[marscounty]

I have been do alot of research lately before I build my own filter system. I want to build a diy (do it yourself) canister or wet/dry filter. However in all the pages I have read, I can not find a constant calculation between gph and tank size. I know this can vary greatly depending on the amount of tubing between the filter and your tank. Also the height of the pump compared to your inlets and outlets. But there has to be a way to calculate the gph needed to filter any given tank size with the variables considered. Help!

 

[Neoplasia]

Are you looking for just a straight gph/size conversion? If so (and it's for piranhas) simply multiply the size in gallons by a number from 6-10, depending on what your target turnover rate is. For simplicity I'll use 10. You have a 100g tank, so you should aim for about 1000gph of filtration. Or 800 if you wish to have 8 times per hour. Those figures are by no means law, just a guide to help you pick the best filtration system.

If you're looking for something that factors in other variables then someone else can field that, I don't have any experience with DIY units and complex systems (hello pet store!

). :smile:

 

[Judazzz]

I agree with Neo on this one

Personally, I only have used a single canister filter (Eheim 2213), supplimented with two internal filters. Total turnover for me is about 340 gph, and I own a 80 gallon tank (so, that's only about a turnover rate of only 4x, but I seem to get away with it...) I would advise you to go for a higher rate, but it very much depends on the efficiency of the filters (Eheim is said to be very efficient, so when you go with that brand, you might have enough with a lower turnover rate) But remember: better safe than sorry!

 

[Olson]

I also try to turn my tanks atleast 8 times a hour but in my Ray tank I turn that over 10 times a hour.With Rays or Piranha I think your target range should be around that(8-10 times) but the rule is around 6 times for most other fish.

 

[Sir Nathan XXI]

with wet drys they are much more efficient and tend to do better with slower rates, if you use one try to stay in the 5 to 7 times per hour range with the corrected head height pump rating (manufacturer has table that list gph per foot)