filter!

LI HxC

i have a whisper pf-20 for my 20 gallon tank, but i dont know how many gph it actually moves...and i was thining about getting a larger filter soon, so if anyone knows the gph of it and any filters better then the whisper, please do tell =D thanks

ahill3780

When it comes to filtration its always better to have too much than too little. I am not the largest fan of whisper filters (although I can be a little bit biased sometimes ) but I can vouche for the effectiveness of the AquaClear filters. When shopping for a filter look for one that is rated for twice the tank capacity you own and it should be sufficient for your wants and needs.

If you are only interested in the increased GPH because you want more current and not so much for filtration then I would suggest investing in either a powerhead, or even better, a cannister filter. Cann filters are always convenient for adding current as well as extra filtration when needed. They can employ many different types of filtration media to help target specific nutrients in the tank.

There are so many good filters out there that naming any particular brand is hard. I would suggest shopping around at liveaquaria.com in their supplies page to get an idea of the type and model you want. They have prices listed and each product has its own page filled with specific information for each.

jamesR

If you plan on stocking the tank light that filter is fine, otherwise I recommend you step it up to a 30g Penguin filter. You could stock it a bit heavy with a 30g filter, but more importantly penguin filters are of superior quality. I've heard good things about Aqua-Clear filters, but I have no personal experience with them. They do give you multi-stage filtration the same as a canister and can be adapted according to your tank's needs the same as a canister, but they're in power filter form. Seems like a reasonable idea to me.

Seems Ahill beat me to the punch . He's right when he says you can go with something twice your tank's capacity, but that's also dependent on what you stock the tank with. Some slower fish(such as fancy goldfish) may stress themselves to death fighting that kind of water flow. The available sizes for most power filters would put you at 50g were you to try and meet that 2X mark, which would likely stress out even the fastest tropical fish.

LI HxC

no goldfish for me haha, i was going to get a few bigger tropicals, i was gona shoot for a 30-40 gallon filter the bio-wheel does 100 gph so thats perfect, thanks alot, but one more question, my air stones create alot of water splashs onto my light cover, and i have to wipe it off alot, is there anything i can do for it besides turn it down or am i just going to have to wipe it off every onece in awhile?

Jay

I'm hard pressed to find and apples to apples comparison with a hang on the back power filter and a good canister filter.

I started out years ago with the BIG marineland bio wheel deluxe filter, before I really understood bio filtration, the absolute necessity for controlled water current and the need for flexibility in filter media. IT worked great.

My Rena Fillstar 3 canister works even better. Canisters go out of sight, are infinitely adjustable for current and water movement. DO NOT stress fish. Plus will accommodate bio-media for colonization in the canister.

Aeration is another misunderstood concept. An air stone, bubble wall, etc. DOES NOT aerate the water, it is the agitation of the water surface that allows for more efficient exchange of gases including O2. Flow bars on a canister filter can be adjusted to give you that agitation.

Good advice from Aaron on the power head, I could not get along without one.

Jay

LI HxC

okay cool, but im not worried about aeration, its that the bubbles when they reach the top creat splashs and it soaks my light cover canopy, but ive realized to just deal with it because theres nothign i can do for it except let it drip and wipe the water off of it

ahill3780

Thats the price we pay to have bubbles in our tank. Just thank your lucky stars that it isn't a saltwater tank and you don't have to take 20 mins each week to scrape the salt spray off the glass back into the water.