# Looking For Add-on Filter



## leomessi (Feb 25, 2010)

I have a Fluval U2 Internal Filter, but I'm looking for a second, smaller hang-on power filter. Aqua Clear and the Marineland Penguin seem to be the most popular choices. Any suggestions?


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

I use AC in my tanks smaller than 35G


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## tebore (Jan 3, 2010)

If you run an air pump you should just add a sponge filter at the end of you air stone. 

They work great in adding filtration in any tank there's basically no additional running cost to them either. The benefits to sponge filters are countless.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

tebore said:


> If you run an air pump you should just add a sponge filter at the end of you air stone.
> 
> They work great in adding filtration in any tank there's basically no additional running cost to them either. The benefits to sponge filters are countless.


I 2nd the Sponge filter idea

I'm not a fan of the internal filters


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I tend to go big. If you have a 20-30 gallon tank, I would go with the Aqua Clear 110. You get lots of in-tank water motion without a powerhead, awesome bio-capacity (use two sponges, forget replacing any media, just rinse the bottom sponge and move the top one down, reorder them at each cleaning).

I use Aqua Clear 70 or 110 on my 20-30gs. I use Aqua Clear 50 or 70, on my 10-15gs. DON'T go smaller than the AC 50.

A sponge filter on an airstone is fine for a 5 gallon or a lightly stocked fry tank, but horribly under-sized for a 10 gallon community tank or larger. A large sponge on a powerhead is a great choice for a larger fry tank. Go HOB or Cannister on all your non-fry tanks, and forget about in-tank filters. 

W


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

The benefits of a sponge filter is not the removal capability as much is that it adds oxygen to the water and contains a great deal of beneficial bacteria so when you clean your canister filter it doesn't upset the tank balance as much. you rotate cleaning. Many serious Discus people only run sponge filters and if you maintain a high quality of water you can keep anything with just a sponge. The sponge handles the biological need in this case.

WC are the key to keeping and breeding healthy fish.

IMO


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Ah. Sponge filters are for me something I keep around, cycled and ready to go, but not my primary filter in any of my tanks. I'm a weekly water changer, not a daily, and a community and malawi cichlid keeper, not an intentional breeder. (Except for species that breed readily like livebearers, and certain easy-to-care-for-and-breed cichlids like my yellow labs, which are happy and make babies without me doing much other than feed them and change 25% of their water weekly)

W


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## tebore (Jan 3, 2010)

I wouldn't rely on 1 filter alone. If one fails you could be in trouble plus it doesn't hurt to over filter. 

I have a power filter and a sponge filter. I notice both have a good amount of debris in them when I go to rinse them in tank water. 

I still think if you have an airstone you might as well put it to work instead of just looking nice.


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## leomessi (Feb 25, 2010)

i bought a tetra whisper a week ago and it works really well as a second filter. i do about 25% water change every 2-3 days to keep the hc and the glossos happy.


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## shrtmann (Feb 15, 2009)

i use a Penguin 220 (i think) and an AC110 on my 75g tank...the 110definately creates quite a bit of flow plus it has a lot of space for filter media....I like the penguin filters a little better tho as they dont cause so much of a water disturbance when re-entering tank


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

"Not much water disturbance" could be a bad thing. After all Oxygen enters your tank at the surface of the water, and the more it is "disturbed" the healthier your fish will be. The fluval cannister filters have a spray outlet, and the eheim cannisters have a spray bar for this very reason.

W


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## shrtmann (Feb 15, 2009)

Very True Khuli altho i guess what i meant was the splashing and all especially when my water level starts to dip ( I have an open tank right now) and the penguin has a little outcropping on the return for the water to kind of hit it insdtead of just dropping straight into the water like the AC110 does


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I once tried to make a ledge for the AC110 outflow to run over and drip through. The idea being to provide a rain-shower into my tank. A piece of fine grid plastic like they use for rug-hooking crafts would work great for that. I'm curious if that many small drops of water would be a less noisy way to get incredible surface-to-air oxygen exchange.

W


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