Its right there in front of the heater. The individual leaves slide so you can make it shorter/thicker if you want.
Canister filter suggestion
- Thread starter Carassius Auratus
- Start date
Its right there in front of the heater. The individual leaves slide so you can make it shorter/thicker if you want.
You can see it it just looks like a plant lol. I was drawing up plans for something like this because i thought it was clever and would make millions on the patent...then i found this lol.
That looks really nice! Im thinking of doing something like that. Part of my tank is near a window (blinds closed all day though) so the pothos would get “plenty” of sunlight to stay healthy.
Reading through the thread and all the suggestions, I’ll add my own experience. I’ve kept Common Goldfish and many fancy varieties as well as Cichlids over many years, in small ponds and aquarium systems up to 300 gallons. I’ve tried every type of filtration with Common Goldfish and many work! But there is varying degrees of maintenance.
First, remember that goldish keeping with filtration is roughly 100 years old and goldfish keeping is possibly 750-1000 years old. In other words, filtration is new. The centuries old method is based on appropriate stocking and water changes. People who raise very expensive Ranchu in Japan often rely on large, shallow outdoor tubs with either no filtration or sponge filtration and often do 100% water changes, every 5 to 7 days and a stocking level of 25 gallons per fish (Ranchu which have a heavy, body mass). These tubs or ponds of course have a huge, surface area to depth ratio, allowing for maximum oxygen saturation. Aquariums are not that efficient, so filtration is definitely, helpful.
Even with filtration, there is no substitute for appropriate stocking level and massive water changes. For Common Goldfish, the normal maximum size (according to The Goldfish Society website) is 6 to 9 total inches in small, backyard ponds. The same should be reasonably expected in an appropriate acquarium. An appropriate aquarium for Common Goldfish is 4 ft x 18” and not over 21” deep. The appropriate stocking level for goldfish with that surface area is approximately, 8” of body length. One average, Common Goldfish in a 75 gallon aquarium is about right for maximum growth and health. It’s pretty comparable to recommendations for Oscars or other similarly sized fish. Goldfish are messy, but being coldwater fish and cooler water absorbing oxygen more readily, compensates somewhat.
Again, attempting to duplicate what an aquarium goldfish would experience in an appropriately stocked pond, the Nitrate ppm should be as close to zero as possible. The way to keep the Nitrates as low as possible in your system, barring keeping a LOT of plants is massive water changes, every 5 to 7 days and occasional, 100% water changes. To prevent ph shock, this needs to be done routinely, so every 5 is even better than every 7 days.
My filter of choice, having tried them all is sump filtration. The easiest way to add a sump is to get a hang-on overflow box and an appropriately sized return pump. I currently have a 75 gallon tank with a 75 gallon sump, running 50 gallons of water (sump sits on the floor behind my aquarium stand), for one, sometimes two Common Goldfish I rotate from my pond. Sumps can be as complex or simple as you want them to be. Baffles are not required! My current sump has the overflow going into a 100 micron filter sock, two 5” thick sponges set up in Hamburg Mattenfilter configuration with the pump on the opposite end of the sump from the filter sock. Between the sponges, I have six of the large, MarinePure ceramic blocks. I also have a media basket that is as tall as the sponges and forces water through 7-8 pounds of Biohome. So,one pump pulls water through all of that mixed filter media without needing baffles. Very easy way to convert an aquarium into a sump. There are various sized, lava rocks just sitting in the bottom of the sump. Water simply passes over these. I have a couple of airpump powered block sponge filters on either end of the sump for surface agitation and additional filtration. I change the filter sock, every 2-3 days or whenever it starts to discolor (wash and re-use these, many times). Doing so keeps my media from clogging, so far - ever. This is filtration overkill! But the efficiency is phenomenal and filter maintenance, extremely low. It would be just as good with water changes though less Nitrate consuming to just use the sponge Mattenfilters (ordered from Swiss Tropicals).
Gotta’ hit send. Sorry for any typo’s. Good luck with your Common Goldfish. I get it.
Last edited:
Oh and on mechanical filtration, the return pump nozzle is almost good enough. I do have two circulation pumps (vortex style) on either end of the tank to keep the bottom stirred up. I run those at the lowest setting and along with the return flow, the bottom stays immaculate. One alternative to adding expensive circulation pumps (I also keep the bottom, bare) is a long handled net to scoop any residual detritus out of dead spots if you have any.
Since I have city water, I age water for the aquarium in another, similarly sized aquarium and water for the sump in a 50 gallon water storage barrel. I use Seachem Safe and aerate it with hydroponic style air stones for 3 day’s minimum to completely gas it off. Overkill but no more trouble.
Since I have city water, I age water for the aquarium in another, similarly sized aquarium and water for the sump in a 50 gallon water storage barrel. I use Seachem Safe and aerate it with hydroponic style air stones for 3 day’s minimum to completely gas it off. Overkill but no more trouble.
