Filter/pump Recommendations?

[JackBinimbul]

I have a lot of specifics worked out for my first tank now and I'm learning so much. I want to do this right for the animals and plants that will be in my care, but I also want to do it affordably since this is my first build. I'd hate to dump hundreds into a project and decide this just isn't for me.

A recap for anyone who somehow hasn't seen me spamming all over the forums; I'm doing a 20 gallon long, only half filled with water, the back of the top portion will be land on stilts, planted. I will have a couple of surface water plants and some submerged. Java moss, anubias, some sort of ground cover, etc.

I also know I want to have a water feature that is basically a little waterfall plunging down from the land portion. I like this for both aesthetics and oxygenation.

Originally, I had planned on drilling the tank low on one side, having the intake from there and have the water feature be the outflow. That's not practical for a number of reasons.

1. The gallons per hour rate will be too great for the plants.

2. The outflow will be too great for the water feature.

3. I can't find someone local to drill the tank and I have none of the equipment or confidence to do so myself.

So, on to plan B.

It seems that a small, submerged pump for the water feature is a good idea. I can tuck it in a back corner behind a PVC pipe, covered in sculpted pond foam to be one of the pillars for the land. Then, I need a main filter solution.

I know that I'll be using a sponge filter on the intake and hiding it with Java moss and driftwood. I know not to use activated carbon for the good of the plants. I know that I shouldn't have too great of a current for both the plants and the animals. I like the idea of something outside of the tank to keep things uncluttered, but beyond that, I'm really not sure what I'm looking at. My water level is quite below the top of the tank and some of what I'm seeing doesn't seem suitable. Also, since my land portion will be a completely planted background, a back mounted filter isn't going to work unless it can go on the side. I know I don't want under gravel.

Low maintenance and affordability are main concerns. Thoughts?

 

[goatnad]

I have a lot of specifics worked out for my first tank now and I'm learning so much. I want to do this right for the animals and plants that will be in my care, but I also want to do it affordably since this is my first build. I'd hate to dump hundreds into a project and decide this just isn't for me.

A recap for anyone who somehow hasn't seen me spamming all over the forums; I'm doing a 20L tank, only half filled with water, the back of the top portion will be land on stilts, planted. I will have a couple of surface water plants and some submerged. Java moss, anubias, some sort of ground cover, etc.

I also know I want to have a water feature that is basically a little waterfall plunging down from the land portion. I like this for both aesthetics and oxygenation.

Originally, I had planned on drilling the tank low on one side, having the intake from there and have the water feature be the outflow. That's not practical for a number of reasons.

1. The gallons per hour rate will be too great for the plants.

2. The outflow will be too great for the water feature.

3. I can't find someone local to drill the tank and I have none of the equipment or confidence to do so myself.

So, on to plan B.

It seems that a small, submerged pump for the water feature is a good idea. I can tuck it in a back corner behind a PVC pipe, covered in sculpted pond foam to be one of the pillars for the land. Then, I need a main filter solution.

I know that I'll be using a sponge filter on the intake and hiding it with Java moss and driftwood. I know not to use activated carbon for the good of the plants. I know that I shouldn't have too great of a current for both the plants and the animals. I like the idea of something outside of the tank to keep things uncluttered, but beyond that, I'm really not sure what I'm looking at. My water level is quite below the top of the tank and some of what I'm seeing doesn't seem suitable. Also, since my land portion will be a completely planted background, a back mounted filter isn't going to work unless it can go on the side. I know I don't want under gravel.

Low maintenance and affordability are main concerns. Thoughts?

When you say 20L do you mean a 20 liter or a 20 gallon long?

 

[JackBinimbul]

Sorry, 20 gallon, long!

 

[JackBinimbul]

OK, I can't edit the original post anymore, but there have been some big changes to my proposed design.

Currently, my plans are just not feasible for a number of reasons. I think a drilled tank with a canister filter is still ideal, but isn't going to work with this tank size. I also have to compromise too much space for both the land and the water. It's also too ambitious for my first aquarium ever.

I still intend on making a paludarium with the original design, but my mother apparently has an old 55G that is sitting in her garage. I'm going to give this 20 a try and decide if this hobby is a good fit for me. If it is, I'll snag my mother's 55 and make the paludarium in that.

In the meantime, a HOB filter is now ideal for my plans, but I'd like some guidance in what would be best. Thank you!

 

[T Waters]

I'm not sure where but the guy who runs oscarfish.com definately says Marineland biowheel and Aqua Clear are the two HOBs that everyone likes. He said he won't use anything else. He said lately the Marineland filters are now made in China and are noisy which he thinks means lesser quality (it might wear out).



Emperor 400


https://www.oscarfish.com/power-filters/aquaclear-110.html


Oscars are a foot long and take huge filters, so a smaller version of these two examples are suitable for smaller tanks under 100 gallons.



I would definitely get a biowheel or an aquaclear, a smaller one. Many people put something else where the carbon media is when you unbox a new filter (e.g. an old pantyhose filled with something like porcelain bio macaroni stuff).



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I have no experience with HOBs (only use sponge filters in the tank which take up room and therefore not popular). I used huge sponges made for outdoor ponds in my 135 gallon tank (my only tank). Since it's inside the tank it will never leak all 135 gallons of water onto the floor and cause $1000 damage to carpet and walls in the living room.



Aquarium & Pond Sponge Filtration | How these Filters Work

 

[King Fisher]

Marineland Penguin are good HOB's for the price. I would immediately throw the biowheel in the trash and just run it with the filter. I say this because I had one and the wheel would constantly warp after 4-6 months to the point it wouldn't spin anymore. The wheels aren't cheap to replace a couple times a year. Outside of that it's a good filter. You can actually buy an empty filter cartridge frame for the penguin and add whatever media/filtration material you want. As stated above Aqua Clear is a solid HOB that's widely used.

 

[JackBinimbul]

Thank you for the feedback. I've seen a lot of gripe over the biowheels, so I'll be sure to scrutinize those in the future.

For now, I'm going to try a simple air pump filtration system and see how it works out for me. Should I decide to go for a HOB, I'll look at the two suggestions.

You guys are great!

 

[King Fisher]

You can create surface agitation and water movement with an air driven sponge filter. At the moment I'm using air stones, HOB's and canister filters between my 3 tanks. I've had success with all three types. From a money and simplicity stand point the air stones/sponge is the least expensive to run and maintain.

 

[T Waters]

I mentioned I use internal sponge filters (only that type of filter) 135 gallon frontosa tank. A powerhead drives it instead of air.

Here is a guy at the catfish show talking up his sponge filter ideas. at 8:36 the text annotation says he cleans and maintains his matten filters every few years (long time between maintenances).

I have to clean my round filters every 2 months, they get pretty dirty. At least I think I have to, so I do....

The tube coming up from the sponge just hoseclamped to a powerhead in my tank. But running it on air would be simpler.

 

[T Waters]

this guy has a matten filter using a HOB for power on a frontosa tank...

 

[T Waters]

The matten filter is just a thick rectangle of foam cut to be very slighty wider than the tank is wide. So that when you push it down into the tank it stays put right there. To clean, just pull it out and rinse in a bucket of water. Plain water would remove the good bacteria, so the cleaning bucket should be full of tank water, not fresh tapwater.


The foam is placed few inches, say 3 inches, away from one end of the tank glass.


To prevent big fish from bumping and moving the foam block back, you shove wood, stainless steel, or plastic dowel rods between the tank glass and the foam. That way big fish can't move the foam. Would take just 5 seconds to push a dowel in place.

I think some types of fish (vegetable eaters) would eat the foam ....


Cut a hole in top of foam and then a powerhead, or outlet from a HOB or submersible pump hose or something like that shoots the water flow out the hole. The tankwater flows the other direction back through the foam block which is the filter.