Habitat - Indoor :: Question for Canister filter owners

[elwray]

I just bought a Magnum 350 canister filter for my 75 gal tank, which is currently home to 2 RES's and a handful of minnows. It's full; 75 gallons with an ATBA. It's replacing a powerhead+fluidized bed filter. I wasn't happy with the powerhead setup since the motor was BEFORE the filtration so it was getting clogged before it could filter, and I didn't want to pump solid waste into the fluidized bed filter. I like that the Magnum works as a sump so the solid wastes are filtered out BEFORE they hit the motor!

I've also got a HOB Penguin 350 Biowheel filter on there as well.

Since the Magnum comes with a carbon box AND a cartridge filter, I was wondering what you'd opted to use - cartridge or carbon?

I've read that the carbon is basically a lost cause on RES's since it can't keep up. Would you agree with that? The HOB filter has carbon in it as well, but they clog up so fast I was considering using that just for the biowheels and to help circulate the water. Plus those carbon sleeves start impeding flow within about a week, and that's really starting to add up money-wise

In the Magnum, the carbon box also uses a fairly thick filter floss for mechanical filtration, which I like. But I'm wondering if the cartridge will be a better fit for the turtles?

PS I put in about a dozen minnows yesterday evening - there are now 7!

[pickerbp22]

i use carbon in my magnum 350. but honestly ive tried everything with it i need to get a upgrade. i have a fx5 on my 125 gal and its amazing. i think im gonna get another fx5 for my 80 gallon. i think a magnum 350 would be good on a 80 gallon tank if it was just fish. but i guess turtles are a little too messy.

[elwray]

Oh wow, that's a whole lot of filter you got there!

Do you have any fish in with the turtles? I've actually found that the tank stays cleaner longer when there are a few fish in there - I think they eat the extra food that the turtles don't get to.

Either way, the turtles haven't been in their new home very long yet so I'll keep an eye on how the carbon works then change to the cartridge.

Worst comes to worst I have to pick up a bigger filter... which will bump the Magnum to the 55 gallon tank that I have yet to set up! That's a good excuse to have another aquarium!