# filtration for 150



## m.a.ramsay (Apr 3, 2009)

I will be setting up my 150 very soon. I need to get the filtration figured out BUT heres the thing: I am on a strict budget! Any suggestions?


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

What are the dimensions of the 150 gal?

What kind of fish do you plan to stock it with?

If you want to have 10 fish in it when they are adultsâ€¦ and you buy 10 baby fish to grow out in itâ€¦ then you can get away with less filtration now, while they are small, and then add a filter or two as they growâ€¦

Power Filters or Hang On Back (HOB) filters are the less expensive way to filter a tank. If the tank is drilled sumps can be set up inexpensively, but when you add the purchase of an overflow box it stops being so inexpensive. Naturally if you are the DIY type you can look into ways to make one yourself. Canister filters have their advantages, but are more costlyâ€¦

I prefer the Aqua Clear HOB filters. They are more expensive than the other brands, but thatâ€™s because (in my experience) they are better filters. They also do not have the ongoing expense of filter cartridges (which can also be made yourself to save money, but are still an expense). Aqua Clear filters have a sponge that can simply be rinsed and reused. Note: When comparing prices note the XXX gphâ€


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## kodyboy (Dec 9, 2007)

The absolute cheapest way to go would be a decent airpump and three or four large sponge filters. Not the nicest looking but it would work. I would also add a small HOB for particulates, but that increases the cost. 
The second cheapest way to filter would be HOBs. I like aquaclears too, but they are expensive. I would think three emperor 400s would filter your 150 decently. 
http://www.kensfish.com/powerfiltersmarineland.html
you could probably get away with three pengiun 350s instead of the 400s. 
Another option is to look for used filters in the trading post here or on craigslist or ebay.


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## m.a.ramsay (Apr 3, 2009)

the dimensions are 5X2X2
Im not sure what is going in there yet-I have a variety of fish growing ot right now-all are still quite small. I have: green texas cichlid, JD, 2 Blood Parrots, 1 Salvini, 1 convict, 2 Firemouths, and a green Severum (I only know the sex of the convict so far so some of them will be getting rehomed eventually). The reason why I am cheaping out on filtration now is because I splurged on an aquaterra background. So I would like to have all the filtration I need now instead of setting it up later so that I can cut all the holes and set everything up with the background while the aquarium is dry..

I wonder how well HOBs would work with the background--how to set it up so that the filters are not just refiltering the water behind the background over and over (I know to make intake holes but what to do with the filtered water (to get it bak in to the tank for circluation....Any suggestions?) I am kind of leaning toward the emperors though--if I can figure this bit out).


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## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

What's your budget? Your best bet is to go used and search craigslist for some decent canisters.

As an example, I just picked up a 2 week old FX5 for 150.00. A new one was out of my range, but I refused to buy anything else, so I waited and got what I wanted for way cheaper.

I see smaller cansiters all the time for around 50.00 used.


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## m.a.ramsay (Apr 3, 2009)

My budget is around $150-200


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## m.a.ramsay (Apr 3, 2009)

would an xp 4 filter the aqaurium sufficiently? Found one on ebay for $160


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

There are a few approaches on filtration...

One approach is to have enough water movement to push the waste to the filter's intakes. This keeps the tank pretty on a daily basis and most of your work becomes cleaning filters and doing simple water changes...

Another approach is to create enough water movement to prevent dead spots and keep the water properly mixed up. Then have enough filtration to remove ammonia/nitrites from the water. Doing this allows waste/debris to build up in the tank which means a thorough cleaning of the bottom of the tank becomes your chore during water changes. It also means that the tank will look less than ideal between water changes.

The common suggestion for the first method described is to turn your tanks volume over 10 times per hour. In other words when you add up all your filters gph rating... it should equal 10 x your tank's volume. My personal experience is that all filters actually function at considerably slower rates than they are rated and only the actual flow rate should be considered. It's also my experience that in a tank with very little decor, 10 times per hour works, but as decor is added flow rates need to be increased. I've ran tanks with as much as 20 times turnover per hour with no disruption to the fish.

If you wish to take the second method, this is bio filtration only. you will have to be the mechanical filter on the tank (or add another filter later).

In the beginning when the fish are small, their waste is small. So you can get away with less filtration. But as they get bigger, so does their waste. This also means it is heavier so it takes more current to move it into the intakes.

Many people often say that with canister filters you only need 5 times turnover. I think this is a misleading statement but has it's validity. For bio filtration a canister (or any type of filter) will work fine with only 5 times turnover. But for mechanical filtration a canister (or any filter) will still need enough current to move the waste/debris into the tank. It's hard to put a true number on what it takes, as it takes much less to move the waste of a 3" Dwarf Cichlid than it does a 14" massive Cichlid. So it is very fair to say that big fish deserve bigger filtration...

The XP 4 is "rated" for 450 gallons per hour... and probably actually functions around 250 gph... if you follow the 5 times per hour approach for bio filtration (only) then 2 XP4's would suit you well.

All in all... the only way I believe you will be able to spend $150~200 (Canadian) on filtration for a 150 gal (5 x 2 x 2) tank and be happy with water quality is to buy a bank of sponge filters and one heck of a pump... Good filtration costs for big tanks like yours...


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

You could put a few Emperor 400's on it! :lol:

For that size tank, building a sump might be well worth considering...

-Ryan


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

An ammendment to my previous post... another option is (like Ryan said) a team of 3 or 4 large HOBs... I neglected to make this suggestion as it didn't seem to work well with his background...


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## ben1988 (May 2, 2009)

could you not buy some plexy glass, cut it to size enough to extend the output ramps of a HOB past the bakground, and then glue them in place using a combo of PVC glue and silicone?


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## m.a.ramsay (Apr 3, 2009)

That sounds like a great idea! I was wondering how to go about doing that withoud butchering the background so that the water being brought up is straight from the aquarium and it is now just filtering the same water over and over.
Would 2 AC 110's work alright? (I can get these for $86.99 CND each) or I can get the emperor 400's for $49.99 each--so I could easily do 3 of these to stay on budget....


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## m.a.ramsay (Apr 3, 2009)

ooops. I mean $69.99 for the emperors--still could do three...


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I run 2x AC 110s on my 75 gal tank... I used to run my 4x2x2 with two AC 110s but had to add a cannister as I was not happy with the filtration...

I do not think 2x AC's would be enough... and 3x Emp 400s isn't very much more...

You've got a big tank...


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## kodyboy (Dec 9, 2007)

I have twp xp4s and a pair of koralia 4s on my 150.


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## binro01 (Nov 25, 2008)

I would keep an eye on craigslist for a good week or so. I'm building out a 240 gallon tank and found a nice wet dry filter for 125.00 This included the overflow scimmer box, the wet dry box with bio balls, and the return pump. So keep an eye out!


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## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

I'd do exactly what I did then and look for a good used FX5. It's a heck of a filter and offers a LOT of FLOW!

I'm running one FX5 and one AC110 on my 180.

What I would not do is spend a LOT of money on new HOB's. The Ac110's are excellent filters, but I will NEVER pay what they sell for new. For me it's way too close to the prices of canisters.

I/m running 3 AC110's and have never paid more than 39.95 for them new. Bought the one on my 180 used for 20.00.

Do your homework and buy used off Craigslist or any other sources. Just make sure you're getting good working equipment.

By the way, I'm a huge fan of the FX5 as you can tell, but my recommendations can be taken into account no matter what filters you are looking for.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Just to shareâ€¦

The BioForce 2000 is a pressurized pond filterâ€¦ itâ€™s basically a big canister without a pumpâ€¦ and sells for #200

Add a $50~100 pump to that and you have a filter that has more media volume than an FX5 and moves up to twice as much waterâ€¦ For the same priceâ€¦

I used one of these for over 5 years before selling it to a friend who is using it on his outdoor pondâ€¦


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## m.a.ramsay (Apr 3, 2009)

is $160 a good price for a new XP4?


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## srook23 (Feb 21, 2009)

Yes.


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