Filters and CO2 question

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karen99

AC Members
Nov 21, 2005
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I currently have a 20 gallon tank that I'm going to upgrade to a 29 gallon with more plants. Right now I have a HOB filter that is rated for up to 30 gallons. I was hoping to use this same filter on the new tank.
The problem is I think I will be adding CO2 to the new tank. Are HOB filters a big problem with adding CO2? Do you lose much of the CO2 with them?
Is there another filter type that's better? Canister filters are too expensive for me.
Or would it be best to use Flourish Excel? Is that as effective as CO2?
Sorry for all the questions.
 
From what I understand, you can continue to use HOBs as long as you raise the water level high enough to eliminate the waterfall effect from the water output.

If your tank is planted heavily enough, they will become your primary biological filters, and the HOBs, canisters, powerheads are merely for providing circulation and catching debris.

Excel is an alternative to CO2, but not a direct replacement. On the seachem FAQ site, they admit that if CO2 is a 10, excel would be a 6 or 7. It is isn't very cost effective on tanks over 50 gallons or so; you might as well invest in pressurized CO2 and save yourself the work of daily dosing. Aeration from bubblers or HOBs have no effect on excel.

www.rexgrigg.com has a lot of useful info.

If you want an alternative to HOBs (which I don't like, because I like having my tanks against the wall), you can just use a simple power-sponge filter, like the one from marineland.

-Raymond
 
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