Should i change??

[machine77]

i have my 125 gallon tank being filtered by a fluval fx5 and it works fine. when i bought the tank it came with a brand new wet/dry trickle set up, i didnt end up using it cuz at the time i knew nothing of how it works. well now i do, my question is, is this filtration that much better then my fx5? im considering changing over so any help would be greatful! thanks
nolan

[DiscusKev]

Well IMO a wet/dry trickle filter provides a better biological filtration; you can also hide all the equipment into the trickle filter too, such as the heater. The bio-balls has a large surface area, hence for the great biological filtration.

[kirkp]

Don't think there's anything definitive out there that says you have to change. I would agree that a TF provides better biological filtration but only if you need it. What I mean is that if you are not overloading the capabilities of the FX5, then a TF won't do you any good. A TF probably has a much higher biological capacity than a cannister filter but if you're not generating the waste load to make use of it, it is of no use. The biological bacteria will only grow to a level that is supported by the food they receive. This would be similar to establishing a new tank with a light load and everything cycles fine but when you put your fish in, they overload the filter until a point in time when it can catch up. It is true that you can hide your heaters which is nice. Depending on the pump on the TF you may use less electricity but you'll most likely need more electricity in the form of additional heat into the tank. One effect of letting the water cascade of the biological media is that heat is released. This will probably be a harder one to measure.

Of course, this is all IMO. :)

Kirk

[machine77]

wow.. lots of info, thanks guys.. i plan on having about 12 adults in my 125g, thats it.. its BB. i will have either my fluval or wet/dry and 2 spong filters inside the tank... i think this will be more then enough givin that i do 50% wc 3 times a week.. any thoughts?
nolan

[Eddie]

wow.. lots of info, thanks guys.. i plan on having about 12 adults in my 125g, thats it.. its BB. i will have either my fluval or wet/dry and 2 spong filters inside the tank... i think this will be more then enough givin that i do 50% wc 3 times a week.. any thoughts?
nolan

Seems good, 12 adults should be fine.

Eddie

[tcyiu]

Nolan
I just made the switch to a wet/dry setup.

I really like how the heaters etc. are in the sump and not in the tank. The tank looks really clean.

BUT, the downsides are several:
- Water noise. Because air is mixed in the overflow hose, there is noise of running water hose in that hose. The pump generates a massive hum. And because the inflow outflow is not balanced, I get a periodic sucking noise in the intake. I think I can tinker around and get the water noise to be reduced. Canisters are definitely quieter.

- Evaporation. Trickle filters expose a lot of surface area to air. Hence a lot of water is lost. Not a problem if you're going to do a lot of WC ... BUT that leads to ...

- Heat loss. Along with the evaporation comes heat loss. I dread in incremental cost in my electric bill in winter. We keep our house on the cool side to lower our energy usage. With the discus living at 86 degrees, there is going to be a huge temperature differential. The heaters are going to work over time.

Just some food for thought.

Tim

[machine77]

Nolan
I just made the switch to a wet/dry setup.

I really like how the heaters etc. are in the sump and not in the tank. The tank looks really clean.

BUT, the downsides are several:
- Water noise. Because air is mixed in the overflow hose, there is noise of running water hose in that hose. The pump generates a massive hum. And because the inflow outflow is not balanced, I get a periodic sucking noise in the intake. I think I can tinker around and get the water noise to be reduced. Canisters are definitely quieter.

- Evaporation. Trickle filters expose a lot of surface area to air. Hence a lot of water is lost. Not a problem if you're going to do a lot of WC ... BUT that leads to ...

- Heat loss. Along with the evaporation comes heat loss. I dread in incremental cost in my electric bill in winter. We keep our house on the cool side to lower our energy usage. With the discus living at 86 degrees, there is going to be a huge temperature differential. The heaters are going to work over time.

Just some food for thought.

Tim

thanks tcy, is your tank driller for overflow? my tank is not so ill have to us a hang on the back overflow box and they seem to be deep so ill have to pull my tank out away from the wall an extra 2 inches unless i find a smaller one... your right about the heater.. i also dont mind alittle water noise if it the wet/dry actually works better then my canister.. is it easy to clean and take care of? thanks agian,
nolan

[tcyiu]

I drilled the holes myself (acrylic tank). Did a decent job, no mess ups :-)

If I were faced with your situation, I would not go with TF unless you plan on drilling overflows. In my opinion, the overflow box detracts even more from a "clean" look. You already have a really nice big canister filter that will handle the load. You really don't need the wet dry. Unless you already own the overflow box, perhaps you can use the budget and get an inline heater instead.

As for maintenance, my sump is very conveniently located on the floor behind a bar counter. I do not have the overhead constraints of filters placed within a stand so I can very easily access whatever I need. I would imagine that if placed within a stand, the access could be a bit less convenient than a canister because a wet dry is so much larger.

Tim

[Jhhnn]

The flow rate for wet/dry filters is a lot greater than what's required for discus, so cranking that down definitely reduces the noise and evaporation. The pump can even be downsized to reduce noise. I'm currently using the smallest of the sweetwater pumps from aquaticeco on my 75gal, rated at half of the original pump, and even that's turned down some. It's very quiet, almost inaudible. The filtration is still great- I feed the hell out of my eight 4" juvies in there, change half the water daily, and the water quality is very, very good...