Total Beginner help
- Thread starter Avogel
- Start date
Hello; If they run then age is not a problem. I am running a 55 gallon with a single HOB right now. It has two media chambers. My guess is you can run your tank with only one HOB if you wish.
Back when I first started we ran all tanks on only air bubble operated filters. These type filters did not flow anywhere near the amount of water as modern HOB's do. In fact many run tanks with only sponge filters. I have many times.
Filtration can be considered as mechanical, biological or a combination of both.
Depending on the age....it's possible the filters are no longer being sold. If you can still find filters then you will be ok. If not consider buying a newer filter. One thing to remember, you can't have enough filters running on the tank.
I personally(me myself) would run 2 300 filters. The 300 means gallon per hour
hello; You have stumbled upon one of the topics in fish keeping about which there is a wide variety of opinions. Some quite strong.
In some ways my experience has colored my opinion about filtration. I started with only UGF (undergravel filters) run by air and in some setups not filters at all. Over many years the filters available improved, from air operated HOB's to early powered HOB's and in further stages to the modern filters.
The point I am getting at is that tanks can be and were run with all these at one time or another. I happen to like the combination of a decent HOB plus air operated bubblers and/or an UGF. Add to this a regular water change (WC) schedule.
If you have plenty of money to spend on the hobby that is one thing. If money is a bit limited then using old equipment that still functions is a viable practice. I have various bits of equipment in boxes that has some age on it. If they still function I will pull them out and put them into service.
One of the parts of older HOB's you may not be able to find will likely be the replaceable filter media units. It has been many years since I have bought these parts. I ,so far, have been able to cobble a way to make my own replaceable media. Fish shops sell sheets of the media stock. I cut it into the proper size and rig a way to install it into a filter. polyester material can be had at stores such as Wal-Mart.
I likely tend to run tanks with less filtration than many. I know some on this forum post about their systems and they run quite a lot of power filtration. In some ways my experience over many decades has led me to rely less on power filtration than is currently popular to many. I do not find the use of such extra filtration wrong, just more expensive and not an absolute necessity.
good luck
I like how you think ☺ I remember when box corner filters and the UG filter was selling like hotcakes. Sorry for derailing could not help it.
They're fine as long as you get ones on flake food.Good apart from Badis, I wouldn't recommend them as a beginner fish
One night my Pleco decided not to move, and the next morning he was lifted off the sand by a 0.5" tall 2" wide pile of crap.
