filter for a 50 gallon.

[tenaj-6]

im ready to get my 50 going but i need to get a filter. what gph should i be using?? also my substrate is sand.

[lohachata]

aquaclear 110..rated at 428 GPH...a hair short on the turnover rate;but still adequate....gives you the advantage of being able to "easily" use bags of peat to acidify and soften the water..or carbon to remove staining and discolorations from meds...even comes with a bag of carbon and a bag of bio-beads...

[tenaj-6]

thanks. ill see if i can get my hands on one of them

[trashion]

I agree with loha's recommendation. I love my Aquaclear, it's virtually silent.

[COM]

I'd suggest a canister filter for your tank or a pair of Emperor 400s.

I have an Aquaclear on one of my tanks. It is silent but I have found it not running on more than occasion, and it's fairly new. It has an adjustable flow that is controlled by moving the intake pipe left to right which seems a little problematic. If you do go with an Aquaclear, keep an eye on it.

[tenaj-6]

what is a canister filter?

[FishHead]

I would say grab a RENA canister filter if you can afford it.

[euRasian32]

Hagen Fluval canisters are great if you're on a budget.

[emc7]

what is a canister filter?

A canister filter is an outside filter that has a big, enclosed filter and pump and two long hoses. They are quieter than hang-on-back filters because you don't get the "waterfall" noise if you put the return hose under the water. If you have a stand with a enclosed area underneath, you can put a canister filter out-of-sight which will also muffle the sound of the pump. Canisters can also be moved to the sink for cleaning without draining the water out. In general, canisters take longer to clean than HOBs, but need cleaning less often. Canisters general cost more than hang-on-backs also.

For any filter in a tank with sand, its important to keep the sand away from the impeller (the part the spins and actually moves the water).

Putting the filter intake several inches above the sand and covering it with a piece of filter sponge will hopefully stop the sand from getting in any filter.

With canister filter with the impeller in the lid (like a fluval), and sand that gets in the filter will pass through the impeller and settle on the bottom of the filter. When sand gets in a filters that has the impeller at the bottom of the filter (like Magnums) sand gets between the impeller and the housing (where the impeller sits). There it will either jam the impeller and stop the water flow, or slowly grind groves into the housing or impeller causing the filter to get noisy and less effective.

If you have the money, I'd recommend a canister filter with a top impeller with a 500 gph rating.

[tenaj-6]

thanks a lot ill probably get a canister filter. seems the best option.

[COM]

I'd recommend that you get yourself a nice Eheim canister filter. They're viewed to be the best, just like one of those window companies.

[akangelfood]

Fluval makes a nice canister filter as well, I use that on one of my 55 gallon tanks. It's absolutely silent and streamlined, canisters are great like that.

If you want a HOB filter, I agree with an Emperor 400. I run that (and a 280 because I'm anal like that) on the other 55 gallon and have been very impressed by the performance I get from it.

Best of luck!