Habitat - Indoor :: Second Canister Filter

[sollord]

I'm looking for a filter to add onto my existing Fluval 405 which seems to be dieing as it not doing as good a job as it was when I first got it. I replaced all the media save for one basket of biomax and the water pretty blah still the water test show I've got a high nitrate level and hard water. I'm thinking of getting an Eheim canister filter but I'm not sure which one to pick up. I've got a 60gallon tank now and I'm going up to an 85gallon this summer so I want to add more filtration anyways.

I was running 4 biomax and 4 carbon but now I'm running the setup below now.
Top - 2 Bio Max
Top Middle -2 Bio Max
Bottom Middle - 1 Zeo-Carb and 1 Polisher Pad
Bottom - 2 Prefilter ceramic rings

Would this negatively impact my water quality?

[Mauk]

Maybe the impeller needs replacing?

[seanwb]

An extra filter will do nothing for nitrates and hard water.

Nitrates are at the end of the cycle, and are kept under control with regular water changes. The only other solution is to put one of the many nitrate removal products in your filter. If RES were les destructive, then a nicley planted aquarium would reduce nitrates.

Also how high is high? Whilst ammonia and nitrite should be at zero, nitrates need not be.

As for the hard water, you are stuck with it unless you buy a water softener. I have not seen anyone suggesting that RES are any less happy in hard water, but prehaps other may have some input.

If the pump is still pumping water arround at the same rate, and is not noisy, then the impellor should be OK.

When you are moving to the larger tank, I would get an Eheim with similar performance to the 405, and use one at each end. In my experience Eheims are worth the extra money as they are a good long term buy.

[Rubicon]

I second the motion to replace the impeller or whatever that thing is. The local fish store here has a replacement for almost every filter out there. So there must be a place locally.