Comments on: Flow: Filters / Powerheads

By: guitarfish

guitarfish — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:28:20 +0000

Caleb, I’m sorry I wasn’t more clear. When talking about the loss of CO2 from the surface ripples of a HOB filter, I’m already assuming that you have a CO2 injection system. Sure, you can setup a CO2 injection system on a tank with a HOB filter, and make a difference, but you’ll be unlikely to achieve the highest CO2 concentrations that are often optimal in a planted aquarium. Beyond that, I always encourage experimentation, so feel free to try it.

That said, when there’s a method that’s proven to work well, I like to steer folks in that direction from the get-go. In this case, I recommend canister filters because they work well with CO2 injection and planted aquariums.

Thanks for you comment!

By: Caleb

Caleb — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:05:33 +0000

*…caused by these filters?*

By: Caleb

Caleb — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:04:27 +0000

What if you had some sort of co2 injection setup, would that compensate for a hang-on-the-back filter? How significant is the loss of CO2 due to surface ripples caused by these ripples?

By: guitarfish

guitarfish — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:44:36 +0000

Mark, just like hang-on-the-back filters, sumps, etc, there are ways to make just about anything work in a planted aquarium. I’m sure the same is true about UGFs, but I’d prefer to not limit myself outright when setting up a tank, as it would be a huge pain to try and reverse that decision later on. There’s also the issue that you generally don’t want a pristine gravel bed in a planted tank. I never vacuum my gravel in the same way fish folks do. I want that mulm and detritus to accumulate as a nutrient source for my plants. Of course, if too much accumulates *on top* of the gravel, I’ll vacuum that up, but the other stuff I want.

As for using UGF’s to control algae, I’d never heard of that. It sounds like an interesting approach, but unlike fish-only aquariums, in planted aquariums you already have something that competes against algae for nutrients — the plants. I mostly subscribe to the philosophy that if you make your plants healthy, your chances are pretty good that they’ll outcompete the algae, and keep your tank looking nice. (Notice I didn’t say algae-free, but pretty close.)

By: Mark F.

Mark F. — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:06:37 +0000

I’ve read postings by some low-tech, low-budget enthusiasts that you can pull off an undergravel filter in a planted tank, so long as you’re willing to limit your plant species to epiphytes (ferns, anubias, etc., rooted to driftwood) and plants with horizontally-spreading roots (presumably vals and some hygros?) … was wondering what your take on this might be? Obviously, a UGF would also limit your substrate choices even more greatly.

A poster on The Krib web-site wrote that he found a way to use UGFs to control algae: he mounted an upward-facing light system underneath the tank, which encouraged algal growth beneath the filter … apparently this algae out-competed any attempts by other algae to grow above the filter, keeping his plants wonderfully aglae-free. He reported continued success with this for a year, but didn’t post on the topic thereafter … leaving me to wonder whether he was able to sustain this system, or if it crashed.

By: guitarfish

guitarfish — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:08:43 +0000

Kim, I have a friend who’s very happy with his Zoo Med 501 Turtle Canister Filter on a nano tank. Otherwise, the Red Sea Nano Deco HOB filter doesn’t create too much water disturbance, so long as you keep topping off the evaporated water.

By: Kim

Kim — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:22:08 +0000

What do you recommend for the smaller 2.5 gallons? Right now I’m using a tiny water pump that came from one of those “relaxing” table top “zen” fountains (the water dripping sound drove me nuts).