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Anyone use a submersible filter? Pros? Cons?

[span class="edited"][Edited by June 2004-09-09 16:28][/span]

They're useful for small tanks, but IMO you just can't get effective use out of them with anything much more than 10 gallons. They're all fairly small, and designed to "hide" - for good filtration you need more media space, and better access to it, than they can provide.

-Molly
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Thanks Molly. This one I got awhile back is supposedly for a 90g tank:

http://www.aquaticsbykr.com/images/filters/intank90sen.html

Been scared to use it. Though I did get a grounding cord too, and I use submersible heaters. Thinking about putting it in the 29g tank if the flow won't overwhelm the tank. Tank is currently cycling with 2 aqua-tech 20/40's.

I wouldn't use a submersible filter on a tank that large. It is true that they aren't as powerful or as large as canister filters, and it doesn't pay to skimp on filtration.

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Should I put it on a 10g fry tank, or chalk it up to another oops waste of money?

In my 30g I use a ac 200 and a fluval 2 plus(internal filter).

Pros

-It has a venturi tube that draws air from the surface throws air bubbles across the tank. very good for addition air.
-It mixs up the filtered water coming out my ac 200 execellent. I direct the water coming out my interal filter across where the water is dropping in from my ac 200. I also place my heater by it so it can circulate the water by the heater.
-Adds additional filtration that mixs the water a lot better than the power filters.
-You can mount the filter almost anywhere in the tank. (I believe on the fluval you can get a spray bar as well)
-Some fish like zebra & gaint danios love to play in the stream of water coming out.
-The fluval has several different filter media and media configurations to it.

CONS

-On warm days when the tank is hot just because of the temp outsideis hot, I have had to shutoff the internal filter so it won't add additional heat to the tank.
-Some fish do not like the stream it provides. The fluval I have is positioned near the top of the tank to make use of the venturi air tube so the water current is not a problem through the tank. You can easily tell the current by if the plants are swaying and adjust the position of the filter accordingly.
-Will not filter bigger tanks, but makes a great additional filter on bigger tanks. The specs for the fluval filter make reference to this.
-If looking for current producing device, better to go with a power head.

All in all, I like my interal filter. I works great for my setup and my only complant that is does add to addition heat to the tank when it is hot outside. I have had to unplug a couple of times this summer, but I feel that there are more pros than cons.

hope this helps you
openwater.

Wow thanks Openwater for all that detail. I was thinking about adding it as a backup to the two Aquatech's as long as it doesn't add too much current. It does have a flowvalve. I don't trust the two little filters to do a good enough job and this will be a breeding tank.

No good for a breeding tank, unfortunatly... they're best suited, in my opinion, for turtle tanks.