Too much filtration?

[Myarbro]

Went ahead and picked up her new tank today. She doesn't know yet though, its in the music room that she never goes into. She has to work the morning of her Bday so I will have her roomy let me in their place and I will set it all up and let the cycling start. Will be a nice surprise when she gets home.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[FSM]

Its never about the amount of filtration (more is always better), but rather the flow depending on the fish you keep.

that's BS

315 GPH on a 40 gallon tank isn't anywhere near too strong for the fish though

 

[WeeNe858]

that's BS

315 GPH on a 40 gallon tank isn't anywhere near too strong for the fish though

how is that BS? if you differential FLOW and FILTRATION, more filtration is better. People just naturally think more filtrations means a lot of flow ( to drive a system, or combined flow of multiple systems).

 

[Redearsunfish]

that's BS

315 GPH on a 40 gallon tank isn't anywhere near too strong for the fish though

How can this be BS? if you keep a respectable flow rate, and have a giant media container, then bingo, more filtration, i.e., more media is always better. Just manage the flow, thats all - bigger output, what ever...

 

[FSM]

Excess biomedia does nothing.

 

[|JoJo|]

Excess biomedia does nothing.

Doesn't matter if excess bio media does nothing(not saying it does). More gph means a higher turnover rate.

 

[Redearsunfish]

Excess biomedia does nothing.

So, let me understand this, I could slap a 4000 GPH pump on a Tom's mini Rapids Canister, about the size of a small tuperware container, and be fine for lets say, a 700 gallon tank?

 

[Redearsunfish]

And, GPH is important, obviously, but FLOW is different than GPH. I could run the same GPH from a perforated spray bar and reduce the flow, therefore the proper GPH management via flow is the important thing. And i'll take the most biomedia surface i can find.

 

[dawnmarie]

Perhaps this all to familiar argument would be of more value if both sides would differentiate between mechanical and biological filtration when stating your case.

 

[FSM]

So, let me understand this, I could slap a 4000 GPH pump on a Tom's mini Rapids Canister, about the size of a small tuperware container, and be fine for lets say, a 700 gallon tank?

Spock says: That's highly illogical

No, you can't run 4000 GPH through 8 oz of biomedia and expect it to filter a 700 gallon tank. That's not what I said, though.

What I meant was: the amount of bacteria present in the system will be the max the system can support, based on the ammonia production of the fish, food, etc. That amount of bacteria can live on a specific surface area; twice as much surface area doesn't = twice as many bacteria, although the population density may be lower. 10 square miles of unused biomedia surface area isn't doing anything to reduce ammonia levels because the ammonia level is already too low to detect.
An analogy: Owning a house with 15 bedrooms when your kids/visitors/relatives will only utilize a maximum of 5