Turnover ratio

[Armand]

Hi.

What do you guys think it would be the optimal turnover ratio for a tank with a sigle Flower horn?.

I have currently running a 80 gal tank with two fh (temporarly) and I have two filters tunning. One external that gives 2.5 turnover ratio and one internal that gives 4.3 turnover ratio, together deliver almost a 7 of TO ratio.

Soon one of those FH's would be by its own in another tank and I am thinking about the next two options:

1.- External filter that gives a 4 turnover ratio.

2.- External filter that delivers 6 turnover ratio.

The call is based on price, firts one is cheaper but i dont want my FH to have future issues just to have saved some bucks you know?.

Which one of them should I take?, is it the number one enough for a single FH with no problem at all or should I go all the way long for the second one?.


Cheers.

 

[Aquatic Aggression]

Depends on how often you change water. I shoot for at least 10x turnover an hour and I also prefer to use more than one filter as some are good for mechanical filtration and not so good for bio etc. Maybe with that water volume and a single large fish you could have less turnover if you have a decent water change schedule.

 

[brich999]

Can't reaLly overdo filtration hook it all up!

 

[Armand]

I make a 20% to 30 % weekly water change.

 

[Jc1119]

Turnover is very subjective, but lot will depend on husbandry and how clean you keep your tanks. My 300 with big centrals and plecos turns around 7x per hour. My 135 mbuna turns 10 and my pleco breeding project is looking closer to 15x.

In your case, somewhere between 5-7 would be adequate but 7-10 would give you some headroom. Either way though, you could turn your tank 50x an hour and still have nitrates though the roof. Filtration is great but it doesn't eliminate the need for water changes.

Do 50% weekly changes and you could probably use either filter imo

 

[Armand]

Nice feedback lads, I really appreciate it!.

 

[Aquatic Aggression]

^good advice

 

[Armand]

Based in your answers i think i'll take option number two to have, as you said, more room with the whole thing...

 

[Aquatic Aggression]

You could add a sponge filter to help out too. For large cichlids that like to move things around I get the double sponge type with suction cups. Pretty cheap and great bio filtration.

 

[Armand]

Yeah I have seen those ones but they dont conveince me.

My internal filter is a DIY one:










This is how it looks like.




In the hole at the top of it there's plunged a powerhead of 1400l x hour but I can upgrade to one of 1800 or 2000l x h.

The contempt from bottom to top is composed by floss and then bio media. I use some sort of porous rocks native to mexico called tezontle who have worked a treat!,



I can always add some activated carbon but it is not necesary unless I wanted to remove some chemical or medication.

The other filter currently running is a built in external filled with floss and biomedia.


However my new setup is gonna be provided with this one:


View attachment 729647

It is going to be its only one filter running, i dont want to have some other because iI dont want the power bill to raise, I already pay a lot.