filtration for planted tank

[Neil Groves]

So I am nearly ready to add water to my 55g tank and go buy a filter, I have just been reading that heavily planted tanks don't need or benefit from high water currents, I was going to set this up with a power filter but after reading that, I think maybe the flow will be too much? and I should go with an aquaclear bio-wheel setup which would also give me surface movement?

Also I need to be careful as I am interested in letting my Apisto's breed and I don't want them to get sucked up by any filtration.

thoughts please?

Neil.

 

[gerald]

How about an internal air-powered sponge filter? Safest filter for small fry, and you can hide it behind wood or plants.

 

[themountain]

german "Mattenfilter" I would go for

 

[Mike Wise]

Both sponge and Matten filters also have the advantage of growing microorganism on which apistos (fry and adults) will graze (free live food).

 

[Neil Groves]

Would one sponge filter be enough for my planted 55g?..also what else do I need to buy apart from an air pump to run it?

Neil

 

[Neil Groves]

How many do I need for my 55g?

Neil

 

[Neil Groves]

http://www.amazon.com/XY-380-Aquari...qid=1450628718&sr=8-1&keywords=sponge+filters

I have been reading up on sponge filters and am going ahead with them, how many of the above filter will I need for a 55g please?

Neil.

 

[gerald]

That depends more on the fish load and feeding rate than the tank size. I have one sponge filter (about 4 inch diam x 5-6 inch tall) in a planted 55 gal with about 40 to 50 tetras (congo, rummynose, emperor), rasboras, small barbs, otocinclus.

 

[Neil Groves]

Is that your only filter? Or do you also have a canister filter or power filter? I don't intend having more than 20 small fish, tetra, and dwarf cichlids mainly.

Neil

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Have a look at <"Swiss Tropicals">. This is the <"Mattenfilter"> page. I like the look of the jet-lifter on these filter. Stephan Tanner ("Swiss Tropicals" owner) is <"a scientist"> as well as fish breeder etc.

I've recently bought some Hailea piston pumps (to run a lot of small air filters for algal culture) and they are excellent, but a bit noisy.

It doesn't have to be an air pump driven filter. I use the 12" x 4" x 4" PPI20 drilled foam blocks they sell for Koi ponds etc with a Maxi-jet Power-head. You can see one of these at the back right in this photo.

cheers Darrel

 

[Mike Wise]

Sponge & Matten filters have an amazingly large amount of biological filter volume compared to their size. For smaller, less messy, fish they are an ideal biological filter. Bigger and messy fish need some kind of mechanical filtration, too. Not a problem with apistos.

 

[gerald]

Is that your only filter? Or do you also have a canister filter or power filter? I don't intend having more than 20 small fish, tetra, and dwarf cichlids mainly. Neil

That's all. I think the plants are really doing most of the waste-processing work. I harvest and discard floating plants frequently (Ricciocarpus and Limnobium). I had a hang-on filter running too, but the impeller broke about a year ago. It's still on the tank, just to fill the gap cut in the canopy. Fish and plants are doing fine with just the air-driven sponge filter. This tank has been running almost 20 yrs.

 

[Karin]

That's all. I think the plants are really doing most of the waste-processing work. I harvest and discard floating plants frequently (Ricciocarpus and Limnobium). I had a hang-on filter running too, but the impeller broke about a year ago. It's still on the tank, just to fill the gap cut in the canopy. Fish and plants are doing fine with just the air-driven sponge filter. This tank has been running almost 20 yrs.

I wish to see a pic!

 

[MickeM]

Me and a friend of mine have been breeding several Apistos with no pumps/motor-filters at all.., but then often with some plants added..
As gerald says.. As long as you feed with proper food (frozen brine shrimp in my case) and feed in proper amounts ..and keep an eye/ control of the water-quality.. it will normaly work just fine..
In my tanks I normaly use some kind of sand, but I have gotten fry from Apistos in tanks with only floating plants+ roots.. and often with limited amounts of sand too.. but in such set-ups I recommend frequent water changes..
Sometimes breeding occurred by accident so to speak.... in quarantine tanks..

Here is a link to show how it may look..
http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/t...basement-with-planted-tanks.17497/#post-92773