Inquiry: Will the Eheim Aquacompact40 be sufficient for a 60cm tank?

[jlkayden]

Hi there, would love to seek expert or professional opinions on this. Will the Eheim aquacompact40 be sufficient for a 60cm by 30 cm by 36cm tank?

I am keeping it mainly as a shrimp tank with some aqua scape (with plants).

[Urban Aquaria]

The aquacompact40 could be used for a 2ft tank, but its flow rate is relatively low for effective circulation in a planted tank and the filtration volume is small (its designed more for smaller tanks), so it wouldn't be able to hold as much filter media to help in maintaining a stable cycle (compared to the other filter models), especially if its a planted tank with livestock.

In addition, the aquacompact design has the motor and impeller unit inside the tank (not in the canister), this takes up internal tank space, along with the fixed visible grey spray bar and intake pipes. Due to its design, it cannot use glass lily pipes either.

For a 2ft tank, it'll be better to use the larger canister filter models, like the Classic 2213 or 2215, or Ecco Pro 200 or 300, or even a Pro 2224. The higher flow rates and larger filter volumes will be much more effective in supporting the cycle in a 2ft tank.

[jlkayden]

Thanks for your replies! May I ask then which is good considering I do have some space constraints. Im not too experienced in these as this is my first attempt. This is also the first time Im hearing of glass lily pipes. haha! is it an alternative outlet to the canister filters?

I was thinking of adding a fluval C4 HOF in addition to that but it is just unsightly

[Urban Aquaria]

For a 2ft shrimp tank with plants, the Classic 2213 model would be ideal... it has a large filter volume and the flow rate is sufficient for the tank size.

Its recommended to get a set of double-taps for the hoses too (they are usually not included with the Classic series models), those will allow you to close the taps and detach the hoses for easier maintenance.

Yeah, glass lily pipes are designed to replace the traditional green plastic inlet/outlet pipes that are originally packaged with the Eheim canister filters. The glass lily pipes look much nicer.

I guess its a trade-off when using hang-on filters, there will always tend to be plastic piping visible in the tank with such setups, so you'll need to find ways to hide them.

[jlkayden]

For a 2ft shrimp tank with plants, the Classic 2213 model would be ideal... it has a large filter volume and the flow rate is sufficient for the tank size.

Its recommended to get a set of double-taps for the hoses too (they are usually not included with the Classic series models), those will allow you to close the taps and detach the hoses for easier maintenance.

Yeah, glass lily pipes are designed to replace the traditional green plastic inlet/outlet pipes that are originally packaged with the Eheim canister filters. The glass lily pipes look much nicer.

I guess its a trade-off when using hang-on filters, there will always tend to be plastic piping visible in the tank with such setups, so you'll need to find ways to hide them.

Just curious. How much does the 2213 usually cost? So if i were to get lily pipies (lets say if), do I still need the double taps (quick release)? I usually get my supplies from Yishun 618 and the c328.

I guess I will keep my aquacompact 40 for my 30cm guppy planted tank. :/

Oh yes and for Co2 circulation, would the 2213 suffice to evenly distribute the co2 around? Im having a big headache trying to improve the circulation and combat BBA issues

[|squee|]

IMHO a 2215 will be better. I'm personally using one for my 2ft. Double taps are a must for maintenance. Get a 2213 if your tank is going to be sparsely planted or if you're going for a shrimp tank.

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[Urban Aquaria]

Just curious. How much does the 2213 usually cost? So if i were to get lily pipies (lets say if), do I still need the double taps (quick release)? I usually get my supplies from Yishun 618 and the c328.

If i remember correctly, brand new 2213 from LFS is around S$130-$140, the package usually comes with the eheim bio-media and sponges included too. Note that there are other filter models like the Ecco Pro and Pro series models which already come with inbuilt taps and other additional features, and their pricing are just marginally more than the 2213, so if you add in the cost of the double taps, it can sometimes total up to be quite similar compared to the other series models (and with those other models you get more flow rate, more features and larger filter volumes too).

The double taps are a separate accessory from lily pipes, they just allow you to shut off and detach the pipes easier, so you don't have to drain the pipes whiles they are still stuck to the hoses. Double taps also allow you to adjust the flow rate on the outflow hose too, so you can slow down and moderate the flow rate if required.

Actually, if you use glass lily pipes, double taps become even more useful, being able to shut and disconnect the hoses cleanly is way easier (and safer) then having to wrestle removing the hoses from glass lily pipes that are still connected to the filter and tank, helps reduce the chance of glass breakage from rough handling.

Note that you have to check the lily pipes and make sure they are made properly (ie. correct outflow angle, mouth shape, uniform glass thickness etc), there have been cases of people getting lily pipes which are made with odd angles (usually the cheaper 3rd-party brand ones, their quality control sometimes abit off), so the overall flow and circulation ends up becoming inefficient.

Oh yes and for Co2 circulation, would the 2213 suffice to evenly distribute the co2 around? Im having a big headache trying to improve the circulation and combat BBA issues

The circulation efficiency will depend on your layout... if its a relatively flat layout with no or very little hardscape to block flow, then the 2213 should be sufficient. Though most people usually prefer to use even higher flow rate filters whenever possible, so that they have more flexibility to get better circulation if needed, especially in tanks with more hardscape and higher plant density.

Having a higher starting flow rate is better because if the flow is too much, you can just easily adjust it lower with the tap... rather than starting with low initial flow and no option to increase it.

Lily pipes also help in the circulation too, the wide lily pipe outflow mouth design spreads out the flow so that it covers a wider area. In addition, the placement of both inflow and outflow pipes together on one side creates a clock-wise or anti-clockwise circulation pattern.

Here is the optimal flow and circulation pattern diagram from ukaps.com:

Notice in the diagram, the in-tank Co2 diffuser is placed opposite the outflow path so that the Co2 bubbles are pushed down and directly across the substrate over the plants.

The key is to have wide but gentle flow, so more areas get effective circulation yet the plants and livestock don't get blown all over the place.

[cherabin]

My heavily planted 2' has a 2217 for filtration and I'll actually recommend this filter. If you find that the flow rate is too high for your application such as shrimp tank, the flow can be reduced by turning down the double taps on the outlet.


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