# 55 Gal. Tank Filtration Help



## opkc (Apr 19, 2009)

Hi everybody. I bought the Top Fin 55 gal kit about 4 years ago. It's been running since then and the Top fin 60 filter is just awful. I have also neglected it a lot, and do do water changes less then i should, but i have picked up my interest again. Currently i have:
1 pleco
2 Silver dollars
1 clown loach
and 1 fish i'm not very sure of...

Anyway where i'm trying to get at is I am planning on doing a major tank overhall. The pleco is going in a small lake the owners are o.k. and the others all have homes. I plan on getting a community tank. any filter suggestions? do i need two? any help would be great, thanks! ( i"ll see if i can get a picture of the unkown fish, i'm curious to see what it is.)


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## Mr. Puffer (Mar 26, 2007)

It all depends on what you plan to keep in the tank and the amount of filtration they need. Some people say the tank should be turned 10 times an hour, but I only have a 330gph Wet/Dry trickle sump on mine and I find it to be more then enough filtration.

There are also many options to go with. The common option is a HoB or Hang on the Back filter. This is what most go with, and sounds like you have... For these Marineland Bio-Wheels or my choice the Aquaclears are great filters. Or you could go with a good canister filter which is quiet and very efficient. I've never used one but I think most go with Eheim or Fluval. Or you could go the route I took and build a Wet/Dry sump.

For the sump there are many websites out there with great ideas for a Wet/Dry trickle sump for a FW setup. I just googled DIY Wet/Dry sump and read a few pages on different ideas people had and ended up planning out and building mine. As for an overflow I just googled DIY PVC Overflow and built one of the cookie cutter 3/4" overflows. My system is very quiet and flows 330gph and is capable of 600gph if I wanted to add my other overflow.

But yeah I would do more reading and research into the different kinds of filtration. Then I would settle on if you want to plant, and what types of fish you plan on keeping. Some fish are ridiculously messy and need increased filtration so until you know exactly what your plans are for the tank I would do some reading and planning.

Good Luck!


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Could both of yall post the size of your tanks?

TR


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## Mr. Puffer (Mar 26, 2007)

55g with a 20g sump


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

just go overkill, get an emperor 400, it's cheap and it's good. that's run on my new 55gal.


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## Mr. Puffer (Mar 26, 2007)

Actually an emperor 400 isn't overkill on a 55... especially if you have oscars or some other very messy fish.

Most suggest the tank turning 10x an hour, and the emperor 400 only turns a 55 just under 8 times an hour. Its all based off how and what you stock though...


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I agreed with that Mr. Puffer. I like to put 2 emperor 400s on a crowded cichlid tank, or one emperor and one HOT magnum. Opkc, it all depends on what you keep. I think you can do with less flow if you have a large volume filter, such as a sump. And high flow can be hard on a planted tank and blow away betta bubble nests. But many river fish love a lot of current and extra filtration only hurts your electric bill. I always suggest at least 2 filters on all tanks. You can keep using the top fin as a backup unless it gets really loud or intermittently quits. I usually see recommended ranges of 4X-10X. Personally, I like 10X +, but I keep big, messy fish. Generally buy a filter for the next size tank up. But a 70 gallon tank filter for 55. A 55 filter for a 30. Etc.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Mr. Puffer said:


> Most suggest the tank turning 10x an hour, and the emperor 400 only turns a 55 just under 8 times an hour. Its all based off how and what you stock though...


MP and Folks:

Please keep in mind here that the actual turnover is probably like 60% to 70% of the rated turnover.

TR


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## tcarswell (Jun 2, 2009)

I own a similar kit came with a top fin 60 as well. These filters really offer no biological filtration apart from the gauze itself really. The filter frame is not gonna hold a bio load big enough for 2 guppies really. I would suggest just stuffing the bags in the top fin with filter floss as I have done and let it be a great mechanical filter(they move a lot of water) And getting a second filter with adequate bio. Just my .02 The aqua clear series would be great or an eheim classic filter (I run 2 of these full time on 2 of my tanks they are bullet proof.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

you have a 55 gallon tank..an emperor 400 is not enough filtration..2 would be ok.. but not 1...filtration should be a turnover rate of 10x per hour.. so that would be 550 GPH..


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## BrienCharles (Dec 5, 2009)

I am also setting up a new 55 gallon tank (with cichlids) and I have two Emperor 400's. I was thinking about just using one Emperor 400; however, after reading this article, I am going to run both filters. In addition, I am also going to run a marineland maxi jet 900 powerhead. Does this sound like a good setup or is this too much? Thanks!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

It sounds fine to me. What are putting on the powerhead? If I have a spare powerhead I stick in on an undergravel filter (yes I still have a few old-tech tanks) or on a pond-size Hydro-sponge. But the coolest use I've seen for them involves water pipe under the gravel, intakes (maybe with sponge pre-filters) on one end of the tank, and the powerhead(s) at the other making a continuous, one-way current for fish that like it (such as hill stream loaches).


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## BrienCharles (Dec 5, 2009)

emc7 said:


> It sounds fine to me. What are putting on the powerhead? If I have a spare powerhead I stick in on an undergravel filter (yes I still have a few old-tech tanks) or on a pond-size Hydro-sponge. But the coolest use I've seen for them involves water pipe under the gravel, intakes (maybe with sponge pre-filters) on one end of the tank, and the powerhead(s) at the other making a continuous, one-way current for fish that like it (such as hill stream loaches).


I am not sure what I am going to use with the powerhead? Can I use an airstone or use the powerhead alone? I do not have an underground filter or sponge filter. Do I need to use the powerhead with the two emperor 400's? Or should I just run one emperor and the powerhead, without the additional 400 filter? Thanks for the help.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You can run a powerhead with just the screen over the intake. That works fine, but you have to clean the intake off when the flow weakens. If you put a sponge pre-filter over the intake gives you more time between cleaning and add a little biological filtration. I would buy a HP filter for ~ $10 and add a lot of biological filtration for very little more money. http://jehmco.com/html/hydro-sponge_filters.html 

There are only a few reasons not to use a powerhead: Still water fish act stressed in current, the current is raising your tank temperature too high (pumps always produce heat) you are turning off everything you can to save electricity (I would prob. tell you to leave the light off and run the pump), your powerhead needs a new impeller and thus is annoyingly loud. 

A powerhead by itself is not a filter, it acts like an airstone to oxygenate the water by moving it around. But to make it count as a filter, you need to pull water through filter media (like gravel or sponge). 

Is there some reason you don't want to run the second 400 (i.e. won't fit, its noisy)?


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## BrienCharles (Dec 5, 2009)

Thanks for the help. I am going to stock the tank with cichlids. I can run both Emperor 400's without any problems (they both fit and are quiet). If I run both 400's and the powerhead is that too much?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

For cichlids? Absolutely not.


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## BrienCharles (Dec 5, 2009)

Thanks for the information and advice. I am going to run both my Emperor 400s and my powerhead with a sponge filter. Thanks again!


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