Filtration for 400L Tank

[Gribbs01]

I have a 4x2x2 foot planted tank with an Eheim 2227 and 2213 filter that I set up about 3 months ago. Tank water stats are ammonia and nitrate are 0-1 ppm, pH is 6.4, GH 1. I have 5 discus, 20 neon tetras, 15 rummy nose tetras and 3 SAE's and 1 bistlenose, all healthy. The 2227 is running as a wet/dry with new Eheim Substrate Pro and the 2213 I have set up as a mechanical/chemical filter with course pads, carbon and one fine pad at the top. I find the water to have a cloudy/dusty appearance. I do a 1/3 water change every week. I was wondering if I need to replace the 2213 with something bigger or turn the 2227 into a "normal" filter and add a fine pad or ??. I was also thinking of replacing the carbon with Purigen in the 2213.

Any suggestions/recommendatins appreciated.

[Merrilyn]

Hi Stuart. That should be plenty of filtration for a 4 x 2 tank.

I'd turn the 2227 into a normal filter and add another fine filter pad, then get rid of the carbon and replace it with purigen in the 2213.

The tank should be well settled after three months, and any cloudiness should have well and truely cleared up.

If the above measures don't have the desired effect, then invest in a UV filter and attach it to the outlet of the 2213.

[ILLUSN]

Merrilyn is spot on, watch the 2227 for clogging as the filter in its wet/dry config has NO mechanical filtration at all so all the gunk it sucks up ends up clogging the bio media

[Gribbs01]

Thanks for the replies. I will try running the 2227 as a normal filter. Any tips on the best way/configuration to do this

[ILLUSN]

set it up as you would a 2226 or 2026, you might have to cut your own corse sponge.
You dont need ceramic noodles, just a 1 or 2 corse sponges down the botom underneath the biosubstrate should do, it will catch the bigger muck before it gets to your media.

to convert it to a wet only mode, remove the float, or extend the air intake tube to the tank (so as its under water)