Fluval 205 Leaking...now what filter?

[Kes1221]

I currently have a Fluval 205 running my salt water tank. Its about a 30gal tank. When i changed the filter media last time (about a couple months ago) it started to leak and after playing around with it it stopped. Well last night i changed some other filter media and it started leaking again. i played around with it for over 3 hours trying everything, the seal is fine, no nicks or anything.

I am not going through this everytime i want to change the filter media so my fish are happy. I am done with fluval at this point. Can anyone recommend a better filter system to use. One that won't leak when i change the media in it? :( I have seen Eheim is a popular one....

Thanks!

[Doug]

Moving to equipment forum for you.

[Chammy]

I have run Eheim, Fluval, and Rena. Eheim is supposed to be a high end cannister filter. I'm using the Rena XP3 on two of my tanks and never have issues with them.

[Nano]

I used marineland canisters on my fw tank no leaks every buy they are no good for salt. I would think about a hang on filter the the aquaclear 70 or 110 maybe. It would allow you to service easier as well as tuck you heater in. Atleast that's what i found on my old nano

[jorjef]

I have a Rena that ran on fresh water for 2-3 years then moved to saltwater tank (just holds extra live rock) never ever any problems.

[cale262]

Eheim is top notch, Rena XP series is a close second once you get them primed...I wouldn't consider anythingelse for a canister except an FX5 (which is a beast) if you we're putting it on a larger system.

[subman]

I'm wondering why you want a canister on a sw tank? what is what are you running in it?
I would ditch it all together, IMHO they do more harm than good in the long run. If you insist on one eheim is the only one i can recommend, I have an old one on my daughters toad tank and it still runs perfectly after a decade of use.

[Kes1221]

We bought the tank pre-set up off Kijiji and thats what the person was running. We am super new to salt water and havent looked into canister vs not too deeply yet. From what we could tell it seems to be more personal preference depending on the site.

The tank has a couple clownfish, damsels, anda blenny in it right now. Plus some type of coral frag (the boyfriend picked it up and cant remember what it is, just know it is poisonous...).

Long run, we want to move to a sump and better system without the filter (from what we were reading its possible...?) but for the short term this is the route we chose.... :/

[cale262]

If this is a short term thing...dont waste anymore monye on the 205 can, ditch it and get a HOB (hang on back) type filter, you can pick them up used for pretty cheap or if you are stuck, I can lend you one until you figure out which direction you want to take your system.

IMHO, cans are better suited to Fresh Water set-ups.

[Kes1221]

Well by short term i should say until time, space and money allow. :)
We had a random hanging filter that saved us last night. (Thanks for the offer though!!!) That is on there for now until we decide. Apparently he is leaning towards a MarineLand 220.

Once we decide what to do with our system, would it be better to go the sump route than the filter?

[cale262]

Well by short term i should say until time, space and money allow. :)
We had a random hanging filter that saved us last night. (Thanks for the offer though!!!) That is on there for now until we decide. Apparently he is leaning towards a MarineLand 220.

Once we decide what to do with our system, would it be better to go the sump route than the filter?

The sump is a way better choice and can be done for cheap... More than likely, cheaper than the new canister.

[subman]

Well by short term i should say until time, space and money allow. :)
We had a random hanging filter that saved us last night. (Thanks for the offer though!!!) That is on there for now until we decide. Apparently he is leaning towards a MarineLand 220.

Once we decide what to do with our system, would it be better to go the sump route than the filter?

Tell us what you have for equipment now.
Skimmer? brand?
how much LR?
powerheads?
I can say without a doubt don't buy another Canister....but with an equipment list I can surely tell you where to put that money to serve you better.

A sump is a great thing as it adds space for the equipment and more live rock but not a must there are many ways to keep SW aquariums it just happens to be the most common.

Also what are your plans for this tank? Types of Corals, Fish ect.

[Kes1221]

We have a 33 gallon tank.
It has a remora c skimmer.
About 35 pounds of live rock.
The powerhead is a 150g/h
This is the tank with the clownfish etc. we arent planning too much to change with this one.

our tank we are starting from scratch is going to be the reef tank. More corals, couple fish . That one doesnt have a skimmer, about 50 pounds of live rock. its a 40gallon tank. It has 2 powerheads one is 110 and the other 150.

We arent even sure how to go about setting up the sumps.

[subman]

Leave it as is no canister is needed. Save the money to buy corals:wink:

[subman]

When your ready to setup the sump for your new tank just post up your ideas and you will get lots of good feedback. This forum has a ridiculous amount of knowledge.

[jorjef]

Leave it as is no canister is needed. Save the money to buy corals:wink:

yep, if you feel you need more flow put another power head it.

[Kes1221]

Wow, so it would be okay without the filter? Even without the sump...we aren't convinced the skimmer is doing much as it isnt a 'bubbly' in the little cup as we have read it should be...

[jorjef]

What filter media did you put in the canister?

[Kes1221]

In the Fluval canister we just had the fluval spongey filters, biomax and he carbon bags...thats what was in there when we bought the system.

In the other tank we intend to be a reef tank, we have a Hanging filter with some carbon, spongey things, maybe some biomax and then a bag of little crushed rocks and shells and such....

[subman]

I'm not a fan of spongy things they need lots of maintenance and turn into nitrate bombs over time.

[Kes1221]

:) that doesn't sound fun. Will the filtration be okay without the spongy filters? When we took apart the useless Fluval, they were so caked with sand and gross looking stuff.....

[subman]

the LR is your filter the spongy thing and such are more for freshwater where there is no other source of filtration. It's one of the great joys of a SW tank, also one of the biggest mistakes made by ppl moving from fresh to salt.

[Kes1221]

Yes we are definetly guilty of moving from fresh to salt and since we bought the set up system it seemed like it was okay with the canister.
We have heard different things about the amount of rock you actually need for a tank. Right now we have about 50pounds in a 40 gallon and then about 30 or so pounds in the 33 gallon.

The 40 gallon has a couple cleaner shrimp and sand sifting snails in it with the coral as well. The 33 gallon just has a couple snails, fish, and a sea urchin.

Will that be enough rock to keep the system filtered and happy?

[sphelps]

I agree with others, you don't need the canister filter so if it's broke I wouldn't bother with a new one.

Im my book there are seven types of filtration

Basic Biological: This is Nitrifying Bacteria (NH4 -> NO2 -> NO3)
Advanced Biological: This involves a more advanced method of denitrification (removes NO3) by adding a carbon source to the water and possibly a type of filter designed to create anaerobic conditions.
Skimmer: Removes raw organics before converted to NO3
Chemical: Stuff like carbon, GFO, ect (can aid in removing organic waste and phosphates)
Mechanical: Stuff like foam, floss, filter socks, ect that remove particles from the water.
Water changes: Removes NO3 and other contaminants while replenishing useful elements.
Refugium: Growing and harvesting algae in a separate part of the aquarium (usually in a sump). Algae uses NO3 and phosphates to grow, thus by growing and harvesting you're naturally lowering these contaminants.


Everything except 1 & 6 is optional although some might argue with 6 but let's not get into that just yet. In saltwater live-rock is your 1 and it does it quite well even allowing possible denitrification which removes NO3 naturally. NO3 is nitrate which you want to limit to reduce algae growth and promote better coral and fish health. Skimmers aid in the reduction of NO3 by removing the organic waste prior to breaking down into NO3. Canister filters that contain bio-media are very good 1s, better than live-rock. However too good can be a bad thing as your skimmer will not function as well as it could because in a sense it doesn't have enough time to remove organics before they are already converted to NO3.

4 is typically only needed if you're really looking to polish the water and/or reduce phosphates for optical conditions for certain corals. They require some caution as they can shock the system if too much is used and there are risks involved regarding contamination that have happened in the past.

5 is a good idea however requires constant maintenance to prevent 5 from turning into a 1, and the good kind of 1 which is actually bad :confused:

A sump is simply a way of utilizing an overflow which allows for surface skimming (organics float) sending what needs to be filtered to the skimmer more efficiently. It cleans things up a little providing a place for equipment and allows for larger equipment like a giant skimmer to be used.

For me I try and keep things simple, 1, 3 & 6 results in what I believe to be the best ration of good results to low maintenance.

[Spyd]

I would spend my money on a HOB skimmer if you wanted to do anything. There is really no advantage to the canister. Too much cleaning and can become a nitrate factory if not well kept.

[Kes1221]

Is there a certain size we should look at for sump tanks for our 2 tanks? What amount of rock will we need....