40g breeder

[TxReefer21]

Was going to do a JBJ45 but decided to do my own 40g breeder with sump maybe. Or go filterless and just do water changes. Or a hob let me know your suggestions or throw some pictures of your set up! I need advice and inspiration. !

 

[Sebastiancrab]

See my build thread. I have also run a FOWLR 29 gal with a Tidal Filter HOB as well as an Eheim canister. I am sold on using my Reef Octopus protein skimmer with a sump.

 

[adittam]

Check out my build thread as well if you want inspiration for a sumpless setup. You have to stay on top of your water changes and filter cleanings, but the fluval 407 canister is a piece of cake to take down, clean and get back up running again.

 

[TxReefer21]

See my build thread. I have also run a FOWLR 29 gal with a Tidal Filter HOB as well as an Eheim canister. I am sold on using my Reef Octopus protein skimmer with a sump.

I wanna be simple lol honestly trying to avoid all the plumbing and the sump if I’m being honest. Check out this

 

[TxReefer21]

Check out my build thread as well if you want inspiration for a sumpless setup. You have to stay on top of your water changes and filter cleanings, but the fluval 407 canister is a piece of cake to take down, clean and get back up running again.

Yeah I was looking into canister filters but i dont know yet as they can be a hidden nitrate box lol I was looking also at the seachem tidal SeaChem Large Aquarium Fish Tank Filter, Tidal 55 Gallon (200 Liters) by Sicce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6Z59E9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_9656NW0TMY3EJ6ZQVXS8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[adittam]

I wanna be simple lol honestly trying to avoid all the plumbing and the sump if I’m being honest. Check out this

That’s exactly why I went sumpless. Lots of people here will tell you canister filters are bad ideas, but part of that is because you have to stay on a strict filter cleaning schedule to make them work, and so many canister filters are a PITA to clean or prime. The Fluval 407 is neither of those things.

 

[TxReefer21]

That’s exactly why I went sumpless. Lots of people here will tell you canister filters are bad ideas, but part of that is because you have to stay on a strict filter cleaning schedule to make them work, and so many canister filters are a PITA to clean or prime. The Fluval 407 is neither of those things.

Yeah I’ve used a fluval canister filter on my cichlid tank they are very easy to break down and clean out.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

That’s exactly why I went sumpless. Lots of people here will tell you canister filters are bad ideas, but part of that is because you have to stay on a strict filter cleaning schedule to make them work, and so many canister filters are a PITA to clean or prime. The Fluval 407 is neither of those things.

Good to hear. I may get a 107 Fluval for my freshwater tank when needed. My Eheim is a pain to clean.

 

[adittam]

Good to hear. I may get a 107 Fluval for my freshwater tank when needed. My Eheim is a pain to clean.

I’d go with a 207 if you have room for it. It’s really nice to have the extra room for media and the extra flow of the bigger pump.

 

[xAndrewx]

I have a 30 breeder and I use an aquaclear HOB with a picO aquarium systems surface skimmer. I run carbon in a media bag and some filter floss. so easy to replace the floss daily if needed.

 

[hoembi]

but the fluval 407 canister is a piece of cake to take down, clean and get back up running again.

Hi adittam,
Would you mind sharing your cleaning procedure for the 407? I'm am coming up on my first time to clean it and am finding very varying recommendations (from don't clean anything but white/blue parts to exchange carbon etc). Would really appreciate if you could tell me your routine that works for you.

Thanks,
Cheers,
Hoembi

 

[adittam]

Hi adittam,
Would you mind sharing your cleaning procedure for the 407? I'm am coming up on my first time to clean it and am finding very varying recommendations (from don't clean anything but white/blue parts to exchange carbon etc). Would really appreciate if you could tell me your routine that works for you.

Thanks,
Cheers,
Hoembi

Sure, no problem.

After shutting the pump off and disconnecting the inlet and outlet hose assembly, I take the entire filter housing (still latched shut and full of water) down to my laundry sink, where I have clean 5 gallon bucket with about a gallon of RO/DI freshwater in it.

I then unlatch and remove the pump lid, rinsing it with tap water and setting it aside to drip-dry while I clean the rest.

I then remove both the long plastic rack out that holds the long, coarse mechanical filtration media and the media baskets that hold my mechanical filtration and chemical filtration (carbon or phosguard). However, I return the 2 media baskets that I have filled with biological filtration media (Maxspect Nano-Tech Bio-Spheres) and put them back in the old tank water that's still in the filter housing so they don't dry out.

Then I repeatedly rinse each of the mechanical filtration sponges out under tap water, spraying them and squeezing the water out of them over and over until I get all of the detritus out. As I'm satisfied each one is clean, I squeeze as much tap water out of it as I can, and then put it in the 5 gallon bucket with RO/DI water for a last rinse before putting it back where it belongs in the filter trays or racks. Once I'm done cleaning all of the sponges this way, I squeeze them under water in the RO/DI bucket a couple times and then reassemble them in the racks and trays.

I try to clean the filter about every other week, so I don't always have to change out the chemical filtration media, but if it's time to do so, then I dump the media that's been exhausted, replace it with fresh media, rinse it to get rid of any dust, and put it back in the tray.

I don't rinse the biological media at all. I don't want to lose the bacteria that I want in there.

Finally, before I put everything back together, I set the media trays with the biological media aside on the counter for a minute (minimizing the time they're not in tank water), dump the old tank water out of the filter housing and rinse it out with tap water a few times, and then give it a quick rinse with RO/DI water. Then I reassemble everything, bring it back up to the tank, hook up the inlet and outlet hose assembly, prime it until I see water coming out of the outlet instead of air bubbles, and then turn it back on.

 

[hoembi]

Thanks for that nice detailed write-up, that is extremely helpful for my upcoming filter cleaning.
I am currently using the standard media that came with it but so far I am pretty happy with it (although I have absolutely no reference ).