Overfiltering a planted tank

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Satsumas

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jan 29, 2005
Messages
610
Location
Cambridge, England (UK)
As some of you may know i am planning a heavily planted tank, i have renovated a 20gal long, ordered a glass cover, i am inquiring about a luminaire, got some eco complete and i bought a filter. However...

Instead of doing the clever thing and reading about water flow and filtration in a planted tank i went and bought a Fluval 205. Now i have came accross an article on filtration and here are my concerns.

"Planted aquaria have different requirements when it comes to filtration. Look for a filter with a slow turnover but a large biological media volume.

The water should run through the filter about three times an hour.

Over-filtration and high turnovers are counter-productive for plant growth, oxidise nutrients and wastes money."

The Fluval 205: 680 LPH for Aquariums up to 200 Litres.

I think i have a problem!?
Should i buy a different, more suitable filter?
My brother may want my 205 so i may not loose any money.

TIA
 
Satsumas said:
"Planted aquaria have different requirements when it comes to filtration. Look for a filter with a slow turnover but a large biological media volume.

The water should run through the filter about three times an hour.

Over-filtration and high turnovers are counter-productive for plant growth, oxidise nutrients and wastes money."
i do not agree with that, if anything a heavily planted tank will need LESS biological filtration, as the plants will provide most if not all the bio filtration you will need

questions...
How much light are you going to be running?
How much Fish-load will you have?
Will you use CO2?
Will you be dosing ferts?

200 L is ~ 53 gallons i think you will be fine, you might even want to replace the bio-media with more mechanical media... :)

lets see what other have to say on the subject
 
In answer to those questions...
I am enquiring about shipping for a 96watt luminaire... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....70011593200&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

I am not sure yet, i want to understock the tank, definate's are cories so far maybe 5 and also maybe a pair of keyhole's but i am not yet decided and it is subject to change.

Yes i will make another DIY CO2 injection system.

I have been looking at fertilizer's and Tropica seem to be a popular choice with their range so i may buy some of their stuff. :)

Anyway here is the website where i found the article...
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/show_article.php?article_id=254
 
I agree with Jdogg and rkilling1 on all aspects. I run a fluval 205 on a 20 gallon high and recently added a small power head, a Rio 90 lower in the tank, needed more current. I was getting BBA in the corners, ferts not getting to them, it's gone in less than a week. Depending on how heavily you plant and how hot you run your tank, I think a fluval 205 will just be enough.
 
Well it seems bogus to me too then, your tank is doing great dapellegrini!

I've always seen overfiltration as positive so i never even considered it when i bought the 205, i was looking for a nice amount of overfiltration! :lol:
 
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