Filters

[turfboss]

Chris - I agree that the sponges - for planted display tanks doesn't make a lot of sense - ugly is probably the correct description - and yes I will probably journal te development on the CCA forum - but I'll stick a few pics here as things progress.

Josh - I can certainly agree that plants make a world of difference - in the tanks I do have plants - even though I may have some HOB's or a small sponge - they stay the cleanest and brightest - the absorption by the plants really seems to help with the stabilization of the tank.

Thanks for the inputs -

George

[jweis]

Chris - I agree that the sponges - for planted display tanks doesn't make a lot of sense - ugly is probably the correct description - and yes I will probably journal te development on the CCA forum - but I'll stick a few pics here as things progress.

Josh - I can certainly agree that plants make a world of difference - in the tanks I do have plants - even though I may have some HOB's or a small sponge - they stay the cleanest and brightest - the absorption by the plants really seems to help with the stabilization of the tank.

Thanks for the inputs -

George

I killed NUMEROUS fish until I put plants in my tanks. Now my fish are happy and they live a long, long time. I think plants make all the difference.

[turfboss]

To that end - I bought some 30 stems etc from Victor at the CCA meeting on Saturday and have them planted throughout many of my tanks - I do know they help - now I just have to work at keeping them alive long enough for them to do their job - most of my tanks are "low light" and "low tech" - no feeding - no CO2 - etc - so the Vals and the crypts that I have planted seem to do OK as do most of the Guppy grasses and plants like rotala that I float on some of the tanks.

I just have so much to learn - and so little time - to do the right job -----

[neturalist]

On the contrary to Julie, I've killed a bunch of plants until I put fish in my tanks. Now my plants are happy and grow. # of fish made difference in my tanks. more plants = more fish. less plants = need more plants. lol.

[Sonny Disposition]

I don't have any chemical filtration in my big show tank, only mechanical. The substrate is sand, provided for biofiltration. I was able to get plants growing in it, after I read the Walstad book. I have a Hagen powerhead hanging in each of the back corners. Each powerhead is connected, via 5/8 inch plastic tubing, to a strainer/prefilter (http://www.wetpetsusa.com/hapoheprefi.html), which sits on the tank bottom (where the poop accumulates.) The filtering material is a length of quilt batting that I attach to the inner strainer with rubber bands. Because it's a Walstad tank, and the CO2 comes from the fish and the plants only only the small powerhead operates during day light hours-- just enough circulation to keep the fish from suffocating. The larger powerhead is on a timer, and comes on at night, just before lights out I have one of those little air hoses hooked up to it, to bubble lots of air into it, to prevent night time CO2 levels from getting too high. All of the poop is drawn into the prefilters, which I change once week when I do water changes. The tank bottom is mostly clean, and never needs to be vacuumed.

[SCMurphy]

I don't have any chemical filtration in my big show tank, only mechanical. The substrate is sand, provided for biofiltration. I was able to get plants growing in it, after I read the Walstad book. I have a Hagen powerhead hanging in each of the back corners. Each powerhead is connected, via 5/8 inch plastic tubing, to a strainer/prefilter (http://www.wetpetsusa.com/hapoheprefi.html), which sits on the tank bottom (where the poop accumulates.) The filtering material is a length of quilt batting that I attach to the inner strainer with rubber bands. Because it's a Walstad tank, and the CO2 comes from the fish and the plants only only the small powerhead operates during day light hours-- just enough circulation to keep the fish from suffocating. The larger powerhead is on a timer, and comes on at night, just before lights out I have one of those little air hoses hooked up to it, to bubble lots of air into it, to prevent night time CO2 levels from getting too high. All of the poop is drawn into the prefilters, which I change once week when I do water changes. The tank bottom is mostly clean, and never needs to be vacuumed.

You should post a picture.

[Sonny Disposition]

Yeah, if I remember to, I'll post one tonight.

[John G]

My Reno XP2, which I used on my 75, just bit the dust. Any recommendations as to what I should get? I am not interested in the "best" filter, or the least expensive (although that would be great)--what I want is the easiest to use. What filter is the easiest to unplug, clean, put back together, and start?

(And if anyone has a Reno filter, and would like my old one for parts, let me know and I'll bring it to the meeting next week.)

[halak]

I have mostly Renas, so I would take your old non-working one-thank you. I think Renas are very easy to use, by the way. They are way easier to clean than Eheims.

[John G]

Viktor I'll send you a PM.