Frequent Aquarium Questions

• I am looking for a self-contained UV sterilizer that hangs on the tank with no hoses nor pumps. Do you know of any?
  
  
• How deep should the gravel be on a undergravel filter?
  
  
• I have a 125 gallon cichlid tank. What flow rate should I look for when purchasing a new canister filter?
  
  
• I have a Marineland Magnum 350 canister filter with 2 biowheels. Does this setup provide enough aeration or do I need another piece of equipment for that?
  
  
• Can I set up a canister filter directly to my wet/dry instead of using gravity/siphon?
  
  
• I have my fish in a bowl with no filtration. Just a couple pebbles. Approximately how long will he live in this condition?
  
  
• Will my canister filter be OK to use on my new saltwater tank?
  
  
• I added an Eheim 2260 for extra filtration on my reef tank. Is there such a thing as too much bacterial filtration?
  
  
• I am setting up a 30 gallon saltwater aquarium. I have a Via Aqua Multiskimmer Right now all I have on/in the tank is the water, powerhead and the Multiskimmer. I've noticed that the water has a film on the surface which is not being removed. How can I clear the surface up?
  
  
• After 2 weeks into set-up/cycling, I changed from an undergravel filter to a powerfilter. Do I need to remove the plates under the gravel?
  
  

• I am looking for a self-contained UV sterilizer that hangs on the tank with no hoses nor pumps. Do you know of any?
  
  There are hang-on models like the units from Coralife. However, you will still need a small pump or powerhead to feed water through the unit.
  
  Top
  
  
  
• How deep should the gravel be on a undergravel filter?
  
  You should try for a depth of 3".
  
  Top
  
  
  
• I have a 125 gallon cichlid tank. What flow rate should I look for when purchasing a new canister filter?
  
  I would try to purchase a filter that can turn over your tank at least 4 times per hour.
  
  Top
  
  
  
• I have a Marineland Magnum 350 canister filter with 2 biowheels. Does this setup provide enough aeration or do I need another piece of equipment for that?
  
  Assuming that your tank is not that tall, you should be fine with your current setup.
  
  Top
  
  
  
• Can I set up a canister filter directly to my wet/dry instead of using gravity/siphon?
  
  You can do this if you kept the water level in the wet/dry high enough and you were using a canister filter with the pump/motor on the bottom.
  
  Top
  
  
  
• I have my fish in a bowl with no filtration. Just a couple pebbles. Approximately how long will he live in this condition?
  
  If the fish is a Betta, he has a greater chance of survival. Most other fish require filtration or at least a thicker substrate(gravel) to grow beneficial biological bacteria. No matter what filtration you have, you will still need to perform regualar water changes.
  
  Top
  
  
  
• Will my canister filter be OK to use on my new saltwater tank?
  
  I canister filter could be used as the main filter in a saltwater setup, but it would not be the best choice. Most people use them in conjuction with other forms of filtration in a saltwater setup.
  
  Top
  
  
  
• I added an Eheim 2260 for extra filtration on my reef tank. Is there such a thing as too much bacterial filtration?
  
  A properly set up reef tank, will only utilize the nitrifying bacteria that populates the liverock to help reduce nitrate build-up. This is the reason that sumps will be void of bio-material and be called "berlin filters." It is a matter of opinion if you want to use the Eheim for added current, mechanical, and chemical filtration.
  
  Top
  
  
  
• I am setting up a 30 gallon saltwater aquarium. I have a Via Aqua Multiskimmer Right now all I have on/in the tank is the water, powerhead and the Multiskimmer. I've noticed that the water has a film on the surface which is not being removed. How can I clear the surface up?
  
  In short the film on your surface is there due to their not being adequete water flow in the tank. Try using another powerhead, or re-directing your existing one to break up the surface.
  
  Top
  
  
  
• After 2 weeks into set-up/cycling, I changed from an undergravel filter to a powerfilter. Do I need to remove the plates under the gravel?
  
  No you do not need to remove the undergravel filter if you do not want to. I would be aware however that by switching your type of filtration mid-cycling you have set back the process due to the bacterial growth necesary for the cycling of a tank existing heavily on your filter media with flow going through it
  
  Top