Any good internal filters for 125g tanks?

[Galactik]

So I feel like I've come full circle with my filtration and I'm thinking I'd like to have some kind of internal filter.

I currently have a sump which is great filtration wise and it is pretty quiet but I'm starting to get annoyed with the noise level.

I have tried hobs but these are probably my least favorite in terms of noise and looks. I absolutely hate the splashing noise and the micro bubbles that form due to the current.

Canisters are great but maintenance wise I'm not a fan. And having one fail me once. I'm not willing to take that risk again with a big tank.

I'm currently considering sponges as I love how easy and quiet they are but then I feel like I might need something better for mechanical as I'm housing a Jaguar in the tank.

Are there any viable internal filters that would suffice for a 125g and a jaguar cichlid or would sponges be the way to go?

 

[FreshyFresh]

Any type of sponge bubbler or any air powered filter could be an option and be a nice back up. You can sustain a whole tank on them. They'll obviously not remove a lot of debris, but they'll process the ammonia for you until you can get your main filtration back on line.

They're expensive, but have you looked at Oase biomaster canister filters? They have a sweet cylinder shaped pre filter which pops out with little mess or effort. You rarely have to go into the main filter for cleaning because of it. I was one click away from mail ordering an Oase biomaster thermo 350 a few weeks back but chickened out because of the ~$260 price tag.

 

[Galactik]

Any type of sponge bubbler or any air powered filter could be an option and be a nice back up. You can sustain a whole tank on them. They'll obviously not remove a lot of debris, but they'll process the ammonia for you until you can get your main filtration back on line.

They're expensive, but have you looked at Oase biomaster canister filters? They have a sweet cylinder shaped pre filter which pops out with little mess or effort. You rarely have to go into the main filter for cleaning because of it. I was one click away from mail ordering an Oase biomaster thermo 350 a few weeks back but chickened out because of the ~$260 price tag.

Oh damn, thats pretty steep alright.

I'm currently entertaining the idea of getting like 3 sponge filters (the coarse type) and perhaps a smaller internal filter sitting in a corner to be strictly mechanical and perhaps add more flow?

Also the idea of cutting on power consumption seems attractive. I had not realized how much power all these hobs, and pumps I'm running are consuming. My sump pump alone is 100watts :/

 

[FreshyFresh]

There's lots of options for small internal filters if you search online. I've got one that I used in my planted 55g for awhile. Kind of a rectangular box shaped deal that held on to the glass with built-on suction cups. I've also seen ones that are shaped like a long skinny cylinder. The problem with most of them (and the one I had) is they're designed for small tanks with small bio loads, so their media is sized accordingly and is basically just a small amount of very coarse sponge. Kind of pointless for filtration, but Ok to move water around the tank.

I've also run power heads, with their suction shoved into the outlet tube of larger sponge bubbler filters. Basically using the PH instead of air. Problem there is it's ugly and the sponges load up quickly because of the flow.

 

[nzafi]

I’m a big fan of HMF filters. They won’t make the water crystal clear but they can handle a good load and technically you only clean them once every 6-12months.

 

[Kelly_Aquatics]

you could do somthing like this

 

[CanadianKeeper]

Internal sumps are cool!

I feel you with the HOB pain. My tank is in a main area so I dont want a canister either.

I got the tidal 75 for my 55 gallon. Maybe run two of them.
Super quiet, have skimmers and flow adjustment.

 

[Galactik]

Thank you for tips. I was on the fence about the matten filter , specifically the corner ones but since the tank is already setup it would have meant draining completely for installation so decided to wait. But I think I will definitely try this once I get the chance or get a new tank.

I went ahead and bought 5 sponge filters from aquarium coop among other things and will be attempting to switch over all my filtration to sponge. I want to see how that goes and how well it does on it's own. I'm thinking if need be I can always add a corner filter for mechanical.

If it does work, I'm thinking of moving my airpump outside of the room and running a main line into it to feed my tanks and keep it ultra silent.

I'm also excited about the prospect of being able to introduce some sort of floating plant to help with the look as well as suck up nitrates. I have not been able to keep anything thus far because of the overflow box I've been using.

 

[Rass]

I've had great luck raising my cichlids with sponges. The only thing they lack is mechanical for sure. I typically just rely on time/settling, and water changes to clear it up. I have considered getting an internal filter to run only temporarily when I want to clean the tanks up quickly from time to time, but it's never bothered me enough to make the investment. I vote give the sponges a shot first, and then spend the money on the internal only if you feel that you really need it.

 

[Galactik]

I've had great luck raising my cichlids with sponges. The only thing they lack is mechanical for sure. I typically just rely on time/settling, and water changes to clear it up. I have considered getting an internal filter to run only temporarily when I want to clean the tanks up quickly from time to time, but it's never bothered me enough to make the investment. I vote give the sponges a shot first, and then spend the money on the internal only if you feel that you really need it.

Awesome, I im currently in the process of changing things over. Currently seeding the sponges with the current filtration.