Replacing A Filter

Hey all! I have a 45 gallon tank with an Aqueon 30. It was part of a package I got.... I currently have 20 “hardy” fish, mostly all tetras. I ultimately would like to add 3 angels and 3 German blue rams. Knowing now that my filter isn’t the best for my size my local store told I should think about upgrading to a canister filter. How do I go about doing that with out killing off my current fish?

I want everything to be ready for the rams and angels in the next 6 months when I want to add them.

Any suggestions on new filters I should consider?
Thanks

 

Croeso welcome to fishlore
Not to kill the fish I'd run whichever you decide on alongside the old one to seed it correctly, no doubt you will have plenty of suggestions myself I like the fluval range but some say they are expensive

 

Croeso welcome to fishlore
Not to kill the fish I'd run whichever you decide on alongside the old one to seed it correctly, no doubt you will have plenty of suggestions myself I like the fluval range but some say they are expensive

Thanks

 

take the media from the A30 and place it into the Canister along with as much of the new media as possible.

 

I second Skavatars post..... Also, it wouldn't hurt to run the HOB and canister together. I run two filters on on all my tanks.

 

So why put the media from the hob into the canister then run the two, if you've already got one that's working then just add a second, if he's getting rid of the hob then put all the media plus more in the canister and let it go

I second Skavatars post..... Also, it wouldn't hurt to run the HOB and canister together. I run two filters on on all my tanks.

 

Filtration is like money......

You can never have too much!!!!!

 

I moved my fish from a 20 gallon to a 75 gallon last year, and went from a AquaClear 30 to a canister filter.

I ran the small HOB filter in conjuction with the canister filter for a month. When I took the HOB filter off, the tank never lost a cycle.

Another way to do it would be to just put the media in the 3rd canister filter tray instead of carbon. If you don't want to use the Aqueon filter for anything else, this is probably the best way to do it. It's also good because then you have backup filter media if you need to setup a quarantine, another tank, or want to give some cycled media away.

 

A canister is not 100% required. Depends on your budget.

A large hang-on-back (HOB) filter with a sponge filter tucked into the corner would handle your 45g without a problem.

A Tidal 110 HOB filter from Kensfish.com is on sale for $63. Add a $9 ATI Hydro Max III Pro sponge filter (also from Ken's) driven by an air pump and you will have some excellent filtration. I have sponge filters in all of my tanks and they work great.

Aquaclear 110's are usually $79 online. Mine is great. It holds a lot of media....

AC110 media

• Islandvic
• Nov 15, 2018

AC110 sponge, polyfil, 100 micron pad, poly media pad cut from bulk roll, 1 liter of assorted...

AC110 back view of reservoir stuffed with media

• Islandvic
• Nov 15, 2018

ATI Filter Max III

• Islandvic
• Nov 15, 2018

ATI Filter Max III with Aquaclear 70/110 intake tube

It runs a sponge pre-filter on the intake.

ATI Filter Max III assembled

• Islandvic
• Nov 15, 2018

ATI Filter Max III pre-filter coarse sponge attached to Aquaclear 70/110 intake tube

My AC110 holds more media than many small canisters do.

If you do go the route of getting a canister, consider those that include a spray bar. I find a spray bar gives you more options with the flow of the discharge, versus the regular discharge nozzle output.

Sign up to receive emails from Petco, and they should send you 25% off coupon codes w/ free s&h. You can get a canister cheaper that way.

Fluvals are good as are Eheim classic series. I really like my Hydor, but they are usually overpriced online. I bought my on clearance, otherwise probably would not have gotten it.

SunSun's on Amazon (also rebranded as "Polar Aurora) are popular canisters.