Planted tank advice

[IHaveAquariums]

I'm gonna set up a 15g planted, I have a canister filter for it (Cascade 500), now I tried it out and it killed 2 of my fish overnight because it stopped working and oxygen levels decreased as far as I can tell (parameters are fine) because the spray bar was placed below water level. Is this something I need to worry about in the planted tank? Should I try to put it just above water level for a little exchange? I got it to put it below so the co2 is good but what about oxygen?

 

[Delapool]

Could be a risk if heavily planted I guess. I'd add an air pump on a timer for night as backup.

 

[BBradbury]

Hello IH...

You don't need high end equipment to have a nicely planted tank. A simple dual sponge filter and florescent lighting from the local hardware store is enough. Choose easy to grow plants like Anacharis, Hornwort, Water sprite floating at the top. No planting is needed. On the bottom, you can keep any of the species of Anubias and Java fern. These require low light and don't have to be placed in the bottom material.

Keep things simple and you'll be much more successful.

B

 

[Fresh2o]

Not sure that the fish would have died from oxygen debt if the filter was off overnight. Is the tank very heavily stocked?
In a Planted tank I would not worry about it (they are producing oxygen during the day).
As for the spray bar being above or below the water level in an effort to conserve CO2... if you are injecting CO2, I would say put it below. Otherwise, above OR below is fine.