EX45 Whisper Filter - Appropriate?

Bichir

EX45 Whisper Filter - up to 45 Gallon | Power Aquarium Filters | Filters | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com

I am looking into buying a $30-$40 filter for a 32 gallon custom grow-out tank that will house the following:

1 Bichir
2 Leaf Fish
1 Discus

Is this a suitable filter with a flow of 240gph? It says it's for tanks up to 40 gallons....

Please let me know.

Thank you,
Charlie

jaysee

Why do you want to throw a discus in with 2 leaf fish and a bichir?

I'm not impressed with the EX45. It is the exact same size as the EX30, only it moves more water. A large part of the filters effectiveness is how much biological media it can hold, and there is no additional media despite the extra 80 gph.

For that tank, I would get an AquaClear 70. The filtration is the most important aspect to your whole setup, and is the last thing you should cheap out on. It's also something you don't want to come up short with. Good filtration is turning the water over 8-10 times an hour, so around 300 gph for your tank.

Angel079

If you like that one Charlie, get it...pers I'd pref a internal flter rather then a HOB on a tank this size, here's the one's I use and they do an extremely well job (more then likly cause of the space you have to add media in)
Cascade Internal Filters, Internal Filters | Pet Solutions

Bichir

What if I were to get two of these (600): Cascade Internal Filters, Internal Filters | Pet Solutions

And I apologize, it's a Silver Dollar, not a Discus. It was given to me by a friend.

jaysee

Are they real leaf fish or bush fish?

I like internal filters for a little extra filtration, as well as moving water in a dead spot like a powerhead, but, they really can't hold much media, nor do they provide enough gph. The reason canisters have lower flow rates than HOBs is because they hold significantly more media and are more effective for it. HOBs hold less media so they have to turn the water over more in order to do the same job as the canister. Now, internals have even less media than HOBs, so.....

Bichir

I'm sory, Jaysee, I don't quite understand that. Should I get two HOBs or two canisters?

Plus, I don't know, I'm pretty sure it's a leaf fish.

Angel079

I'd have to strongly disagree there. I can only speak for the bran mentioned up top I use, but these sure old much more filter media then a comparable sized HOB for one and second they clean the same size tank (in my latest 2 cases a 45 &55g) much better then the HOBs and I bought the model suggested for a 50g, which is actually on its lowest dialed setting still WAY too powerful for my 45g tank.

Angel079

2x 600's Model will be kicking the fish outta your tank being 32g

Bichir

So one of the 600's will be alright for my tank? The substrate is sand, that'll be okay?

I've only ever had gravel and UG filters, so I'm new to this whole carbon and filter media thing.

iamntbatman

Personally, I like to mix filter types: canisters with lower flow rates and lots of media storage to serve mainly as biological filtration, and HOB filters more for mechanical filtration and water movement (although Marineland filters with Bio-wheels offer some excellent biological filtration as well).

Internal filters have their uses but personally, I don't like them on principle since the more media capacity they have, the more space they take up in your tank.