stillnzcookie Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 Hi, we have a standard Elite 60l tank setup, which came complete with filter, heater, lid etc - one of the "just add fish and plants" kits. At the moment, the filter hangs on the back (long side), and there is a hole in the lid for it to fit. We are considering moving the whole tank onto a narrow bench in the kitchen, BUT if we do this we will need to shift the filter so it hangs over the side (short side) as it would not fit behind the tank. So I would like to know: 1) Can I run the filter on the side of the tank - will it still be ok in terms of water movement etc? 2) If I cut a hole in the current lid, in the side, the filter will be very close to the end of the light fitting. Is this safe? possible? 3) If I can't adapt the current lid, can I get a new lid and if so, from where? How much would it be likely to cost? The major problem I can foresee is that the filter may be too close to the light fitting - not sure if there's any way round this? I'd love to hear if anyone has done this and your experiences, both good and bad, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 Yeah, it should be fine on the short side, may create more water movement though. As long as there is no water or direct contact between the filter and light, it should be sweet as. I recommend getting an acrylic lid so it's easily cut to size and shape. Got mine off TM but look in plastic stores otherwise. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnzcookie Posted September 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 Thanks, SamH. We are now considering replacing the filter with an internal filter (which completely solves the space problem), but I'm struggling to find much information about them. Do they work as well as the hang-on filters? Can anyone recommend good and reliable brands and models? If we have an internal filter, do we need an air pump as well, or do they provide enough surface agitation on their own? Our tank is only 60L and currently very understocked, but I'm not sure how to work out what size filter we need, and I presume it is better to get one a bit big than one that is only just big enough? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New_to_fish_world Posted September 27, 2009 Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 Thanks, SamH. We are now considering replacing the filter with an internal filter (which completely solves the space problem), but I'm struggling to find much information about them. Do they work as well as the hang-on filters? Can anyone recommend good and reliable brands and models? If we have an internal filter, do we need an air pump as well, or do they provide enough surface agitation on their own? Our tank is only 60L and currently very understocked, but I'm not sure how to work out what size filter we need, and I presume it is better to get one a bit big than one that is only just big enough? Thanks! I know the tank your talking about we have the same one Be VERY careful about the light Ours is gone now and we can't get it replaced We changed filters as the one that comes with it is crap sorry to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted September 27, 2009 Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 Do they work as well as the hang-on filters? Hang on filters usually have more capacity. This means they can hold more benificial bacteria and remove more solid particles from the water, provided they have the right media in them. So in short, yes, most HOB filters are better than internals. Can anyone recommend good and reliable brands and models? No sorry but if you're really keen on brands, stick with the ones you know. If we have an internal filter, do we need an air pump as well, or do they provide enough surface agitation on their own? Dependant on where you put the outlet pipe, they can produce enough surface agitation. You may wish to add an air pump if there are no plants in the aquarium or fish appear to be suffering from lack of oxygen Our tank is only 60L and currently very understocked, but I'm not sure how to work out what size filter we need, and I presume it is better to get one a bit big than one that is only just big enough? The general rule is to get a filter that can filter your tank's capacity at least 6 times an hour. This means you'd need a filter that moves 360lph prefferably more because the media will get clogged quite quickly. Hope that helped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnzcookie Posted September 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 Thanks for the replies. New_to-fish-world - our filter is an Elite Hush 20, and we've found it has been fine! If we shift the tank though, we really need to get an internal filter. We have decided not to modify the hood. SamH - thanks again for all your help. Some of the filters I have looked at online say they are for 60-100L tanks and do 500lph, so that's the sort of thing we'll go for if we change. I don't know ANY brands! Our set up is an Elite, and I've come across Eheim, Aqua One and Fluval internal filters, but I don't know if they're all similar or if some are better than others. I'll have a look here when I get a chance, but I think it may require a trip to Christchurch to see what the options are. We have plants in our tank, but it's not heavily planted, so we'll add an air pump if needed, but hubby reckons the internal power filters with a venturi would do the job ok (he's a water engineer, so I'll believe him!). It's looking like we will shift the tank, but it may be a while before it happens. Thanks for the advice - I'm sure I'll be back for more soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnzcookie Posted October 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 The pet shop here had more internal filters than I expected. Does anyone have any of the following (or same brand internal filter but different size) - if so, have you found it good/bad/reliable/quiet/noisy? Please let me know what you think! Elite Jet-Flo 75 Blue Planet Tank Maid FilterPro 200 AquaOne Maxi 102F or 103F I was confused by the AquaOne filters - the 102F had a flow rate of 500lph, but said it was only for tanks up to 30l, the 103F was for tanks up to 60l (ie our tank) but had a flow rate of 1200lph. This seems WAY more than equivalent filters - can anyone explain the difference, please? They also had a Fluval U2, but it was 3-4 times the price of the others, which puts it a bit out of our range for now. It would only be an option if it was guaranteed to work much better and last 3-4 times as long as the others. What are your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron11 Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 Hi cookie you can get auqa one filter off trademe from 30 dollars up i have 2 in my 60 litre and its fine I also have a ehiem one in my turtle tank thats real grunty Get the best one you can afford ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnzcookie Posted October 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 Thanks aaron11. Water engineer hubby had a look at them all and bought a bigger Blue Planet one (for tanks up to 100L). We put it in to seed it for a couple of weeks before we take out the old filter, but had to turn it off, as it nearly blew all the fish out of the water! Said hubby is going to shorten the rotor blades to reduce the flow, and assures me it is still the best one for our tank, so time will tell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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