is. In a week I will slow the flow on one filter and continue to slow them down over the coming weeks. I have plenty of time to decided what filters I want running in the end for the long term. Ironically the small airpump is the loudest thing I have hooked up to the tank.

 

You don't need the air pump unless you like the bubbles.

 

I was told plecos like well oxygenated water. Which was the reason for it.

 

Most fish like well oxygenated water. I don't own an air pump - there's no need for aeration if your filtration is good.

 

Thanks for the input. Disconnected the air pump. I would hope the AC70 and 30 provide enough surface agitation.

 

The ACs provide the least amount of surface agitation of all the HOBs I've used, and yet it's still enough to not need an air pump.

Now air pumps do serve a purpose beyond aeration, and that is water movement. In tanks with weak filtration, there are dead spots - areas that don't have a lot of water movement. A well placed bubbler will fix that problem. However, so will a better filtration system and also a powerhead, both of which are far more beneficial for the tank.

 

That makes sense, but considering the powerhead and spray bar are placed at one end of tank. And the powerhead is aimed towards the intake end should be a pretty good current.