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Who says that a faster flow rate has to be on a “tiny filter”? Whether the flow rate is fast or slower/er the mechanical filtration area has to be sufficient. If a faster flow rate means more O2 this will reduce one limiting factor to bacterial population. Bacteria need three things a surface area, food (fish waste) and 02. The difference comes in with available O2. Slow flow rate = more contact time for bacteria to breakdown ammonia and nitrite.įast flow rate = less time but can be gotten next time through so in effect there little difference to bacteria contact time here. As a general rule, if you can increase your flow rate you will have a …”safer” tank, which stays cleaner with less effort from the hobbyist. After all, a slower flow rate will not kill the fish. Which ultimately means compromises have to be made, often with flow rates. Most people don’t have money flowing like a tank with good turn over. Most people put the best system together that they can afford. That’s not to say you can’t achieve a sufficient flow at lower rates, but at faster rates you create the potential to eliminate issues. A faster flow as apposed to slower will have other benefits as you mentioned for example the higher O2 rates, but there will also be less chance of temperature fluctuations with a faster flow, and more flow to the filters will mean more O2 to the bacteria = which will in turn = more denitrification. The reason that you keep hearing about high turnover rates (5-6 times per hour is what is usually mentioned and personally I don’t think that that is high) is if the particulate matter is kept in suspension, it will eventually go by the filter = out of the tank. Not a massive turnover through a tiny filter that clogs, preventing the media from doing its job (also this then drops the flow rate massively but at first glance the figures do look impressive on the side of the box). I believe in filters that have a low flow rate through the actual media. (Only one 6ft and one 5 foot tank have other filtration.) I use side drop filters in almost all of my 3, 4, 5 and 6 foot tanks. Yes it can be done but it does not need to be. Personally I am sick to death of hearing about high water turnover rates. I just think that a 2260 is overkill for this type of tank. Most Geo's in Australia will have no dramas at all coping with this water flow, but please keep in mind that the fish will spend a lot of time in the current produced, if it is from one end to the other. If they come from slow backwaters, as apposed to flowing rivers, you may want to rethink your flow rate. The only downside I could foresee is if a breeding pair decided to get down to it in a location where the water current washed the sperm away before it got to the eggs.Īlso, do some research on the areas that the Geos you are intending to keep. I have 9000 lph go back into my 900 litre Tropheus tank, and the fish revel in this flow, and anthropomorphically look to be playing. One blasting return will only have strong currents directly in the path it follows, and will soon slow down. A few pieces of wood (or what ever) will change currents, and allow the fish to select areas they are happy with. Having a lot of water go through your tank doesn’t mean you will be creating the watery equivalent of a wind tunnel. It is their environment after all, so if you want to go the one filter there is nothing wrong with that choice.Īs KIMO says, you can play around with how the return water goes back into the tank, even turn the spray bar around to face the wall. But never think fish can't handle water flow. I like the idea of two instead of one filter too, but really only due to the back-up benefits should one break down.