undewater filter

gil5280

Member
Ok so I was given an under water filter that looks new, it was used for a month fora turtel, I was wondering if I could put it in my bio cube for added flow since it has a power head, and filtration?
 

ophiura

Active Member
Um, undergravel filter? Not sure what an underwater filter is, per se. If an undergravel filter I would not use it (but usually the power head can be removed). Otherwise it may be OK, but may take up more room than necessary and may not be ideal. I would need to know more about it.
 

aztec reef

Active Member
Underwater filters aren't a good choice for marine tanks. But i would defenitly use the powerheads..
Im right behind you Ophi..Eventhough you have the reflex of a puma..
 

gil5280

Member
ok it's like a normal
Filter with some floss thing in it and carbon. The power head comes off, do I have to clean it or something or just put it in.
 

aztec reef

Active Member
So its an internal filter...I supposse that it can be hung on the back.. In that case, yeah u probably can use it as long as its kept clean...
 

reefforbrains

Active Member
Dont bother with it. The gains will be nill, and the risk of it becomming a breeding ground for harmful influences far outweigh the benefits.
Clean it well and keep it under the stand for future spot use.
...to run carbon as needed in emergency
...to have in case of overfeeding or other introduction (if you have kids this is key)
...In case you need to create a makeshift hospital tank for something in the future.
Your tank, you make the rules. I personally would advise against it as stated above.
 

aztec reef

Active Member
Why have an extra filtering unit collecting dust? When it can certainly serve a purpose.
As stated in post #1.. The intentions of its use are mainly for extra flow and some biofiltration..
If the real question was wether to use it or not as the tank's primary filtration???..
Then i would say No, dont use it..
How can we conclude wether if its good vs. bad or ugly, when we do not know what the rest of the remaining overall bio-filtration is??
 

reefforbrains

Active Member

Originally Posted by Aztec Reef
http:///forum/post/2896397
Why have an extra filtering unit collecting dust?.......

Originally Posted by ReefForBrains

http:///forum/post/2896386
Clean it well
and keep it under the stand for future spot use.
...to run carbon as needed in emergency
...to have in case of overfeeding or other introduction (if you have kids this is key)
...In case you need to create a makeshift hospital tank for something in the future.
Your tank, you make the rules. I personally would advise against it as stated above.

Its about input from other reefkeepers, not about deeming anything right or wrong. Good luck with either way you decide.
 

ophiura

Active Member
I personally would not use it.
Could be a pain to get to to clean, and you would want to REGULARLY clean anything with carbon and floss in it. If you have LR, I wouldn't see the point.
Plus it probably takes up space...its not a big tank overall. Space is precious. I would put a piece of LR in that space if I had to make a choice.
I would use the powerhead, but not the filter. Now if you have no LR and no other filtration, that may be a different issue.
 

gil5280

Member
i use the filtration system my bio cube 14gal brings, i just wanted this for a little bit cleaner water and more flow. if u dont think its good to use the filter can i just put the power head in?
 

gil5280

Member
no i dont have that much LR. i have like 4-8 pounds in there only, i want to just put coral. and the unit dosent take up to much space it sticks to the side of the tank. im going to put in the power head till someone tells me if i can put the filter in.
 

gil5280

Member

thats it. i put the hole thing in with the filter and the flow is alot, its picking stuff up. i think im just going to clean it out once a week.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by gil5280
http:///forum/post/2896594

thats it. i put the hole thing in with the filter and the flow is alot, its picking stuff up. i think im just going to clean it out once a week.
I am definitely on your side on this one. In respect to the particular type you have pictured. The in tank self-contained unit is not bad at all. They have built in pumps compact size and separate chambers for chemical and bio filtration most also come with an adjustable aeration valve. I have actually seen units that are rated for up to 50g but in my opinion. I would not use one in any tank over 20g as my main unit
 

aztec reef

Active Member

Originally Posted by ReefForBrains
http:///forum/post/2896414
Its about input from other reefkeepers, not about deeming anything right or wrong. Good luck with either way you decide.
"I personally would advise against it as stated above"

 

aztec reef

Active Member
I dont see anything wrong with adding extra flow and some way to run carbon to cristalize the water.. Plus , good water flow pushes the molecules upstairs so that the surface filters can pick them up and processes them quicker ...
 

ophiura

Active Member
I absolutely agree on the extra flow. I am just wondering what real benefit it would provide as a filter if the cube already has one, and there is LR.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/2897071
I absolutely agree on the extra flow. I am just wondering what real benefit it would provide as a filter if the cube already has one, and there is LR.

My personal opinion is that in this hobby when it comes to filtration redundancy can only be a plus
 

ophiura

Active Member
We'll differ on that one

for me it depends. If you had a big fish only with predators, I could not agree more...
But if you have what is effectively a nano which will have a low fish load, I think the benefit would be from more live rock.
In a small tank, going in to clean that filter regularly (and if it has floss would need to be often) could be very disruptive and stressful.
But it is definitely based on the hobbyist and the tank and finding what works best
 
Top