External Filter?

[Bloodbuzz459]

Okay so I run a HOB skimmer (Fluval) two powerbeads and 6kg LR + 8kg Reef Rock in my 80L When researching online I had the general consensus even though I do not have a sump I do not need an external filter.

Today at my LFS the guy stressed to me I should have one, I'd of took the advice as a sales technique but then he explained they don't keep them and even advised I went along to a competitor which made me think his advice could be good.

Is it worth running one? If so what media do I run in the baskets? IIR he mentioned Phosguard, Matrix Carbon and Matrix (Seachem)

 

[surfingdude]

Iam new to all this but I would have one. I have a canister, which is gonna be replaced by a hob skimmer. I have a hob filter too, which is gonna stay. It's used for mechanical filtration, along with charcoal/gfo when needed. Very easy to clean every few days...I guess it acts like a sock that a sump would have, just a tad harder to access, but imo, no biggie. They say they can be a nitrate factory, but if u don't let it go long, I only, u would b fine.

 

[ericarenee]

if you have enough live rock/ sand in your tank and Water movement .. the External filter is for Mechanical filtration,Carbon and To help with water clarity..

I think being sump less you need one if nothing else but to run carbon in... and occasionally filter pad.. just be sure filter pad is cleaned very often

 

[Bloodbuzz459]

Ikay I was looking at an Eheim Eccopro 200 but it just has two media baskets is that okay? Specifically what should I use in them?

Or a Fluval 206 which seems to have three?

Thank you.

 

[newbie2014]

Personally, I would just get a small cheap HOB filter instead of a more expensive canister. HOB filter offers better access and painless maintenance. You can throw in a bag of carbon and/or GFO to improve water quality.

 

[surfingdude]

Ikay I was looking at an Eheim Eccopro 200 but it just has two media baskets is that okay? Specifically what should I use in them?

Or a Fluval 206 which seems to have three?

Thank you.

Canister will work, just a tad harder to get too regularly. I clean mine out every 2 weeks. If you have a hob skimmer, I would just get an HOB filter. I would just get a larger one then recommended...Like an aquaclear 70...would be way overkill for your tank but can hold lots of stuff. You can always turn it down. With a hob filter, very easy to clean...pull basket out, rinse sponge put back in and your done.

My canister takes me 15 minutes from start to finish to clean, one of the reasons I really want to go with a hob skimmer, from my research not because a skimmer is better (for my size tank), but just because its easier...my hob takes less then 5 minutes. One thing I do know, EASY maintenance is key. Once it feels time consuming, you may find yourself neglecting your tank down the road.

 

[Bloodbuzz459]

Thank you - what media would you run in filter? I have ordered phosguard, matric and matrix carbon?

Thought the Eheim 200 has a carbon pad?

 

[surfingdude]

Thank you - what media would you run in filter? I have ordered phosguard, matric and matrix carbon?

Thought the Eheim 200 has a carbon pad?

Those items are good. Not sure if you need the matrix since your tank acts as a bilogical filter, but it certainly isnt gonna hurt. My canister has 4 compartments, first one is with foam, other 2 matrix like product, the other 1 has chemi pure blue with poly filter pad...and hob has the foam, phosban and polyfilter pad.

I was gonna do a skimmer and just stuff everything in hob filter, but now been looking at getting a apex jr instead...gonna hold off for a bit for the skimmer. Need some control away from home.

 

[Bloodbuzz459]

Thanks my Eccopro has two media baskets a carbon sponge pad and a white filter sponge.

My thoughts were to remove both the carbon sponge and white sponge completely then put Phosguard in the first basket and Carbon in the second both in filter bags?

Or can I fill the first with mateix then put BOTH he phosguard and carbon in the next basket but in seperate bags? Can you do that?

Sorry for the rookie questiona but this aspect is very new to me and I am a little lost with it.

 

[surfingdude]

Thanks my Eccopro has two media baskets a carbon sponge pad and a white filter sponge.

My thoughts were to remove both the carbon sponge and white sponge completely then put Phosguard in the first basket and Carbon in the second both in filter bags?

Or can I fill the first with mateix then put BOTH he phosguard and carbon in the next basket but in seperate bags? Can you do that?

Sorry for the rookie questiona but this aspect is very new to me and I am a little lost with it.

trust me, Iam as new to this as you and am no expert...but yes, you should be ok using the matrix in the first container but I would buy a filter pad, which u can buy and cut to fit on the the bottom of the first basket and then put matrix on top of that, and use both carbon and phosgaurd in its separate bags in the second container if you have the room, which you should considering the small amount u need for that size aquarium. The biggest problem you will have is cleaning that filter pad with matrix on top. Your gonna have to dump the matrix out to get to the pad. Wich is ok but would be a pain and u dont want to hurt the good bacteria. I would leave all other sponges in place, that is your mechanical filtration...just make sure you clean it regularly.

What I would do...your tank is your biological filter, so I would just leave the first basket alone and use whatever is in that first basket as is, I assume its a some kind of mechanical filtration, and in the second basket, use the carbon and phosgaurd and use whatever sponges come with it.

 

[billwill]

My thought, based on doing this for a long time, is to buy a hob skimmer as your first and most important "filter". If you run into high phosphates later on, by all means by an additional crappy little hob filter for some gfo. But a skimmer is the single most important piece of equipment you'll want to choose. Be careful though because every single one I've had overflowed at one time or another, so do your research.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bloodbuzz459]

I have a Fluval HOB skimmer "“ works okay just bit of a pain to adjust and get it right. Saying that it was producing a brown tea coloured skimmate and now it's just cloud water so not sure if that's an issue or not. The microbubbles give me hell at times too.

I will obviously continue to use the skimmer with the filter.

The eccorpro came with basically their equivalent of Matrix plus some mechpro which are black plastic coils, maybe worth using those?

Apart from that it has a carbon pad which as I plan to use Carbon Matrix I wasn't going to use and then a white filter pad, could be floss? It's a little like cotton wool? (wow now I do sound like an amateur)