Do i need more filtration?

[SandNukka15]

180 gallon... 2x water changes a week at 60% each.

Stock list

16 columbian tetras
9 peppered cories
7 red head geophagus
4 bolivian rams
3 angelfish
2 electric blue acaras
1 blue phantom pleco
1 threadfin acara
1 red shoulder severum
1 pictus catfish

Filters are

Ehiem 2262
Fx4
Ehiem 2217

 

[Oscar Mike]

The answer depends on 2 main things: How clear your water is and whether you can detect ammonia/nitrite. If there are particulates floating in the water you should add more mechanical filtration, such as an aquaclear powerhead with filter attachment or AC110 with poly floss between the sponge and media. If you can detect ammonia or nitrites you need more space for bio media. If your nitrates rise too fast then you have too much stock for your volume of water.

 

[SandNukka15]

The answer depends on 2 main things: How clear your water is and whether you can detect ammonia/nitrite. If there are particulates floating in the water you should add more mechanical filtration, such as an aquaclear powerhead with filter attachment or AC110 with poly floss between the sponge and media. If you can detect ammonia or nitrites you need more space for bio media. If your nitrates rise too fast then you have too much stock for your volume of water.

No nitrites or ammonia.... tap water comes out at about 10 ppm nitrate and within 3 days it gets up to about 20-25 ppm where I do a 60% w/c droping the nitrates back down to about 15 ppm

 

[Oscar Mike]

No nitrites or ammonia.... tap water comes out at about 10 ppm nitrate and within 3 days it gets up to about 20-25 ppm where I do a 60% w/c droping the nitrates back down to about 15 ppm

It sounds like an RODI would be a better investment than more filtration but plants would also help if you have room for them. I put a sweet potato in a 1" opening and the roots are growing so fast you can almost watch it happening.

 

[SandNukka15]

It sounds like an RODI would be a better investment than more filtration but plants would also help if you have room for them. I put a sweet potato in a 1" opening and the roots are growing so fast you can almost watch it happening.
View attachment 1428462

I'd prefer to keep it constant and do more water changes than larger ones waiting for rodi water... I do have pothos... might try a sweet potatoe as well

 

[Oscar Mike]

I'd prefer to keep it constant and do more water changes than larger ones waiting for rodi water... I do have pothos... might try a sweet potatoe as well

I've heard a few people say it was more effective than pothos at reducing nitrates. I like it because the roots look clean and its easy to make the vines grow where you want.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; My experience started a long time ago. I ran tanks with only bubbler operated filters for years. I ran the early power filters as they cam along. Both were very weak in flow compared to todays filters. Modern filters also can have extra surfaces where hopefully the biofilms of beneficial bacteria (bb) can form colonies. Are modern filters better? Yes they are in the case of flow, surfaces and also important in reliability. The early filters would often fail, most often by loss of siphon.

Here is where I part with some about extra filtration. Filters do two main things and perhaps one lesser thing. They do mechanical filtration where solids (detritus) get trapped and can provide a surface for the bb to colonize (biological filtration). Both are the result of the flow of water. The third thing they can do is agitate the surface of the water.
My take is once you have enough flow to move sufficient detritus around and enough surfaces for the bb, then any more is not actually needed. I guess there can be exceptions such as wanting to imitate a stream flow. Perhaps others I have not thought of.

I think there is a school of thought along the lines that more filtration can be good in the sense of more of the bb colonies can be supported. I do not follow this notion. The bb will colonize in the filter for sure due to the constant flow but there will be colonies on many, if not most, other surfaces. At some point the balance between the bb colonies and the fish will be had giving zero ammonia and zero nitrites. As I said at the first I ran tanks with minimum flow for years. Even today some run tanks with only sponge filters and no power filters at all. I do sometimes. So it seems to me extra filtration is not needed if you have ammonia and nitrite levels at zero already.

The mechanical filtration part is not necessarily so clear cut. I guess some wish to have "polished water". If such in the goal then extra filtration may be of value.

Anyway those are my thoughts. I decided to follow this thread to see what discussion might come about.