I'm currently running a fifty-five gallon tank, and I'm thinking of changing to an Eheim Classic 2217 - from an emperor 400. (My wife said something about a birthday present 
when she saw me looking it up on line - and they are on sale at Dr's. Foster's and Smith.) http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...03&pcatid=3603
There are: eight clown loaches - the biggest two being around six inches - the rest three to four inches, two pictus cats, an eleven maybe twelve inch pleco, and a rainbow shark.
As they are getting bigger i know they will be outgrowing this tank soon; what I'm wondering is how much overkill would that filter be in the meantime? It will be ideal size when i move them to something around a one hundred gallon-ish tank, (then i can add more loaches!) but that wont happen as soon as i would like, but when i do, it would be nice to have the filter good to go. The 2215 looks good, but i do want some overkill, the Emperor is keeping up, but i really have to stay on my toes with it.
Part of the reason my filter is inadequate is that i do feed them generously, flakes or pellets in the morning, and several frozen shrimp at night (thawed of course). Sometimes they get frozen blood worms, or other frozen treats - when I remember to buy them, and they all love fried chicken (prepared by me of course - nothing added, and no skin.) Fresh veggies also whenever they are in the house. Oh yeah, not to mention the algae discs i drop in for the pleco.
I'm dead set on Eheim classic for my upgrade, just not one hundred percent sure on which size; anyone that has used them feel free to lend your opinion.
when she saw me looking it up on line - and they are on sale at Dr's. Foster's and Smith.) http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...03&pcatid=3603There are: eight clown loaches - the biggest two being around six inches - the rest three to four inches, two pictus cats, an eleven maybe twelve inch pleco, and a rainbow shark.
As they are getting bigger i know they will be outgrowing this tank soon; what I'm wondering is how much overkill would that filter be in the meantime? It will be ideal size when i move them to something around a one hundred gallon-ish tank, (then i can add more loaches!) but that wont happen as soon as i would like, but when i do, it would be nice to have the filter good to go. The 2215 looks good, but i do want some overkill, the Emperor is keeping up, but i really have to stay on my toes with it.
Part of the reason my filter is inadequate is that i do feed them generously, flakes or pellets in the morning, and several frozen shrimp at night (thawed of course). Sometimes they get frozen blood worms, or other frozen treats - when I remember to buy them, and they all love fried chicken (prepared by me of course - nothing added, and no skin.) Fresh veggies also whenever they are in the house. Oh yeah, not to mention the algae discs i drop in for the pleco.
I'm dead set on Eheim classic for my upgrade, just not one hundred percent sure on which size; anyone that has used them feel free to lend your opinion.
