Hi, I have a penn plax cascade 300 power filter (hang on) on my 75 gal tank.
The box said its for up to 100 gal tank but my tank gets cloudy. I am thinking of getting another one of the same filters and was wondering if that would help. I have 4 goldfish all less than 5 inches and a 4 inch pleco. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Stacey

I have an Emperor 400 on my 65 gallon tank with three fantails and a 15" pleco. So, I'm filtering/turning over 1.5 times the amount that you are per gallon. I'm not familiar with the filter you're using so I don't know if getting another is a good idea, or it's better to get a different kind. Pumps and filters often say they are good for a tank up to whatever gallons when they're not.

My tank gets green cloudy from suspended algae about once a month so I add a minute single dose of pond AlgaeFix. Is your water cloudy white or cloudy green or something else? Cloudy white usually indicates a bacterial bloom which usually means that your tank needs more surface area on which good bacteria can grow. What is the biological portion of your filter like? Mine has biowheels. Your tank is not yet overstocked so it should be easy to get it under control. I suggest weekly 30% water changes or so on a tank that size.

Hi the tank is a light cloudy whiteish with a hint of real light green not bad but noticable to me. The filter box says it pumps 300 gph for aquariums up to 100 gals. it has a biofalls plastic thing which the water runs down and the good bacteria grows on. Heres a link to the filter http://www.petsolutions.com/+Qcascade-300.aspx I maintain the aquarium salt, do wkly 25% water changes, use stress coat chlor out and change the insert every 2 wks. I also have 3 live plants I'm not sure if that matters.

White cloudy is often the bacteria. Your filter may not have enough places for bacteria to grow, or it's not at its peak right now. Add some good bacteria like Stress-Zyme to the tank. Otherwise, it doesn't sound like you should have a problem.

Hi Robyn,
Sorry to keep bothering you but I can not seem to get this tank to clear no matter what I do :unsure: I did a 50% water change, cleaned the filter inside and put a new insert, added stress zyme, Now the water is a real light cloudy green color.
I honestly think the cascade filter is crap! I was looking on ebay and saw a canister filter do you know anything about them? Or should I get a emperor?

I had a canister filter for a decade. I really hated the thing. It was literally painful to open it for cleaning which I did every two weeks. Plus, I always had to worry about leaks. It filtered fine though. I have a scar on my right hand from April 1996 (I know the date because my first cat was dying at the time) when I first got the Magnum 350 Pro filter. The scar was from the metal clips I had to move to open the lid.

I have three Emperor 400's so I must like them! The two newer models aren't as good as my old one which I put up. The new models lack a flow adjuster in the center which I liked because it held the lid on. The new lids just sit there.

When my 65 gallon gets a little green (green water is suspended algae), I add pond AlgaeFix, just a single dose. In a day, the water is clear, and it lasts for two weeks. AccuClear will also clear water that is cloudy (any color) but is just a temporary fix and not a cure. It causes the cloudy material to settle out. Be sure to use lots of aeration with either chemical. Don't use them if you have extra sensitive fish or animals other than fish in there.

Would another large hang on filter (like the emperor 400) work to clear the tank and keep it clear? If so should I use the new one with the old one as well or will the emperor handle it alone?

I'm just puzzled by all this info and having such a large murky tank is
depressing :(

Other hang-on-tank brands should work as well. Pick ones with either biowheels or some other large-surface-area biological filter portion. A single Emperor 400 should be enough for most 75 gallon tanks. You can move some media from the old filter to the new one to transfer good bacteria. If you want to try both filters, you can do that. Just be sure the fish aren't being bounced around by too much water movement.

Wishing you clear water soon!

THANKS ROBYN ;)
I am buying a emperor 400 this weekend :D

Let me know how it goes. Keep in mind that when you change to a new filter, any improvements that may be coming may take a while to see.

Robyn,
I got a emperor 400 yesterday from petco, although it was a little expensive $79 in store compared to $60 online, I love it!! :D

I done a 50% water change then hooked it up and instantly saw an improvement!
This morning my tank is crystal clear!! :lol:

The emperor is so much stronger than the cascade brand I was using. I will recommend it to anyone with a large aquarium!! :)

Thank you so much for your help ;)

I'm glad it helped! I lucked out when I bought my two Emperor 400's earlier this year. I only paid less than $40 each on sale. At my local Petco, they wanted $80 too! Mail order is a lot cheaper, usually 50% as much. I use http://www.thatpetplace.com and http://www.drsfostersmith.com for most of my animal, aquarium, and pond supplies now. Since I buy a few hundred dollars of supplies at once, the shipping costs are not much of a concern so I save a lot of money. Plus, more than half of what I mail order isn't even available at the local chain pet stores.