Caryl Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 How many times per hour is the water supposed to circulate through the filters ideally in a tropical tank? I know of 2 tanks, 1 is 104L (and quite tall) and the other 145L (standard 3ft). I have a filter here rated at 1000L per hour. Is this too much for either of these tanks, or not enough? I know you can never have too much filtration but I don't want the fish to die of exhaustion fighting the current either :-? I know the current can be turned down but this put extra srain on the filter motor. A quick response would be appreciated as the man involved is keen to go out and buy buy buy - and not necessarily appropriately. He just spent $700 on the 104L tank and stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Nah, 1000 LPH is good, just aim the outlet against the glass or something to break up the current. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Thanks Ira. Filter has a spray bar so shouldn't be too bad. Any other opinions so I can go with the majority? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 There will be no equation to provide an answer. Different types of media, fish/bio load and oxygenation will have significient impacts on any equation. 1000 litres an hour is a term used on filters but its often meaningless, to many factors can have an impact on it (how full the filter, how high the tank/length of tubing used, type of strainer etc). The xtra 'strain' on the motor will not have an impact on its life or create un-nessessary wear and tear. Motors will spin the same regardless. Just make sure you restrict the 'output' not the 'input'. Restricting the input can have a negitive effect on the motor. The important factor in filteration is the amount of filteration media. This is very true for biological filteration, not quite so true for mechinacial filteration (smaller mechnical filteration with more turn over will provide the same effect as more media with lower turnover). On my 4 foot bow front there are 4 canister filters runningm rated at 800, 1200, 1200, 1000 and the tank is fairly quiet, certainly no raging currents in there. Hope that helps. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Thanks pies, I should have remembered all those filters on that tank! :lol: So true. I think we will use the filter since it is already here and ready to go so he doesn't have to wait for one to be ordered in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiverJohn Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Hi Caryl, I too have been asking about filtration of late, and the consencus seems to be that in general you can never have enough. OK, if you get a whirl pool in your tank you might have gone over the top :lol: My new tank (560l) I was thinking about 1200 would be enough, I am thinking now that 2000 would be a minimum. Just my 2c worth John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 My new tank (560l) I was thinking about 1200 would be enough, I am thinking now that 2000 would be a minimum. As I said above, the actual amount of waterflow through the filter is of little concequence. If for example your actual filter is the size of and ice cream container, than 1000 litres an hr will not be enough. If the filter is the size of a 44 gallon drum, then 1000 litres will be more the enough for a 500 litre tank. Hope that makes more sense. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiverJohn Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 BUt its soooo complicated Pies Now i know how Scotty felt... "I cannae give her any more Captain, she'll blow!" :lol: Latest Suggestion from my dad is "Well if your strenghtening the floor in the basement... Why dont you put the whole lot under the house!!!" And dont laugh but I do actually have a couple of 200l plastic drums I use for cleaning my dive gear in!! I thought that would be OTT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo1 Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Hi Caryl, We use an Eheim 2213 on our 110-litre hex and a 2215 on the 150-litres. Outputs are only 250 & 350 litres per hour and yet they do a really good job. We also have 2217 at 600l/hr on 500 litre plus rectangular aquariums. Maybe quality of filtration is more important? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo1 Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Oops made a mistake on litres per hour and gave you tank sizes that each model is suitable for instead. 2213 440l/h 2215 620/h 2217 1000/h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Thanks for all the replies. They have taken the filter and we will see how it goes. Should be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agoh Posted March 8, 2005 Report Share Posted March 8, 2005 I'm just want to say that in summary to what pie was saying, its not the flow...its the absorbance factor like those handy kleenex paper towel adds...how much of the nice spongy stuff the filter has... am I right or am I right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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