# To much Filtration



## Aznpridedan20 (Mar 17, 2004)

well i was shopping around Big Al's for Maintenance supplies and i was looking at filters and i saw a Eheim 2026 Professional II. So i was wondering would it be to much filtration for my 29g? i have a Marineland Emperor 400 on it right now and it dose it's job fine. but it would be nice not to hear the damn thing (its not loud at all but not as quiet as my magnum 350) so i was wondering should i just keep what i have or upgrade to a Eheim? also would it be to much GPH for a 29g tank?


----------



## masterofdragons (Feb 1, 2005)

As most here will tell you there isn't really such a thing as too much filtration, however a filter that big will create too much current I think. Its been awhile since I checked out the eheims so it may not flow as much as I am thinking. If you are putting a bigger P in it you may not have problems, but smaller P's are likely to get overwhelmed by the current.


----------



## harrykaa (Jan 10, 2005)

Aznpridedan20 said:


> well i was shopping around Big Al's for Maintenance supplies and i was looking at filters and i saw a Eheim 2026 Professional II. So i was wondering would it be to much filtration for my 29g? i have a Marineland Emperor 400 on it right now and it dose it's job fine. but it would be nice not to hear the damn thing (its not loud at all but not as quiet as my magnum 350) so i was wondering should i just keep what i have or upgrade to a Eheim? also would it be to much GPH for a 29g tank?


Aznpridedan,

Eheim 2026 Pro II is meant tanks up to 92 gallons. It has a pump output of 250 gallons per hour empty and with filter media 170 gallons per hour. This is the smallest Pro II model (height 15").

In theory, if you have a 29 gallon tank with only reasonable amount of common decorative fishes, the 2026 biofilter is oversized for your purposes. This means that biofilter media could grow much more nitrification bacteria than your tank can provide as food for them. On the other hand it still works OK.

But if you plan to have a Serrasalmus piranha (note that a Pygo shoal needs much bigger tank, at least 150 gallons), the food it eats, produces greater amount of ammonia and phosphates than common decorative fishes. Then you should have more filtration capacity and an Eheim 2026 is a fine solution for you. Eheim is the most durable filter model you can get and a silent one.

Regards,


----------



## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Put the Eheim on it for a month, get a new tank and p, and put the emperor 400 on it


----------



## harrykaa (Jan 10, 2005)

jerry_plakyda said:


> Put the Eheim on it for a month, get a new tank and p, and put the emperor 400 on it.


jerry,

IMO Emperor 400 is only slightly bigger but not necessarily better solution than Eheim 2026. The flow rate is 400 gph (empty) as it is 250 with 2026. Note, what matters is the size of the canister where the bioballs are in.

The flow rate is not what matters. You see the bacteria (Nitrosomonas) must take up ammonia and oxidize it into nitrites first and then other bacteria (Nitrobacter) from nitrites into nitrates. This process is not faster when more water is circulated. Bacteria only need enough oxygen and carbon dioxide (autotrophs) and of course ammonia.

I personally do not have experience with E400, so I cannot say which one is more effective and more economical in the long run (over 10 years).

BTW, if he would put the Eheim 2060 in 29g tank for a month only, the bioballs would hardly have enough nitrification bacteria by then. Usually it takes 1-2 months for the full development of bacteria for the whole canister.

Regards,


----------

