filter advice

[lilit]

hii
ok im going to get a new filter for my 200litre (55gallon) discus tank. right now i have a worn out little internal filter thats doing a pretty crap job. everyone is going to recommend a canister filter but theyre too expensive for me right now.

my question is has anyone tried the aqua one moray internal filter? any comments about it?

thanks

[Orange Crush]

I have not tried the Aqua Moray filter. I doubt most of us would recommend a canister because it creates a strong current but does not create enough oxygen or surface agitation. That said I use a canister but I also have a sponge filter (VERY popular filter on this forum) and an AQ HOB 30 for O2 and surface agitation.
I have the sponge filter attatched to an air pump w/batteries so if my power goes out it still operates for up to 150 hours.

[lilit]

I have not tried the Aqua Moray filter. I doubt most of us would recommend a canister because it creates a strong current but does not create enough oxygen or surface agitation. That said I use a canister but I also have a sponge filter (VERY popular filter on this forum) and an AQ HOB 30 for O2 and surface agitation.
I have the sponge filter attatched to an air pump w/batteries so if my power goes out it still operates for up to 150 hours.

why are sponge filters popular among discus tanks? i understand why people use it in breeding tanks but not any other tanks. like i mean do they actually help? they seem to be really weak. i would really like someone to fill me in on what im missing. thanks

[CajunAg]

why are sponge filters popular among discus tanks? i understand why people use it in breeding tanks but not any other tanks. like i mean do they actually help? they seem to be really weak. i would really like someone to fill me in on what im missing. thanks

Besides being cheap and simple, sponge filters are very good biological filters as there is ample room for bacteria to establish themselves. They are not meant for mechanical filtration, but since most successful discus owners are changing large amounts of water often and siphoning all leftover food and wastes anyway, it is a perfect fit. I think this (http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/sponge_filtration.html) is a good read about sponge filters.

If you are looking to upgrade and can't afford a canister filter, Hagen's AquaClear HOB (http://www.kensfish.com/hagen-aquaclear-power-filters.html) filters are also popular here and other forums.

[ExReefer]

Canister filters can provide a large amount of biological filtration, but they are a pain to clean. AquaClear 110 and/or sponge filters are the best for discus tanks.

[tonytheboss1]

Canister filters can provide a large amount of biological filtration, but they are a pain to clean. AquaClear 110 and/or sponge filters are the best for discus tanks.

:bandana: No first hand knowledge but looks interesting http://www.aquarium-parts.co.uk/acatalog/Aqua_One_Internal_Aquarium_Filters.html .The A/C 110 is an alternative to sponge if your desire is water movement + bio / mech filtration. "T"

[Orange Crush]

sponge filters......they seem to be really weak.
It depends on the air pump you attatch it to.

[ExReefer]

One more plug for AC 110. A personal story- a few months back I was promoting my new Eheim 2075 on my discus tank. It's set up to be easier to clean than many other cansiter filters because the sponges are located on top of the media baskets. However, I quickly learned that nothing beats an AC 110 in terms of ease of maintenance. I have since moved my Eheim 2075 to my 75 gal. planted tank and went to using two AC 110's on my 125. It's just so easy to remove the sponges from the AC 110's and squeeze them out in a bucket of tank water. So while the Eheim is a better filter and provides loads of bio media, it's just not as easy to clean which makes it a pain to use on a discus tank. I think the Eheim would be better suited for a discus show tank with adult discus and one to two light feedings per day. The only negative with the AC110's is they are noisy (but that's subjective). Compared to the Eheim, they are very, very noisy.

[SeaDragon]

I've had a Ehiem pro 3 2073 on my 90gal for 3 years. Biggest pain of a filter I've ever had. Live alone it's difficult to clean its broken 4 times, it's been a pain to get fixed.
I have a penguin 350 and a sponge filter on a 55gal, this seems to work really well. Its efficient and easy to clean.
I'd say ether a hang on or a sponge is the way to go. I wouldn't waste the money on it or it's supplies.

[lilit]

It depends on the air pump you attatch it to.

what type of airpump is good for a sponge filter?

[Orange Crush]

This is what I use http://www.amazon.com/AirPod%C2%AE-Battery-Back-Up-Gallon-Tanks/dp/B001XYHS5W/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1332467841&sr=1-1, it comes with two outputs so I used a t-valve to lead both airline tubings back into one that is used for the sponge filter. I am sure other people use diff ones and perhaps they could give better advice as to what ones they use. Not all sponge filters are created equal either.

[lilit]

thanks guys. i think ill go with a an internal filter and a sponge filter...i cant get a HOB because i have a wooden hood on top of the tank.

one more question, why don't people recommend internal filters for discus tanks? is it because of the little media capacity or something else?

[walt3]

i dont like the precious space a internal filter takes up. i run a 2217 ehiem and a ac 70 with one power head in my 75 with good results. the ac filters are great and very easy to clean but if you space out the cleaning on your ehiem there worth the extra work. i actually dont think its a big deal. once you have a system its no biggie. i can touch my tank and my utility sink at the same time so its quite easy for me. i feel lucky with maintenance.:D

[SeaDragon]

i dont like the precious space a internal filter takes up. i run a 2217 ehiem and a ac 70 with one power head in my 75 with good results. the ac filters are great and very easy to clean but if you space out the cleaning on your ehiem there worth the extra work. i actually dont think its a big deal. once you have a system its no biggie. i can touch my tank and my utility sink at the same time so its quite easy for me. i feel lucky with maintenance.:D

Lucky! I waddle my way upstairs with my Ehiem to the kitchen sink to clean it :/