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Can you run a small pond filter and pump, at 250 gph, in an indoor tank, say 75gal to 150gal? Or should I just wait years to save for the canister filters and tank? Just kicking around cheap ideas.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

I think it would work, you might just have to divert the flow of the water with some hardscape but it should work... is it an external or internal filter... i think most people stray away from using the internals because its difficult to maintenance and they take up so much room, but I'd say keep it as large as possible if you are going to go that route and make sure you plan your scape around it as well as whatever you use to hide it that it can be easily moved (but not too easily of course).

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Thanks. I was looking on HD website and came across them. It's an internal pump and filter, sold separately, but it only adds up to less than $100. I've been looking at canisters and they usually start at $150-$200. My big fear is the flow rate being too much, and the tank ends up looking like the inside of a washing machine.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Since your trying to save $$$, take a look here...
http://www.kensfish.com/index.html

It was recommend to me from another hobbyist, and I have recently been buying supplies and equipment threw them. Great service, very good prices, in my case about half of local retail and thats after shipping.

What are you running on the tank now? or is this planning on an upgrade?

Filters heat up, and you may find that it overheats the tank, of course you may also find you won't need as large of a heater! Internal filters will take up some of the room, so you'll have to take that into account when you are stocking the tank. Also, IMO it will depend on the type of fish you're stocking in the tank. Small bodied fish wont need or want as strong of a current from the filter. The filter won't need to work as hard to pick up the debris, and combined with frequent cleanings that we do anyway you may not need as much gph. Of course if you're stocking with large heavy bodied fish that pump the waste through and leave a lot of debris thats something totally different.

Flow rates can be diverted using hardscape elements like brandeeno said. Have a rock feature in front of the outflow, make sure there are plenty of hiding spaces, that sort of thing.

The Eheim Ecco range is actually really economical ba<sed on who makes them and what they are. Big als has them for pretty cheap. I think I was able to get the second smallest after a bit of saving. Of course it also depends on if you need money for lights. Keeping the tank well planted would help reduce how much filtration the tank needs.

^_^

Babelfish has a good point about the filter heating up the tank. You could easily get two HOB filters to run on a 50-75 gal tank. AC makes a really good HOB and two would still cost less than a cannister. I personally would not put an internal pond filter in my tank. If money is an issue then I would just wait and save up so you can set it up correctly, it might cost you more to experiment.

250 gph is chump change, I've had 400 gph on a filter for a 55 gallon and my 125 gallon has something like 800 gph combined.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Yeah, a good cannister filter is well over 250 gph, 250 is nothing. My 115 gallon tank is currently at...Ahhh, let me get the calculator... 2,220 gallons per hour of flow if everything's flowing at its rating.