Fluval Filter

[IronRyno]

I'm running a Fluval 404 on a 90g tank. Is this enough filtration? I'm thinking it may not be. Should I add something else? Recommendations? Am I hurting the tank/fish?

 

[bigredspecial]

What is in the tank?

 

[Pure]

With any large tank you should run 2 filters. The norm is to run a large HOB along with your canister. It will give you added protection in the event that the one of the filters cuts out for some reason.

Wile the 404 is a nice filter (most of the canisters I have are 404s) and rated for up to 100 gals, I just don't think it provides enough filtration to be the lone filter for anything larger than a 75.

 

[IronRyno]

Currently in the tank...

10" Jack Dempsey
7" Texas Cichlid
(2) 5" Firemouth
(2) 4" Convict
3" Green Terror
(2) 7" Pleco
(5) Tiger Barb

 

[Pure]

Yeah your gonna need more filtration.

The stock of my 90-
3 8" inch Severums
1 6-7" Fire mouth
1 11" Royal Plec <--filtration beast
2 5" Dojo loaches
3 2" Skunk Loaches
3 5" synos (not sure of the species)
1 4" whip tail
6 lemon tetras

Filtration- 2 Fluval 404s, 2 Penguin BIO-Wheel 350s

If I didn't have the Royal I could do away with the 2 Penguins or 1 of the 404s.

You have a common, wile he won't be as messy as my Royal he is still going to be messy when he gets over 10 inches.

 

[bigredspecial]

I'd get something to supplement it. What Pure said is 100% correct, but with a low bioload you could be ok. You don't have a low bioload

 

[Lotus]

I agree with Pure, larger tanks work better with two filters. You don't get dead spots, and if one filter fails for some reason, you still have filtration. Especially on a heavily stocked tank, if a filter fails and it's the only one you have, you'll end up with dead fish very fast.

 

[IronRyno]

What would you guys recommend? Another Fluvall? Hob? I like the idea of a good hob. Which one is best? The HOB's I've seen, the hook on the back isn't wide enough for my tank. You know how the larger tanks have that wider plastic ring around the top edge, the smaller tanks don't have that. I see a lot of those AquaClear HOBs around at the local LFSs. Would that work?

 

[IronRyno]

What constitutes a high or low bioload? Not sure what exactly that means. Something to do with the size of the fish waste?

 

[Big Vine]

What constitutes a high or low bioload? Not sure what exactly that means. Something to do with the size of the fish waste?

Yes...the more fish you have, the more crap you'll have from those fish as a result of defacation as well as uneaten food scraps; hence, you would have a higher bioload.

Hope this makes sense.
Big Vine