New 30 Gallon...Seeking Advice on Setup

[smn723]

Hey guys, I just found these forms a few days ago and am quite intrigued with the content provided. I am somewhat new to aquarium set ups but have had a couple 10 gallons running with fish and a few live plants (currently 3 including amazon sword and some crypts) the last 3 years. I have a new 30 gallon acrylic Sea Clear aquarium and am trying to figure out how to prep it. I have read a lot of the stickies and it is making my decisiveness drop. I already have the lights (currently 2x65 w compact flourescent, 1 6700 and 1 10000 with 1 lunar light) and have many components on order (Maxi-Jet powerhead for a little extra water movement, 150w heater, and some maintenance items) but am having some dillemma on the other accessories.

Primarily I am having indecisiveness when it comes to the filter. I am leaning towards a canister filter as that is what I am seeing most people using with good success in their planted aquariums. Please advise on components to add to this setup and a practical but well-priced filter system. I haven't had much luck in finding well-priced filters minus dr foster and smith's web site. Please help!!

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jchillin]

Welcome to AA!

Canister filters are almost a requisite to the planted tank. Provides greater gph, less gassing out of CO2 and shortens the tanks footprint by 5". You need look no further than here for some very good deals on canisters.

The CO2 equipment is necessary due to the amount of light you currently have. You have 130 watts, which comes to a little over 4 wpg. This is considered a high-light tank.

HTH

 

[smn723]

Thank you JChillin...good to be on these forms, and BTW nice tanks you have. I was just curious when you said no need to look further than here for good deals on canisters...where can I buy canister filters on here? Sorry still new to the site and in desparate need of the equipment....you know the anxiousness with the new larger tank set up.

Also, you are quite disciplined in this field...what other accessories would you recommend I get for the new 30 gal? I've heard that air pumps with bubble wands are useless in the planted environment and are a distraction to the typical community fish involved in most planted tanks. Also I currently have some adolescent cichlids but they are bad with plants (uprooting them)...is there a way to anchor down the plants so that I could throw cichlids in a planted tank?

Thanks again!!

Oh and where do you typically get your plants as I notice you have a ton of different species I haven't found anywhere in my area or online?

Edit: I read only 5x turnover max in a planted aquarium from your canister filter...is it harmful if it's more? This was posted in malkore's stickie.

 

[Xzap]

Thank you JChillin...good to be on these forms, and BTW nice tanks you have. I was just curious when you said no need to look further than here for good deals on canisters...where can I buy canister filters on here?

I personally like Fluval canister filters. If you have a PetsMart in your town, print out the price list and take it to the store with you. They will price match the online price.
Fluval Filters

Oh and where do you typically get your plants as I notice you have a ton of different species I haven't found anywhere in my area or online?

I have had great success with Aquariumplants.com



Thx,

Dave

 

[Tiffi]

The "here" from Jchillin is in light blue, it's a link you can click on to get to the other page.

Have you thought about CO2, yet? With 130W over 30 you will definitely need it (4.3wpg). With a 30gal you can definitely go with some DIY Co2.
The best would be if you decide for a filter and model and type it into google. That way it shows you all the places it's offered and at which prices. You can do some price searching like that.

If you have a well planted aquarium you don't need no bubblewand anyway. The plants will produce O2 and you'll see some paerling from the plants.

www.aquariumplants.com is really a very good place to buy plants. They have superb quality, great selection, good prices and customer service!

 

[smn723]

Okay, I swear this is the last question I have....man I'm such a newB.

Well I think I have decided on the Fluval but their recommendation for the 104 is 25 gallon but that's 125 gph. I read the sticky on filtration in planted aquariums and it says to stay at or under 5x which this would be on my 29 gallon so I am now unsure if the 104 is ample or if I need to splurge for the 204. Anyone with a similar set up or that has been helping me in this post...please advise if I do 180 gph if that is bad for the planted aquarium since that would be 6x filtration.

Thanks again

 

[Jchillin]

Yes, the 104 is fine. The recommendation really means that 5x is more than enough filtration.

Also, sorry about the confusion regarding the "here" in my previous post. I use what is known as a bb code for links to websites. It keeps the post a little neater (sometimes links can be very long). By using this code, I shorten the web link and use small words to identify it.

 

[BrianNY]

JMO but I'm a big fan of overfiltering. Water movement isn't the problem, surface agitation is. The more surface agitation, the more CO2 will gas out. As stated, you will need to add CO2 with that much light or you will grow nothing but algae.

My preference in cannisters for a planted tank is the Rena Filstar. Fluval makes a great filter but it does not come with a spray bar attachment. The Filstar makes it very easy to position the outflow low enough to avoid much surface agitation.

HTH