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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

what filter is needed for a 400l tank

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13 May 2010 12:45 #1 by r2potat2 (Derek Martin)
Hi

I'm getting a 400l tank and I want to run it with an external filter but not sure which one would be best. so what better place to come and find out but here. The tank will be housing two oscars, spiney eel and a lepoard pleco any suggestions,
Thanks

Oh and would a 100w heater be enough to heat the tank???

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13 May 2010 12:57 - 13 May 2010 13:05 #2 by JohnH (John)
I find Eheims to be the best of the power filters, but others will have differing preferences no doubt.
Look for the one recommended for the tank size, then go to the next one up is my suggestion - especially for Oscars. I have a 2215 in a community tank around that size, but would definitely go "one up", possibly even "two" with the big lads.

And no, your 100w heater would be terribly underpowered for a tank that size - my suggestion would be to use 2x 200w ones, two heaters would give you a better heat distribution plus a degree of a safeguard should one of them fail.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.
Last edit: 13 May 2010 13:05 by JohnH (John). Reason: Misread new tank size, thought it was 250, not 400

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13 May 2010 14:00 #3 by scubadim (scubadim)
Replied by scubadim (scubadim) on topic Re:what filter is needed for a 400l tank
Hi there,
definitaly go with John here about the heater,100 watt is totally underpowered for 400litre tank.
Jäger heaters 200 or even up to 300 watt x 2 with one set at 27 Celsius and other one at 24 for example so that as John says you have one for back up.
As for filters,eheim are excellent but I find them a bit pricey and the new JBL Cristal profi e1500 which is also a German brand is very good quality/price ratio.
There are lots of external filters out there and everybody has preferences.
Anyway go as big as you can:)
Dimitri

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13 May 2010 17:12 - 13 May 2010 17:14 #4 by gerryberry (Jeff Daly)
Just to put the cat amoung the pigeons, i would go for 2 filters on a tank that size, you get better filtration, flow and if one messes up or you are cleaning it, your second one is still working away. For me Tetratec are good but the only external i ever used.

Jeff

And defo agree with lads on heaters, go for 2 of them aswell
Last edit: 13 May 2010 17:14 by gerryberry (Jeff Daly).

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13 May 2010 17:41 #5 by scubadim (scubadim)
Replied by scubadim (scubadim) on topic Re:what filter is needed for a 400l tank
Well that is even better Gerry:)

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13 May 2010 18:48 #6 by CJackson (Frank Farrell)
The other thing with two externals is you can stagger your cleaning regime so that you don't risk a crash, and as Gerry says if one fails you are still good. The downside is the expense.

I've always used two heaters with one slightly lower than the other. 100w is too low for that size tank I'm afraid, but could be your backup for the time being.

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13 May 2010 18:50 #7 by Ma (mm mm)
2 filters is a big help on anything 400 upwards. I got a tetratec 1200 and use a Juwel 1000 filter at the other end.

It is also about how you lay out your tank and the fish in it. If you like Plecos I'd have a second filter as you need a decent flow.

Alternatively you can get one filter and a powerhead at the other end. A cannister filter like a fluval 405 tetratec 1200 ect will have enough media volume to perform sufficient filtration just not a powerful enough flow from the pump to obtain the needed circulation.



Mark

Location D.11

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13 May 2010 22:38 - 14 May 2010 10:30 #8 by r2potat2 (Derek Martin)
Lads big thank you for your replies I was thinking the JBL series before I posted the message I think i'l go with them cause there on special online and theres one that does a 600l for 109 euro reduced from 160 so that seems the best bet thanks again
R2
Last edit: 14 May 2010 10:30 by JohnH (John). Reason: Removed reference

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14 May 2010 06:36 #9 by Frontosa (Tim kruger)
Hi,
I would go with the Eheim 2080 or the Fluval Fx5.In my opinion you cant overfilter specially with Malawis,Tangs or large fish.

Midlands - in the heart of Ireland.

Keeping and breeding : Frontosa Blue Zaires , Synodontis Petricola , Tropheus Red Rainbow (Kasanga) , Tropheus Moliro . Regulary fry for sale.
Community tank with P.Kribensis and different livebearers.

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14 May 2010 14:08 #10 by mickdeja (Mick Whelan)
anybody use this Eheim Professionel 3 e 2078 filter?

Follow me up to Carlow

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14 May 2010 14:44 #11 by tippstar (colm norris)
i have in my 350l a 300w heater and i use an eheim 2075. both work perfectly and i dont think are over stressed . the heather light isnt on all the time and the filters look to be doing a good job

hope this helps

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14 May 2010 23:43 #12 by cardinal (Lar Savage)
Hi r2potat2

I'd defo go with the idea of 2 filters and I'd also check out the JBL range .....Good filter for a good price...

Lar

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14 May 2010 23:49 #13 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Cant fault the tetratec range...esp the newer versions which dont appear to have any issue re leaks etc around the o-ring which previously may have been the case. Ive not had any problem with my one.
Overfilter the tank if possible,so hence the 2 filters suggested by Mark and Lar would be a wise choice.

Gavin

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