New Filter Considerations. Help needed!

[elliotulysses]

I am filtering a 20 gallon aquarium for two ACFs

I have never owned, heard, or operated a canister filter before. I intend to go from my current over the back filter to a canister and perhaps some sponges. Would the browsers of this forum find this to be more of an ideal set up.

But before I get my wallet out I want to show some of the once I have been considering.

For canisters:
Amazon.com: Fluval 405 External Canister Filter - 110V, 340 gallons per hour: Pet Supplies (perhaps a smaller one!)
Amazon.com: Marineland Multistage Canister Filters Impeller for 530: Pet Supplies
Amazon.com: Fluval 306 External Filter: Pet Supplies
Amazon.com: EHEIM Classic 2215371 External Canister Filter with Media for up to 92 US Gallons: Pet Supplies OR Amazon.com: EHEIM Ecco Pro External Canister Filter with Media for Up to 80-Gallon: Pet Supplies
Amazon.com: Fluval U2 Underwater Filter: Pet Supplies


For Sponges
Amazon.com: Hydro-Sponge Filter I--HS910 - Aquarium Technology, Inc.: Pet Supplies
Amazon.com: Elite Single Sponge Filter: Pet Supplies
Amazon.com: ATI HYDRO SPONGE FILTER MINI LUSTAR HS900 7 GALLON: Pet Supplies


Out of these which would anyone say was the best? By best I mean, a low water flow, a way to put in Seachem's matrix/pond matrix(for the canisters), and is fairly easy to take care of.
For awhile I probably am going to have three filters going, but that is not exactly the worst thing

I do appreciate any feed back.

[carsona246]

Filters are very important because they keep ammonia/nitrite at 0. So long as the filter you are using keeps ammonia/nitrite at 0 your frogs will be happy filtration wise(unless of course the current is too strong, noisy ect). There are many ways to filter a tank, and some people keep tanks without filters, and manage their ammonia/nitrite/nitrate without one.
How you filter your tank is completely up to you. I personally am not a fan of using chemical filtration such as seachem's matrix just because I'm not familiar with it. If best filter = low water flow, maybe a sponge filter is all you need.
What I would do is identify what you want in a filter, pick which filter fits those ideals, and research how those filters work. Canister filters are certainly nice, and there are a lot of options, but they can also be expensive, and there is the drawback of the potential for them to form anaerobic bacteria(low chance, but it has happened to me).
If it were me, I would probably stick with your current filter and add a sponge filter for supplementation. Sponge filters work great, and they are extremely low maintenance. Sponge filters are easy to make and pretty cheap.

[mpmistr]

Can't go wrong with Eheim Classics, they come with all the filter media prepackaged and they are very silent and run for years and years.

[elliotulysses]

Can't go wrong with Eheim Classics, they come with all the filter media prepackaged and they are very silent and run for years and years.

How often do you need to change the filter media? Also would it work if I wanted to use something like this? Seachem. Matrix
Or is it pretty much "keep what's in there, IN THERE" ?

[elliotulysses]

Can't go wrong with Eheim Classics, they come with all the filter media prepackaged and they are very silent and run for years and years.

I was looking at the Eheim Classic for 40gallons. Would this be too strong/powerful for some not-fully grown frogs or make currents which are hard for them to escape?

[mpmistr]

I run an Eheim Classic 2217 on a 40 gallon breeder that houses three large ACF. I do not throw away the media, just rinse and reuse, using old tank water. My tank has a lot of fast growing plants like water sprite, duckweed and vals. My nitrates do not go over 10ppm and I test my tank before I do my weekly partial water changes of about 30%.

Do answer your question, Eheim 2217 works great on a 40B, some may say its overkill but I prefer to not have to worry about filtration. The current it creates is nominal, but you do want some current otherwise you get bad things like cyanobacteria and dead pockets.

[elliotulysses]

Can't go wrong with Eheim Classics, they come with all the filter media prepackaged and they are very silent and run for years and years.

With Eheim, how is the maintenance? Do you clean it out monthly? Not at all? I am VERY new to canisters.

[elliotulysses]

Filters are very important because they keep ammonia/nitrite at 0. So long as the filter you are using keeps ammonia/nitrite at 0 your frogs will be happy filtration wise(unless of course the current is too strong, noisy ect). There are many ways to filter a tank, and some people keep tanks without filters, and manage their ammonia/nitrite/nitrate without one.
How you filter your tank is completely up to you. I personally am not a fan of using chemical filtration such as seachem's matrix just because I'm not familiar with it. If best filter = low water flow, maybe a sponge filter is all you need.
What I would do is identify what you want in a filter, pick which filter fits those ideals, and research how those filters work. Canister filters are certainly nice, and there are a lot of options, but they can also be expensive, and there is the drawback of the potential for them to form anaerobic bacteria(low chance, but it has happened to me).
If it were me, I would probably stick with your current filter and add a sponge filter for supplementation. Sponge filters work great, and they are extremely low maintenance. Sponge filters are easy to make and pretty cheap.

Right now the Whisper EX 20 has a fairly low flow. When I test it, it barely sucks up my hand, but I am just worried about my little ACFS getting curious and going up the filter. Is that even a legitimate concern?

I have been looking at sponge filters. Most seem rather inexpensive, but a really good solution! It is just hard to find the correct set up/everything I need for that filtration. I already have an airpump, so I am guessing I just need everything else that goes with the filter!

[carsona246]

I believe someone suggested you stick a sponge on the end of your filter inlet if you are concerned about your frogs getting sucked up. That's what I would do.

all you need for a sponge filter is an aquarium safe sponge, and an air stone/pump. stick the stone into the sponge, and let the air run through the sponge. The air from the air pump will provide oxygen to the sponge, promoting beneficial bacteria growth on the sponge.

[elliotulysses]

I believe someone suggested you stick a sponge on the end of your filter inlet if you are concerned about your frogs getting sucked up. That's what I would do.

all you need for a sponge filter is an aquarium safe sponge, and an air stone/pump. stick the stone into the sponge, and let the air run through the sponge. The air from the air pump will provide oxygen to the sponge, promoting beneficial bacteria growth on the sponge.

Yeah, this seems like a good idea, especially because they are fairly affordable. I plan on sticking two of them in there when I get my new set-up.

[elliotulysses]

I believe someone suggested you stick a sponge on the end of your filter inlet if you are concerned about your frogs getting sucked up. That's what I would do.

all you need for a sponge filter is an aquarium safe sponge, and an air stone/pump. stick the stone into the sponge, and let the air run through the sponge. The air from the air pump will provide oxygen to the sponge, promoting beneficial bacteria growth on the sponge.

An ENTIRE sponge? How would one actually manage to properly block, unless they were saying to stick it in the take up hole?
Who did say that suggestion? I couldn't find it in my thread.

[carsona246]

I can't remember, but it was on another thread. They sell sponges specifically for covering filter inlets, but they are expensive. You can cut holes in a regular sponge so long as the sponge does not have any chemicals on it. Sticking it in the intake might work as well, I've never tried it that way.
Pantyhose works as well, I've used those.

[deranged chipmunk]

It was me. Pantyhose or a sponge on the filter inlet. I used to use those to keep juvie shrimp from being sucked into my filters

[elliotulysses]

It was me. Pantyhose or a sponge on the filter inlet. I used to use those to keep juvie shrimp from being sucked into my filters

Thank you for this suggestion! It will keep my filters strong and my anxieties over them much weaker.

[Heatheranne]

I use screen filter cut to size and zip tied around. Nice and black, unnoticeable.