The Puffer Forum

Hey guys! It's been quite a while.

I've been out of the fish keeping hobby for a few years and I'm now considering starting up a light brackish water setup for a Figure 8 and some Bumblebee Gobies. I've been doing a lot of reading up on different filtration schemes. The one that seems to suit me the most, in terms of quietness and ease of maintenance for the life of the set-up, is one proposed by RTR. His method includes using a pre-filtered canister for bio filtration only and including 1 or 2 other internal filters inside the aquarium for separate mechanical filtration only.

I was hoping to get some suggestions for a good internal filter for mechanical filtration only and additional controllable flow. It seems as though models on the market now have moved towards 3 stage filtration which, in this set-up, would not be necessary or desirable.

Proposed Equipment:

40 Gallon Breeder Aquarium (36"x18"x16")
Filter-Max II Pre-filter
Eheim Classic 2215
Coralife Bio Balls (RTR's recommended Dulpa Minikaskade are very hard to find online and when found is extremely expensive)
2 Internal Filters in the corners of the tank to provide mechanical filtration and to supplement flow. (Eheim Aquaball or Pickup would be ideal in my eyes but spare parts would be hard to find)

Any ideas or suggestions are welcomed.

A quick update for anyone interested, I purchased a 33 Long aquarium and returned the 40 breeder (longer footprint = more swimming room and easier maintenance). For internal mechanical filtration I have decided to go simple with 2 Maxi Jet 400's along with pre-filter sponges. Does anyone have experience with using these as mechanical filters?

Another update in case anyone wanted to know. The Maxi jet pumps with the pre-filter sponges work very well as mechanical filters. After setting up the tank, the ensuing cloudiness from the fine particles in the (pre-washed) sand was essentially cleared up in less than 24 hours. The tank became what I would call crystal clear in about 5 or 6 days. It is the simplest task to disconnect the sponges from the powerheads and rinse them under tap water. These are then left to dry and replaced by another set of sponges. The advantage to them is that I can control the current in the tank the way I want as well as having strong mechanical filtration. In cycling the tank and having the temp at 86 degrees F I can even temporarily attach the supplied venturi attachments for added aeration. I would highly recommend these to anyone looking for a small, cheap, versatile mechanical filter.