Planted tank filtration

[saberry]

I have a filter question along the same lines

I just purchased a 55 gal, so I seem to fall somewhere in the category between what's best - a HOB or a canister filter. If either will do, which is the better HOB, AquaClear or Bio Wheel? I have experience with Aqua Clear but have heard good things about the Bio Wheel. I was thinking about using 2 Aqua Clear 300's or perhaps an Eheim 2213 canister. I will probably make this purchase in the next couple of days so I can circulate the water and gravel a couple of days before introducing the bio-spria and fish. I will probably get the plants online sometime later this week as well. I know with the bio-spira it is OK to add all your fish at once - does this apply to plants as well - I don't mind saving a few bucks on shipping.

 

[morleyz]

If it were my money, I'd get an AC300 AND the Eheim...then you get the best of both worlds and some redundancy in case one fails. Bio-wheel filters have a lot of nice features, but there were a couple of things I couldn't stand. 1) They make more water noise than other HOBs. 2) I always got these tiny little bubbles that made the tank almost look cloudy...drove me nuts, but I weird about stuff like that. As long as you buy a quality filter, you'll get good performance out of any of them.

As far as plants go, you can definitely add them all at once...as a matter of fact, you probably want to as they can help with any short comings you bio-filter in a bottle might have.

 

[loganj]

If you are going to plant this tank heavily, I'd go with a canister type filter. The HOB filters, including all the bio wheel setups, cause more surface disturbance. This makes it hard to keep C02 levels up where they need to be for the plants. The canister can be set up with its output far under the surface. If you're just going to put in a couple of plants, then I wouldn't be too concerned about it. The Emperor 400 is my favorite HOB filter.

 

[Guest]

saberry, I'd agree with logan 100%. If you want a well planted tank, get a cannister. His explanation of driving of co2 through surface agitation is right on the money.

 

[saberry]

Have I fallen for a myth?

I thought that lots of surface aggitation made life easier on the fish. Have I fallen for a myth or do I need air stones or something if I go with a canister filter?

Also, if I go canister, it will probably be Eheim. Would the 2213 be appropriate for my tank? The Eheim website says it is rated for a 66 gal. tank. Or would I be better off with the 2215 which is rated for 92 gal? I know people usually recommend more capacity with a HOB, but did not know if this was necessary with a cansiter.

 

[loganj]

Ok, I split this and moved it to this forum...it was getting off topic a bit and fit better here. I think it'll get better exposure to members who know about planted tanks here as well.
Surface agitation is good for the fish...bad for the plants. Planted tanks typically don't have large fish loads. It really depends on how heavily you intend to plant the tank. Plants have to have a certain amount of C02 to do well.
IMO, the 2213 would be enough for your tank with a normal bioload. If you intend to have just a few plants and a heavy fish load, then you might consider the 2215.

 

[saberry]

Lots of variables

Although I don't intend to overload the tank with fish, my current lighting situation will not allow a heavily planted tank. I think I will start with just a few low to moderate light plants and maybe 5 or 6 fish. Once I upgrade the lighting, I will be able to add more plants, but this may be awhile.

My tank emphasis will be more on fish than plants, so maybe I should shift my focus in that direction. I may just go with a decent, inexpensive HOB, like the Emperor 400 for now and change to a canister later if I decide to go heavier on the plants. That way I can keep my options open without having wasted too much money.

Any opinions?

Other thought - Eheim 2215 and an underated bio-wheel as to not disturb the tank too much, but to also allow some stability when making filter media changes.

 

[Guest]

I would get a Rena XP-3. That's what I run on my 55 gallon planted tank. And I have my DIY CO2 reactor plumbed right into the return line.

 

[tkos]

Surface agitation is only a concern if you add CO2. Otherwise the CO2 will just balance out with the CO2 in the atmisphere around the tank so it won't matter.

Fish need the surface agitation as it helps oxygenate the water. But in a planted tank the plants give off oxygen during the day and therefore they will do the oxygenation for you.

 

[saberry]

Are parts and media hard to find?

I looked up the Rena XP-3 online and it looks like a good product, although I can get a comparable Eheim for a few bucks less at a lfs here in Houston. It may just be that I have not been looking hard enough but I don't recall ever having seen this brand locally. Do you have trouble with supplies or do you have to order online?

 

[saberry]

Finally made a decision

I got the Eheim 2215, which should give me plenty of filtration and a maxi-jet 900 powerhead. I now have the gravel in the tank and will add the water tomorrow!

Visiting the LFS did bring up another question though. I told the owner that because of my very limited lighting that I would be needing a few low light plants for my S.American Cichlid tank. His response was that cichlids will eat the plants.

Now I had read that some species like to uproot the plants, so I had eliminated them from consideration, but do I need to be concerned about cichlids in general eating my plants?