when is too much filtration, too much?

[Kaosu]

Everyone have good points. Filtration is made up of many factors.......biological, mechanical, flow rate.......

You can have a big sump with a low flow rate.
You can have clear water with a UV but params can still be out of check.
You can have murky water and params are in check.

Big enough is when you and your fish are happy.

This +1

 

[rup_pilot]

Never too much unless the fish can't tolerate the current from the returns.


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[Bderick67]

There is no such thing as too much filtration.


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Then why haven't you added more filters to your tank?

 

[Countryboy]

water current is not an indication of too much filtration. ALSO, to the person that said " when your water is clear" that too is not an indication that your over filtered. Add a big enough filter to keep your parameters in check. Bacteria will only grow in proportion to the waste that is produced by the tank mates.

Clear water is an indicator of good parameters. I said when your water is clear stop.

 

[Bderick67]

Clear water is an indicator of good parameters. I said when your water is clear stop.

So your claim is that you can't have toxic levels of ammonia or nitrite if the water is clear?

 

[TheRealCramer]

Clear water can still be polluted by harmful toxins. The question can be interpreted in many ways.

-how big of a filter is too big? Well, bb colonies grow to food levels. So after a certain level of media and space it becomes excessive. And too much flow can make bio filters less efficient because water can pass so fast the nitrobacters don't have enough contact time.

Then you can have a super unnecessarily large mechanical and bio chamber and have no way of removing proteins, acids and organically.

In my opinion, the filter needs to covers all forms of waste removal and sterilization. I like to think of the optimum point to strive to is being able to drink the water yourself and like it. Because that's extremely improbable, I say too much is never enough in freshwater.

I'm new to saltwater however and still trying to relax to the Berlin method which says different.


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[Ryanz27]

I have a 75g and plan on putting a few RBPs in there. I have an FX5. top basket is pre filter sitting on top of 2 scour pads. Middle basket is 3 water polishing pads sitting on top of 3 bags of carbon. Bottom basket is full of biomax. 2 boxes. Seems good enough to me.

 

[Countryboy]

So your claim is that you can't have toxic levels of ammonia or nitrite if the water is clear?

I was speaking of ditrius floating about. If your ammonia is 0 and nitrite is 0 you are filtering enough.

 

[Adamrhh]

My 75 had a FX5 running and the only fish in it was 3 giant danio lol!

 

[drdrewr]

If you have so many filters on your setup that you can't stay on top of cleaning them, regularly, then you've probably got too much filtration. If you are running 5 Eheim 2217s and you clean one filter every other weekend, you are probably doing well by your setup. If you have 5 Eheim 2260s, you probably won't stick to this maintenance routine for too long!!! Remember, if you don't get the gunk "out" of your filter, it just breaks down there (instead of in the tank) and you'll experience elevated nitrate levels (even with regular water changes).

Don't put on more filtration than you are prepared to maintain.