Loaches Online Forum

Hi,

I have a 2ft tank and already using 2 Eheim canisters for filtration.

I am thinking of starting a 2nd tank, community aquarium with tetras etc, probably a planted tank as well, this time 3ft custom build which will need more filtration. Looking at some LFS, I see that some tanks have a separate compartment within the tank itself for filtration. One tank had a fake rock wall along the back of the tank and behind it would be a absolutely huge space for filter media.

May I seek this website advice:

What are the pros and cons of having a filter compartment inside the tank versus regular canister filter? The obvious one, less space for fish, I have no problems as 3ft is big enough for my needs.

Which such a massive space(lets say create a partition using fake rock wall), how does one load the media into it in a way that facilitates easy maintenance. Do you just dump media bags in or are there specially designed filter baskets (then I might need to find out the dimensions to ensure that they fit)

Thanks a lot!

In my eyes the big advantage is that no water will leave the tank. hoses can become unstuck, after all.

An internal filter can be placed along one of the side walls, or along the back. What's best? That depends. It might sound odd, but fish also need some privacy, and that translates into a tank needing to be at least 30 cm (a foot) from front to back. If you install a filter along the back wall in a 30 cm broad tank, the tank will become to thin for your fishes.

But, if that problem is solved, the tank is 40 cm (1 ft 4) it will not matter much. Still, from a maintenance point of view, I have 12 tanks, 11 with an internal filter, all on the left or right hand side.