Hi after some advice which filter is best for my 6x2x2, i have cut it down to these two because of price. the Sacem Marathon 2000 ltrs per hour or the OTTO 1800ltrs per hour.
both are good filters, but i would recommend replacing the media with seachem matrix or ehiem media
I recommend the OTTO over the seachem.
The OTTO has a more contstant flow and will be better rate when full of media.
The other recommendation is fill it just with bio balls insteadof the sponges and wool and noodles. This will keep the flow at its peak and also will be more biological filtration.
Joff
so what do you think about using a bag of carbon inside the filter?
Carbon is great for removing impurities out of your water, the only trouble is that it gets saturated very quickly. Saturated carbon can actually end up leaching out what it has absorbed!
My advice is only use carbon if you can change it regularly, like in a HOB filter.
thats my 2cents anyway!!
Agree with CQ on the carbon, cannisters are great and easy, stuff like carbon makes them a pain in the ass when you have to clean every month. Personally I would rather an aqua one 2200 or 2400 over any of these filters, I have one now and they are great. Or you could spend a little more and get the top dog, the Fluval FX5 which are sensational :wink:
I think if you are trying to get a good filter and not spend to much, I.E the aquaones or fluvals, the Otto is the pick of the bunch.
Comes with noodles, three layers of dacron & a huge sponge.
i have recently purchased an otto 1800l/ph for my 6x2x2 and could'nt be happier. it's very easy to maintain. i would also recommend chuking a bag of purigen in the filter. it keeps the water crystal clear and like carbon removes some impurities from the water but doesn't leach back in.
I currently have a CF1500 and a Fluval 4 INTERNAL but i seen a guys tank with the Otto 1500 lts per hour and it seemed to have more power and clearer water than mine. so thats why i wanted peoples thoughts because i`m thinking of updating. thanks for the tips guys.
Yea i would recommend the Otto, i got one only a last week from fishsupplies.com.au it arrived in just a few day, and was only about 180.
thanks guys i`m now thinking of the Otto.
Build a sump! I have one running on mine and it cranks! A 3500l/hr pump, and two milk crates full of media and the tank is crystal clear!
G'day Enviro,
Well mate, sounds the Otto is the way to go so all good. Like CQ-Pete said though, you could sump it if you were after optimal filtration. Pete's is actually a display aquarium in the house and sumped. Trofius mick in Rocky has a brilliant 8x2x2 sumped display in the house- so all depends on what you want to do mate, sorry to throw another thought into the mix.
Pete makes the best overflows you have seen so you don't have to drill the tanks if you want to as well so see how you go. I run a mix of both canisters and sumped systems and all sorts of things so just depends on what set-up time you want vs maintenance time as you could make one sweet sumped system for ~$200.
Good luck with the desicion champ, either way will be a well filtered tank.
Cheers mate,
Andrew.