# Best Filtration for Goldfish



## shaz100 (Oct 10, 2009)

Hi I have a 200 litre tank and I am going to fill it with 5 goldfish (based on the 40 litres per fish rule) and plants. I have an internal fluval 205 filter but I would like to purchase an external filter. I have been looking at the Eheim filters but there are just so many. I am being swayed towards the 2217. Does anyone have any experience with this filter? I did read a priming button is always a nice feature which I dont think this filter has.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I thought it was 30 gallons per fish for goldfish? 120 liters?

Regarding the filter question, I like the Rena FilStar XP filters. Maybe an XP2 for that size tank?


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## shaz100 (Oct 10, 2009)

DJRansome said:


> I thought it was 30 gallons per fish for goldfish? 120 liters?
> 
> Regarding the filter question, I like the Rena FilStar XP filters. Maybe an XP2 for that size tank?


maybe you are right but i was told 40 litres although the shop where i bought the fish said i could stock a 30litre tank with 3 gold fish!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

There is no priming with the XP filters after initial setup once in a lifetime. And the hoses both attach to one connector operated by a lever. One flip to remove, one flip to connect. No unscrewing and rescrewing each hose for every cleaning.


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## shaz100 (Oct 10, 2009)

what is the best media to use in the fluval 205? I notice it comes with carbon do i need to use this?


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

A 2217 is the perfect filter for a 200L tank. I have one set up at my dad's place in Germany, and it's a very low maintenance setup - your goldfish might poop a little more though than the Tanganyikans I have in this tank 

For detailed instructions how to prime an Eheim classic series filter click here. It's very easy to do!


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

How about an S bend filter.

:lol:

Sorry couldn't resist.


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## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

honestly on my heavily planted (3 lilypads, hornwort, anachoris, water lettuce, hyacinth, duckweed,and two weird ferny things) goldfish/large community tank I use 2 lil giant box pond filters filled with bioballs, 2 modified sponge filters, and a penguin 350.

both the box filter and the sponge filter are here, the ones I bought came with 400GPH pumps-
http://www.macarthurwatergardens.com/li ... ters.shtml

its a 200G that now has been reduced to 9 6" goldfish, 2 bala sharks, 6 giant danios, 3 dojo loaches, a 10" pleco, and a pair of bettas, as well as a whole slew of inverts. never get any sort of spike now that I worked out the kinks (mainly the plant debris kept clogging things, just made /fixed the prefilters)

before I reduced the stock I had several guppies, mollies, platties, ottos, and 3 smaller female betta's. We risked it and bought some neon tetra's last week to see if the 6" goldfish would work...terrible idea. They now associate small fish with food....  lost 10 neons, 2 mollies, 4 guppies,4 ottos, and 2 platties. and thats just the full grown ones..who knows how many fry.

until the neons were added all the other fish were left alone.

suppose it was inevitable..

anyway, sorry to cry on your thread about it..lol still bitter.

but that is what I use on my goldfish tank in the winter, and in my pond in the summer. Works like a charm, keeps the water healthy, lots of flow, but is far from polished (lots of debris from plants). of course if you weren't an idiot like me, you wouldn't have small fish that can get sucked into big filter inlets so you could use a mech filter for debris...


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## shaz100 (Oct 10, 2009)

Hi i am about to set up my tank so please bear with all the questions. I am currently washing the gravel many, times! What is the best way to start the cycling fishless? Also can i cycle with two filters at the same time? are they best placed at opposite ends of the tank. thats all for now


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

yes you can do 2 filters...start with a bacteria booster like bio-spira then just start to add your pure ammonia...try searching fishless cycle on the internet or on this site...pretty easy to do a fishless cycle once youve done your research


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