Looking for the best all-around solution for 210G filtering

[Luciferkrist]

Been looking around the internet lately and I am getting all sorts of conflicting and subjective information about filtration. I will be receiving a 210G some time this month and am still not quite sure what I will ultimately do with it stocking wise, but I wanted to get the less glamorous parts before it arrives. I am not certain if setting up a sump, canister, couple of massive HOBs, or a small army of sponges will be the best route. My previous experience with tanks has only been with HOBs and sponge filters, but I wanted to be able to place my cabinet flush to the wall, so I don't think I can make HOBs work, I worry about flow rates if I try to do sponge filters, I have no experience on how sumps ever work for freshwater, and I hear nothing but horror stories about canister cleaning and price. I am even thinking about trying to make a DIY filter system using a submersible water pump and few feet of PVC with eggcrate meshes to hold in media...

 

So, I put it out to my fellow fishheads - What does your experience tell you for similar tanks? Which options are the most adaptable, or should I look into some combination of them. I know I will probably end up with at least a (relatively) small sponge filter for nothing else than to aerate the tank.

 

Right now I am leaning into a canister; Fluval FX6 or 2 of their smaller ones like 407s, but my lack of experience is making me unsure if either would be appropriate, so any advice or expertise is appreciated!

 

Thanks!

[anewbie]

I would suggest one of three solutions (there is no best):

1) matten filter or sponge filter (matten filter is basically a large sponge filter)

2) sump

3) pair of fx6 (you would probably need two but a bit depend on your stocking)

-

Filtration is of course a tricky thing because there are three aspect to filtration - mechanical - bio - and flow and what you need partially depends on the type of fish. Some type actually require quite strong flow and very clean water - other are not so picky and hate flow. Flow is also related to oxygen level.

[jamieterrin]

pathos LOTS of it!

[Wrencher_Scott]

On 8/7/2022 at 5:24 AM, Luciferkrist said:

Been looking around the internet lately and I am getting all sorts of conflicting and subjective information about filtration. I will be receiving a 210G some time this month and am still not quite sure what I will ultimately do with it stocking wise, but I wanted to get the less glamorous parts before it arrives. I am not certain if setting up a sump, canister, couple of massive HOBs, or a small army of sponges will be the best route. My previous experience with tanks has only been with HOBs and sponge filters, but I wanted to be able to place my cabinet flush to the wall, so I don't think I can make HOBs work, I worry about flow rates if I try to do sponge filters, I have no experience on how sumps ever work for freshwater, and I hear nothing but horror stories about canister cleaning and price. I am even thinking about trying to make a DIY filter system using a submersible water pump and few feet of PVC with eggcrate meshes to hold in media...

 

So, I put it out to my fellow fishheads - What does your experience tell you for similar tanks? Which options are the most adaptable, or should I look into some combination of them. I know I will probably end up with at least a (relatively) small sponge filter for nothing else than to aerate the tank.

 

Right now I am leaning into a canister; Fluval FX6 or 2 of their smaller ones like 407s, but my lack of experience is making me unsure if either would be appropriate, so any advice or expertise is appreciated!

 

Thanks!

A large sump filled with K1 media. 

If it's not plumbed for a sump then 2 huge canisters filler with K1 or coarse foam. 

Oh, and a couple good size air pumps and air stones. 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by Wrencher_Scott

[Patrick_G]

I’d say go for a sump if you can have it drilled beforehand and if budget allows. Set it up so you can plumb an auto water change or at least a plumbed water change with an overflow. Manually changing 50 gallons of water won’t be fun. 
@OnlyGenusCaps has some good advice on sumps.

On 8/7/2022 at 5:53 AM, anewbie said:

 

I would suggest one of three solutions (there is no best):

1) matten filter or sponge filter (matten filter is basically a large sponge filter)

2) sump

3) pair of fx6 (you would probably need two but a bit depend on your stocking)

 

Yes, I really like the look of the corner matten filters you run.
If the OP is under budget constraints I think that would be a great option. Powerheads could be added later if more flow is necessary. 

[lefty o]

on something that big, i say sump. wish my 120 had a sump.

[Luciferkrist]

The tank is going to be a 'reef ready' from Aqueon, so it has the corner overflows and a good chunk of the plumbing. I am going to be stopping by my LFS this weekend to price things out. 

 

Thanks for the replies so far, I am getting a bit more confident in what I am going to need. 

[Luciferkrist]

On 8/7/2022 at 9:30 AM, jamieterrin said:

pathos LOTS of it!

Lol! I am honestly thinking about adding some terrestrial plants off the rear once it gets cycled and stocked. But I have cats, so no pathos, but I have been eyeing aluminum plants, since my fish room as already silver/grey.

[nabokovfan87]

I'd take a 75-90G or larger and make a sump.  I don't think you'll have what you really want without doing that.

[face]

first off i would say there is no best filter they all have pros and cons you could randomly choose one and it can be made to work so its really what's most important to you

for example i went with canisters for my 120 i did this because i needed good filtration (keeping an oscar) didn't want to use an internal filter sponge or undergravel fish would brake them  didn't want the extra waght and evaporation from a sump and the tank was to close to the wall for hang on back filters and i didn't want them on the sides so canisters it was annoying cleaning i can live with(its not that bad) 

that said i like  the idea of a sump if not just to keep the heaters away from the fish i can't stand heaters lol just make sure your stand has enough room underneath.

[anewbie]

On 8/7/2022 at 6:27 PM, Luciferkrist said:

The tank is going to be a 'reef ready' from Aqueon, so it has the corner overflows and a good chunk of the plumbing. I am going to be stopping by my LFS this weekend to price things out. 

 

Thanks for the replies so far, I am getting a bit more confident in what I am going to need. 

For sump you can use something cheap like a 40B or 55. You can then get some socks for the inflow and some large sponges for filtration media. The sponge should be cut so it is a couple of inches shorter than the tank and set 40ppi to 20 or 10 ppi from left to right (in case this is not clear the sponges should be like thick pieces of paper cut to the width of the sump tank so you can set them as vertical slices. The water comes in at one end and passes through the 40ppi and then decreasing thickness of sponges eventually reaching the end of the tank where pumps return the water to the tank. If the sponges clog the water will flow over the top to the next stage. You can then pull the sponge out clean it and then replace it. Sponge is excellent for mechanical and biological filtering - the socks will collect larger items before it hits the sponge so they should be cleaned on a regular basis. The sponge should be as thick as an inch or so. You should have at least 4 slices but more is ok. The pump at the end should return between 500 and 2000 gph depending on desired flow level. You will probably want 2 or 3 pumps. If noise is a concern you can look at more expensive dc models.

Edited August 8, 2022 by anewbie

[jamieterrin]

On 8/7/2022 at 7:08 PM, Luciferkrist said:

Lol! I am honestly thinking about adding some terrestrial plants off the rear once it gets cycled and stocked. But I have cats, so no pathos, but I have been eyeing aluminum plants, since my fish room as already silver/grey.

What is wrong with cats and pathos?

I'm a big fan of hydroponic style filters, might as well grow some tomatoes 

 

 

 

[Wrencher_Scott]

On 8/8/2022 at 8:34 AM, jamieterrin said:

What is wrong with cats and pathos?

I'm a big fan of hydroponic style filters, might as well grow some tomatoes 

 

 

 

It's toxic to dogs and cats. 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 8/7/2022 at 4:01 PM, Patrick_G said:

I’d say go for a sump

My ears are burning.  Is someone talking about sumps?!  😲

Hi @Luciferkrist.  A 210G?!  That's a nice sized tank!  I don't think anyone takes the plunge on a tank that size without interest and thought.  Congrats on the new tank! 

I have a few larger tanks.  My smallest tank is only 20G, but my largest is 300.  I'll admit I am partial to sumps (which I can explain another time in general terms if you like), but there were a few things in your previous posts that led me to think a sump is likely the right option for you.

On 8/7/2022 at 7:24 AM, Luciferkrist said:

am still not quite sure what I will ultimately do with it stocking wise

Sumps offer the greatest flexibility, allowing you to modify the filtration to suit your stocking as it changes.

On 8/7/2022 at 7:24 AM, Luciferkrist said:

I wanted to be able to place my cabinet flush to the wall

When drilled through the bottom, sumps allow for flush fit to walls.

On 8/7/2022 at 7:24 AM, Luciferkrist said:

I hear nothing but horror stories about canister cleaning and price.

Sumps can less expensive than cans, easier to maintain, and have few points of failure.

On 8/7/2022 at 6:27 PM, Luciferkrist said:

The tank is going to be a 'reef ready' from Aqueon, so it has the corner overflows and a good chunk of the plumbing.

You are likely already setup for a sump to be a fairly easy installation.

On 8/7/2022 at 7:24 AM, Luciferkrist said:

I have no experience on how sumps ever work for freshwater

This can easily be fixed, and why forums like this are so wonderful. 

So, I have sumps on all of my display tanks.  All the way down to 42G.  I'd put them on smaller displays too if I had them - if I had, say, a nano cube, it would have a nano sumo too.  That said, there are other solutions that will function the same for the health of the fish.  If you didn't already have a reef ready rank with corner weirs, I would say the corner mattens with quality Jetlifters (never get knock-offs, don't skimp, nothing moves water like the original - I know from experience) could do the trick.  But for you to get them to work with that tank, you'd have to rip out the corner weirs.  Which seems a bit silly to me.  Plus, if there are predrilled holes, you'd have to seal them.  Speaking of... 

Quick questions:  Is the tank predrilled?  If so, are the holes on the bottom or in the back?  How many holes does each corner weir have drilled?  If not, then the discussion gets into whether you feel comfortable drilling - I presume - glass. 

Anyhow, if you are interested in exploring putting in a sump on this tank, I'm happy to walk through the process of investigating this as an option with you, and if the you do decide to install a sump, I'll be happy to walk through the process with you for your tank and needs.  Depending on how "reef ready" your tank is, it might be pretty easy.  The big down side to sumps is they are a bit more work up front (I mean it's hard to beat, plunk in sponge, attach air, done), but I feel the upsides, particularly for display tanks, far outweigh the added effort. 

[Mmiller2001]

Eheim AEH2262380 Filter for Model 2262-38 with Valves for Aquarium https://a.co/d/1Suk5oJ

I'd probably run 2 of these.

Edited August 8, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[Cheryl P.]

I have a 220g running one FX6 canister filter.  I got a great deal on a second FX6 and bought it because I kept hearing about how the fish I have need more filtration.  It's still sitting in the box because the first one is doing just fine.

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 8/7/2022 at 7:08 PM, Luciferkrist said:

Lol! I am honestly thinking about adding some terrestrial plants off the rear once it gets cycled and stocked. But I have cats, so no pathos, but I have been eyeing aluminum plants, since my fish room as already silver/grey.

I forgot to mention that with a sump you can have your cats and pothos too.  You just setup up an emergent refigium in the sump under the cabinet.  Problem solved. 

[Luciferkrist]

Thank you everyone for your input! It definitely made me help my decision.

After my trip today I decided, after discussing my stocking options, with an FX6 - for now. Yes, only 1, but I can always grab another one once I get through the establishing of the cycles and scapings. The crew at my LFS showed me their 400g Saltwater with only 1 FX6, and how they only run 6 canisters for ALL of their display tanks in the store - and I think we all know how overstocked those usually are! But a couple of them warned me about keeping an eye on overall water flow in the tank more than just what is going through the can. That being said, they showed me all I would need to 'upgrade' to a sump system if it becomes necessary. Basically, if I keep my stocking on the lower side with larger fish I may not need it and it is only a days work to add a sump.

[Brandon p]

Sump is the best and easy to make your own for cheap. To buy one is super expensive. I think they are more set and forget. At 210 most people choose to go with a canister due to ease of entry. They can do a fine job but  the sump offers so many more options. You will be good either way the canister could need more maintenance.