Your opinions on best internal filters...

[Yworry]

Hi Everyone

Could i have some opinions on internal filters that are tried & true in your experience. I have a 260L Juwel tank that I have removed the filter it came with and added a Aqua One CF1200 canister filter but still doesn't seem to keep up with bio-load. I've tried a few internal filters as an extra kick in the guts but they've all been crap. Our water here is straight from the river to a tank in the country so full of spray & fertiliser run off no doubt. Algae's a bad problem too. UV filter was rubbish. Although my tank is in a darkish room in the house wont help.

Stocking is

12cm Borneo Tiger

12cm Silver Sharks x 2

7cm clown loaches x 3

5cm Blue Acara x 4

3cm BN catfish x 2

thanks for your help

Anna

[Morcs]

Id personally get another canister, and set it up bio focused.

Something like an Eheim 2213. Uses a mere 8w of power, and you basically cram it with bio media.

Theres one on trademe for $100 buy now at the moment.

Internal filters generally are crud in well stocked tanks, and they can hold bugger all media so wouldnt really help handle your bioload.

I am intrigued though, in what way cant it handle the bio load? My mate runs a heavily stocked cichlid tank even with a big oscar in there too on a cf1200 with no problems.

If you have high nitrates but low ammonia and nitrite it means you filter is handling it fine and you need to do more waterchanges.

However, if you have ammonia and nitrite readings then you are correct.

Also try testing your water before It goes into the tank and see what the readings are.

I hope this helps

[Yworry]

Hi Morc, thanks for that. I had tried to get away from another cannister filter as it eliminates the room I have under the tank for other goodies. The nitrate readings are higher than I'd like about 40ppm, nitrites are currently 0.025 (normally 0) and ammonia is 0. Tap water is the same as the tank so water changes make no difference as all I do is add to it. Tank just goes green very quickly and glass gets covered in algae. I do a 50% water change every 2 weeks. Figured my filter wasn't keeping up but maybe it's just the low natural light room it's in. I run 2 T5's about 5 hours a day. They are however 18 months old so maybe they're contributing???? I can't pin point the problem as algae is green, brown and I also get hairy...

I have a small 60L tank overstocked with fish and it's in a high natural light room with no probs at all.

Maybe I've just answered my own question???..... :roll: :roll:

[phoenix44]

do you want best or cheap?

best would be a fluval U4

best for price would be an eheim internal.

[Morcs]

Hi Morc, thanks for that. I had tried to get away from another cannister filter as it eliminates the room I have under the tank for other goodies. The nitrate readings are higher than I'd like about 40ppm, nitrites are currently 0.025 (normally 0) and ammonia is 0. Tap water is the same as the tank so water changes make no difference as all I do is add to it. Tank just goes green very quickly and glass gets covered in algae. I do a 50% water change every 2 weeks. Figured my filter wasn't keeping up but maybe it's just the low natural light room it's in. I run 2 T5's about 5 hours a day. They are however 18 months old so maybe they're contributing???? I can't pin point the problem as algae is green, brown and I also get hairy...

I have a small 60L tank overstocked with fish and it's in a high natural light room with no probs at all.

Maybe I've just answered my own question???..... :roll: :roll:

The bit in bold says that your bio filtration is fine. There is enough bacteria to convert the ammonia and nitrite into nitrates. Do more frequent water changes to lower the nitrates - 40 is high, but as long as under 60ppm it wont be harmfull to the fish. The lower the better though.

Id suggest maybe 30 or 40% weekly water changes. As for the algae, yes bulbs might need replacing, but im not an algae expert :lol:

[Yworry]

Water changes make no difference as it's 40ppm coming out of the tap. Which tells me the nitrates are probably 0 on a normal reading. Water looks clean as in a glass.

[phoenix44]

can you put the juwel internal back in?

[Yworry]

Nope, threw it out as they are a breeding ground for disgusting slimy bacteria behind them.

[spoon]

what about a hang on back filter would this fit?

[Morcs]

Bio filtration wont do anything for the 40ppm nitrates out of the tap, theyll just add to it.

The only ways to reduced nitrates in this case as through things like a defnitrifying coil or a sump absolutely packed with nitrate munching plants

[suphew]

Do you have plants in the tank? Simplest way to reduce algae and lower your nitrates (if water changes aren't a good option) is to grow plants. If you do have plants getting them growing well is the key, you have the high nutrients, and plenty of fish so the CO2 will be high, you just need to address the lights.

Next thing I would be looking at is your water supply, a river normally shouldn't have high nitrates, but your water tank might be full of rubbish, have you had it checked/cleaned lately? You could look at getting an RO/DI filter, which would clean the water supply to close to pure, it could do your drinking water too.

BTW you might want to do a water test on the river, if it does have high nitrates, then chances are one of the farmers is dumping effluent into it and your drinking it. My boss runs a side business unblocking drains and I see a lot of farmers with their septic tank overflows running into the nearest stream. At this time of year and during the winter when rain water is filling up their tanks, they constantly dump raw sewage into the streams. I bet their neighbors kids play and swim in the same water.