More filter advice

[vanessa]

Hey there,
I currently have 2 small taricha granulosa in a 20 g long with a Small World sponge filter. I plan on upgrading them to a 40 with this next paycheck. What would be a good brand of filter for both the 20 and the 40? I dont mind buying 2 separate filters as I am going to raise some guppies and platies in the 20 g when I move my newts.
Thanks.

 

[jennifer]

I would say that canister filters would be ideal for both tanks, if you can afford them and have space for the filter underneath the tank. What kind of lids do you have? It's hard to do the plumbing for a canister if you use a screen lid, but screen lids help keep tanks cooler, which is good for the newts.

If you haven't read this already...
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/filters.shtml

 

[vanessa]

I've heard a Fluval 3 Plus? It's a screen. Does it have to go directly under the tank or can it sit to the side?
Yes, I've read that, but thanks for the link. I appreciate your help.

 

[jennifer]

If you want a canister filter that sits to the side of the tank, you could use a Zoomed 501 mini-canister (photo in the link I posted above). It would work for the 20-long, but not for the 40 (unless you can replace the hoses with longer ones).

This picture shows what you need to do if you want to use a canister filter with a screen lid:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/images/articles/escape/escape3.jpg
This works well with a hinged screen lid, but not a 1-piecer.

This article also shows how to engineer various types of filters through a screen lid and still have an escape-proof tank:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/escape.shtml