Okay, so I'm in the middle of setting up my 30 gallon tetra tank. I was thinking of eventually just taking my filter off my ten gallon and using that, but I don't know if it's strong enough. It's a penguin bio-wheel 125. I'm sure many here are familiar with them. It has done an awesome job at keeping my 10 gallon crystal clear. Will I need a more powerful one for my up and coming 30 gallon?
Also can anyone advise me on a good but inexpensive heater for a tank that size? Thanks!
Are you leaving the 10g set up? There are lots of neat stocking ideas for a 10g tank so you could certainly leave it running and put some fish in it. If you decide to tear it down, I would move the filter to the 30g and keep it running. That way, you can fill the tank and move the filter and you've got a ready-to-go quarantine or hospital tank.
The filtration you use on the 30g really depends on what you plan on stocking it with. If you're going to do the tetras you've got in larger schools, the bioload shouldn't be too high so massive filtration isn't really needed. You could put an Emperor 280 on it and be good to go. The 280 is on sale right now at Drs. Foster and Smith for $32:
I was actually thinking maybe the penquin bio-wheel 150 as it goes for up to 30 gallons, and I'm already familiar with the setup plus it takes the same size cartridges as the 125.
Visitherm Stealth, for your size either a 100W or 150W depending on how cool the room is. However when you buy them online there's maybe a $0.50 difference between the two so just take the bigger.
A penguin 150 is kinda suspect for keeping up with a 30 gallon tank. While they say its enough its never a bad idea to overkill things a bit. A 200 would be a good investment and if you do that you're buying new cartridges anyways so I have to agree, an Emperor 280 would be a great investment.
As well as your own media bags and carbon if you feel you need it. If you don't then just add some more filter material in the frame and you're good to go. Much cheaper in the long run.
Thanks for the advice everyone. I already got and set up the filter I said I'd get, 150 bio-wheel. It's so clean and new. I also got my aquariam started, filled up, got the filter running, took the dirty filter cart from my 10 gallon and put it in the new filter in my 30. Did the conditioning, declouding, ummmm... what else? Have two different colors of gravel, in the back it's different shades of red, a fine kind, and in the front half, a bigger gravel size in the white color. Also got some fake cardumum plants and another fern type kind.. forget the name. Have a huge brick like piece of rock in there, and a nice ornament (top fin brand.. eww. ha, but pretty still!) anyways, i seem to have gone on a tangent. wish i could share pictures, but i just spent 80 dollars on fish stuff, so i don't see me getting a camera anytime soon.
There's nothing wrong with a lot of Top Fin stuff just keep in mind what you're buying. For instance the ornaments, its an inert piece of decor and there's nothing really to go wrong there. I've got several Top Fin pieces of gear, some decor, a thermometer, airline tubing, fish nets and and algae scrubber. Things that aren't going to break and on the odd chance they do my fish will be just fine.
What I'd avoid like the plague are things like Top Fin filters and pumps.
yep i agree. well i ordered those filter cartridges you suggested, they seem alot better. got the visitherm heater, some more aqua safe and proper ph. With the ph my tap is, i could easily keep cichlids i think, but don't have a big enough tank.
I would not buy any Top Fin products that have moving parts. Any other parts are acceptable.
I like the Hydor heaters. I like that they are full submergable and the reviews I have read are good. Plus they are not as expensive as some of the other good brands.
I use those cartridges myself. I used up the carbon baggies that came with it and then switched over to using my own media bags with carbon. Alternately you can just stuff another piece of foam into the frame if you don't want to run with carbon. They give you some flexibility and save you money in the long run.
What is your pH? I seem to remember you saying but I can't remember for sure.
Messing with the pH is always an iffy kinda thing, and yes I muck with my pH. If you're going to do it you have to do it in a very consistent measured way. Don't just wing it. Use the bucket you're going to use to do water changes with and determine exactly how much of the product you have to use to get that water where you want it. Use that exact amount for every bucket of water and test your pH as religiously as you test your other parameters and also test your tap water to monitor its pH. You never know if the water company's gonna start doing something different.
Also, remember that in the future you're going to have to be extra careful if you ever do something that can alter the pH like run CO2, add peat, or put in bogwood. Not that you can't do it, just that you have to be very careful about it.
Yeah, if your low range test is pegged at the top that doesn't mean you have that pH necessarily, it means your pH is so high it pegs the test. Your high range reading is your actual pH. That's what mine is.
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