large canister on small tank?

stephanieleah

Hey all

I bought an Eheim Pro 3 350 for 50-90 gallons for my new 75 set up. Well, I want to "cycle" the filter by hooking it up to my 29 gallon. I've never had a canister before...so I don't know about these things. Is it going to cyclone my tank or is there a way to adjust the flow to something very low? The manual doesn't tell me anything about these kind of specs, only how to set up and maintain. I'll try reading the box, too, but until then...any input for me???

Thanks : )

Angel079

*Think Natalie think*....does the Pro 3 already have a regulator valve on it? Then I'd dial it down and use it on the 29g otherwise that filter is PRETTY powerful on that small tank. Alternatively your 29g has been set up a long time hadn't it? Then use its filter media & 'wash out" in the new tank to add the BB that way.

stephanieleah

thank you...i wonder if there is an ideal "gallons per hour" per gallon of tank size? like for example for each gallon you'd want a 5 gallon per hour cycle or something like that. i don't know if this one has a regulator...i'll check

Angel079

Well there is and their ain't its kinda like the lights matter.
If you have a non planted messy stock tank you'd want the tank's volume filtered about 3-4times each hour. So for example on a 55g you'd want something that pumps 165-220GPH.
If you have a normal stock planted tank you need far less then that generally recommended is about 2-2.5 times the volume per hour so on a 55g again that's 110-137GPH. So in your case the way you have your tanks set up that's what you'd wanna look at in that range.
For example I have the 2213 on my 55g and that pumps 116GPH.

Mean Harri

I've seen it suggested anywhere from 2-3 times the tanks capacity per hour up to 5 times. Five times is too friggin' much. I'd say up to 3 times the tanks capacity is fine. I don't care what some schmuck wrote in some journal somewhere either. I lol'd when I saw 5 times per hour. There is filtering then there is turrents of currents. I don't know if other canister makers have valves to cut back the flow rate or not. My Rena does but everyone seems to be Eheim snobs mostly. I can't help with valving it back.

iamntbatman

Tank turnover is similar to lighting levels, in a way. You can't look at GPH alone as a measure of a filter's ability to filter. Eheim, for example, lives by the "low flow high capacity" mantra while something like the Fluval FX5 has a huge flow rate compared to its media capacity.

That said, I was turning over the tank 15 times per hour on my 29g with my JD and it didn't seem to bother him. Soon I'm going to be setting up a 55g for American cichlids (my JD + a convict + maybe a salvini) and it'll have the same filters on it so it won't be quite as overkill, but the flow rate seriously didn't seem to bother the JD in the 29g tank.

stephanieleah

thanks...ideally i'd like the least flow possible because the tank is planted and i don't want a bunch of current kicking up mulm, but i just can't seem to find the specs for this darn thing anywhere...i'll keep looking, i guess!

Angel079

If the filter comes with a valve being a canister is like a lil lever close by where the hoses are that you can adjust. Worst case send your hubby to the home store and buy you one

stephanieleah

pardon my typical ignorance but "buy one" what? jeez, natalie, you are such a handy gal. i'm jealous.

Angel079

A valve to regualte the flow yourself if you wanna hang on to the larger canister with less flow sorry I wasn't so clear. Being Eheim you could also simply use the dissconnector valaves and just have them open half way http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=6688 not that regulating the flow is exactly what Eheim designed them for (they just use them as quick disconnected which works GREAT) but in essence it does the very same thing cause instead shutting all the way you just shut it half way and have less flow You can also find simillar valave systems that will fit your normal eheim hose size at the pluming section at the home store