Safe filter?

[axolittles]

I don't entirely understand filter mechanics. Since I want a gentle flow, I have a baffled Marina i25 internal filter. It's currently sitting in a 5 gal with my two baby lotls. We're seeking to finally put them into their 20 gallon long tank tonight, now that they're getting bigger!

But does that mean I have to buy a new, stronger filter? Or can I just remove the baffle on my i25 and use it? It says up to 6.6 gallons on the packaging, or but does that mean I can only use it in a tank 6 gallons or less, or that it only moves 6 gallons per hour or something?

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this stuff! Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[auntiejude]

You need a filter rated at about 4 times the volume of your tank, so for a 20 gal tank you need a filter rated at 80 gal/hour. So yes, you'll need a bigger filter.
You can move the old filter media to the new filter to avoid having to start the cycle from scratch again.

 

[axolittles]

Thanks! I went ahead and got one rated for 30 gallons, so I won't have to get a new one if I upgrade my tank again.