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External - options

Fisher2007

Fisher2007

Member
Joined
19 Feb 2018
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430
Location
Warrington
So I'm looking at setting up a low tech planted system. Tank about 400-500 litres. I would like an external filter (probably Eheim) and ideally I don't want to see the heater so was thinking thermo but....

From what I can see Eheim only do a pro 3 in a 1200 version (so massively overkill) or a pro 4 in a 350

I did considered a hydor on a non thermo version but these aren't big enough for my planned tank either

Any suggestions? Prefer not to go down the route of two separate thermo filters (like 2 x the eheim pro 4 250) but maybe something I need to consider. Issue with this though is by trying to lose the heater I gain double everything else in terms of pipework in the tank

Cheers
 
Hi all,
Fisher2007 said:
I would like an external filter (probably Eheim) and ideally I don't want to see the heater so was thinking thermo but....
Click to expand...
All my external filters are pre-owned Eheim filters, but I don't have any modern ones, or ones for large tanks.

You need a lot less, in terms of filter volume, for a planted tank, <"plant/microbe" biological filtration"> is a lot more effective than "microbe only" filtration. Also you don't want any anaerobic denitrification to occur in the filter, so you can use cheaper filter media.

Depending how warm your house is a <"300W inline Hydor heater"> might offer enough water heating? Some-one else may know.

cheers Darrel
 
Thanks for the reply

Based on what you said wondering now if I could use a 350T thermo filter with a hydro?
 
Trebor127 said:
Oase make thermo filters. I'd consider two filters on a tank that size
Click to expand...

Any particular reason? I see there is a Ehiem pro 3 1200 thermo but guess that will be overkill? Works out the same price (give or take) as two smaller ones
 
What are the tank dimensions?

Are you planing minimal hardscape - stone? wood?

Jungle style planting (ie dense)?

All of these affect flow within the tank -
also are you keen on additional powerheads/wavemaker style pumps in the tank?

If you look at Mark Evans 120 x 55 x 55cm tank journals, he preferred 2 filters
 
Fisher2007 said:
Any particular reason? I see there is a Ehiem pro 3 1200 thermo but guess that will be overkill? Works out the same price (give or take) as two smaller ones
Click to expand...

To help get better flow direction and also you will have a backup if one stopped working for whatever reason
 
I'd be thinking sump, so much easier to hide equipment that way. I did use to know someone who ran a 600 lt planted discus aquarium with a Eheim classic style filter with a single 300w heater in a old inline glass heater housing on the filter which ran very well for many years and discus do like it on the warm side.
 
Martinspuddle said:
I'd be thinking sump, so much easier to hide equipment that way. I did use to know someone who ran a 600 lt planted discus aquarium with a Eheim classic style filter with a single 300w heater in a old inline glass heater housing on the filter which ran very well for many years and discus do like it on the warm side.
Click to expand...

Do sumps work in a planted system? My logic would tell me that the water falling from the main tank to the sump would impact the levels of CO2 (assuming I'd be adding CO2) and therefore I'd be chasing my tail
 
Sump filters work well with CO2 injection. Many like to use an inline CO2 set up installed above the return pump, giving more CO2 time to dissolve before returning to the main aquarium. Other benefits are much more room for bio media, removes equipment from tank and place in sump IE; heaters, added water volume to the system, dosing is done direct to the sump, auto dosing system is installed above the sump, dosing direct to the system, easier to clean and maintain, overflows maintain the water level in the main aquarium and top ups are just added to the sump. There's no lugging around heavy canister filters, media doesn't need rinsing if you use a prefilter sock and to top it all off if you use properly sized circulation pump with the return outflows placed in the right places, there is no need for extra powerheads. The outlay can be a little more expensive, but with a large aquarium to my mind its a no brainier.
 
Martinspuddle said:
Sump filters work well with CO2 injection
Click to expand...
You do have to be carefull though, excess watermovement has the risk of driving out CO2 from the water.The sump will have to be a closed system to capture the CO2 in the sump and give it a chance to get reabsorbed. Large drops of water "out in the open"will clear all the CO2, using a trickle filter will also strip all CO2.
 
Martinspuddle said:
Sump filters work well with CO2 injection. Many like to use an inline CO2 set up installed above the return pump, giving more CO2 time to dissolve before returning to the main aquarium. Other benefits are much more room for bio media, removes equipment from tank and place in sump IE; heaters, added water volume to the system, dosing is done direct to the sump, auto dosing system is installed above the sump, dosing direct to the system, easier to clean and maintain, overflows maintain the water level in the main aquarium and top ups are just added to the sump. There's no lugging around heavy canister filters, media doesn't need rinsing if you use a prefilter sock and to top it all off if you use properly sized circulation pump with the return outflows placed in the right places, there is no need for extra powerheads. The outlay can be a little more expensive, but with a large aquarium to my mind its a no brainier.
Click to expand...

I did the sump setup with my 1000 litre reef system and you are completely right, accessing and equipment wise it's much easier. If I'm honest though I'm not sure I want to jump back into all that. The thought of a canister filter for me seems like a breeze. Sumps have their advantages but also their cons - noise (you can control that to a degree I agree) lack of storage space below the cabinet and the biggest one - it will mean I could fall back into the salty side far too easy!
 
Edvet said:
You do have to be carefull though, excess watermovement has the risk of driving out CO2 from the water.The sump will have to be a closed system to capture the CO2 in the sump and give it a chance to get reabsorbed. Large drops of water "out in the open"will clear all the CO2, using a trickle filter will also strip all CO2.
Click to expand...

That's what I'd read/heard
 
I've read that too, but never heard of anyone complaining of lack of growth in their plants nor greater use of gas on this type of set up.
 
Anyone comment on the noise levels between oase and eheim externals? Currently looking at the 350 thermo in both
 
Are you able to test & return the Oase?
In a recent thread, poster measured a MUCH lower flowrate than advertised, even after cleaning & then completely removing media in an attempt to see if Flow would improve (as I recall, it remained at 150 vs 600)

In a smaller tank this is easy enough to overcome by adding a second filter (though it's is really much cheaper then???)

The Eheim Professional series tends to deliver decent flow & is better than most at resisting backpressure, Eheim Classic series is completely undone by backpressure ;)

I've compared Eheim vs other locally available filters (ie only those brands I could find on display tanks were considered) & Eheim still wins "Most Silent"
 
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